China’s disenchanted youth ‘lie flat’ to cope with the demands of modern life

Commuters at a subway during rush hour in Beijing. China’s youth are tapping out of a culture of endless work with little reward. — AFP/Noel Celis

Ground down by the sapping realities of modern city life, China’s youth are “lying flat”, the latest buzzword for those tapping out of a culture of endless work with little reward.

With growing inequality and rising costs of living nudging traditional markers of success out of reach, some young people are choosing to do the bare minimum at work, dialling back the go-getting aspirations their parents once harboured.