China’s Slacker Youths: Why They Went From ‘Lying Flat’ To ‘Let It Rot’ | Insight | Full Episode

Phil Stone says…

Yes, this could become a solution – they have decided to stop playing the game. Without players – how long can the game go on. 

Whether its an organised conscious decision, a trend induced by despair or a collective depression it may be the catalyst that eventually ends the enslavement. We’ll have to see how it develops. Its more than hippies, punks and goths because the aim is simply not to join… the game does not appeal.

This is a most promising development.


896,085 views Aug 23, 2022 “Tang Ping” or Lying Flat, was a 2021 movement that rejected the work culture in China. Now, it has morphed into the more extreme “Bai Lan” or Let It Rot. What behind this new phenomenon? Insight speaks to some Chinese youths who identify themselves as “Bai Lan”. They are opting out of climbing the economic ladder, choosing to put in the bare minimum at work and coasting along. What are the reasons for their despondency? And will this youth movement affect China’s economic recovery, even as it faces headwinds from COVID lockdowns and a property debt crisis? 0:00 China’s ‘Lying flat’ & ‘Let it rot’ trends 5:26 ‘Lying flat’ vs ‘let it rot’: a worrying difference 9:03 Why I chose to ‘let it rot’: a Chinese youth 13:26 The rise of China and inequality 19:28 Anxieties of Chinese youth: Housing, healthcare, education 20:57 Gen Z vs Boomer: Differing attitudes to ‘let it rot’ 25:50 ‘Let it rot’: a rejection of 996 culture? 32:34 What a 996 worker thinks of ‘let it rot’ culture 34:12 “We’re not selfish”: ‘bai lan’ youths 36:08 How China’s tackling ‘let it rot’ culture 41:14 Should China be worried about ‘let it rot’ culture? For greater INSIGHT into issues affecting Asia: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk… =============== ABOUT THE SHOW: Insight investigates and analyses topical issues that impact Asia and the rest of the world. ========================== #CNAInsider #CNAInsiderInvestigates #China #GenZ #Millennials #BaiLan For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER https://cna.asia/insideryoutubesub Follow CNA INSIDER on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnainsider/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnainsider/ Website: https://cna.asia/cnainsider

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