Instead of even trying to chase jobs that seem out of reach, Gen Z is embracing living like a rat—not showering or leaving the house for days at a time.
The millennial era of “work hard, play harder” and “girl bossing” has given way to a new trend. In China, at least, Gen Zers are proudly calling themselves “rat people”—they’re spending entire days procrastinating in bed, scrolling on their phones, snoozing and ordering take out.
I think it has something to do with “giving up” on the economy: if you have very low chances of landing a job anyways, why even try?
The article does not directly tell us how many people participate in this movement consciously. It does hint, however:
Today, over 4 million American Gen Zers remain jobless. In China, the government has said that as of February, 1 in 6 young people are unemployed.
The whole gig economy / hustle culture was deliberately abused by companies treating people like consultants except with low wages and certainly zero benefits. People are taking all the downside and businesses are completely covered from any liability. It has to end somewhere.
I’m doing the same thing in the US after getting laid off, have no energy or motivation to apply for jobs or prep for interview. I’m kinda depressed about this situation but also kinda happy to have the freedom to actually rest and breath again, for a first world country the American work system is draconic, and tying Healthcare access to a job is just inhumane
Sorry to hear you lost your job. Hoping the best for you, internet stranger!
I agree that tying healthcare to one’s job is totally fucked up. Everyone should get healthcare, period. A less than 40 hour work week, and a ubi would be nice too.
The greatest tragedy of 21 century is masses of pacified people who farm karma and validity online in some circlejerks to feel dopamine hits from moral superiority.
It’s the real brain drain of today.
When they give up, the Machiavellists who were countered by brave people in the past come in full force.
I ask you… no I beg you. Use the internet to enhance communication, not just as an escape. We cannot afford to run from the problems any longer
To tell another story, workers are like kindle of the great furnace of the industrial-capitalist complex, and to stay at home is to take away the fuel from the machine.
Only when the machine stops can we finally take it apart and fix all its problems. (I dont entirely know what this means I just wanted to say something profound-sounding)
thank you, i have been saying the same thing :D
Only when the machine stops can we finally take it apart and fix all its problems
That is what meditation is. Deliberately pausing for a while, to fix your internal problems.
Friend, fuckin’ same. It seems like all the propaganda hit pieces do is make them feel more relatable, damn.
You have more in common with a Chinese or Russian worker than any billionaire.
Remember when the USA banned TikTok and all the USA users flocked to RedNote? USAmericans were shocked that, contrary to their propaganda, Chinese life was just like theirs (but with healthcare); and Chinese users were shocked the USA life wasn’t propaganda.
If only all the rats of the world combined into an unruly rat king… Then things would change.
Master Splinter?
Wasn’t there also the “lie flat” trend? It’s not just Gen Z who are calling uncle. If I had the means, I’d join them.
Do you mean planking?
The millennial era of “work hard, play harder”
I hate to be that guy that calls everything Orwellian, but this is NOT how Fortune was describing Millenials 15 years ago
Ah, yes, the rhetoric ‘grind culture’ disguising working three jobs just to eat and sleep in conditions that are semi-humane. But being scolded and scorned for never being able to buy a house because we like avocado toast. Working so hard, but never working enough in the same breath.
It was never about the fucking toast. ‘Goblin mode’ and ‘adulting’ and ‘gamer shut-in’ and ‘NEET’ was never about being lazy. It was always about painting out the propaganda to guilt us into not meeting the model of expectation instead of our elders accepting blame. Maybe, hear me out, they should open their eyes and see that we’re living in a level of poverty so hilariously deep that not even our kids–Gen Z and Gen Alpha–will be able to dig it out.
They’re not giving up because they’re lazy. They’re opting out of a system designed to fail.
15 years ago millennials were cast in the generic framework of lazy younger generation. Now we have hindsight for them to be able to observe what actually happened. Millennials absolutely became a workaholic play hard generation.
Man I remember when I was allowed to work hard, now robots get all the jobs and I’m stuck. It’s really weird.
Yeah wtf is that? I’m a fucking burnout who is so lazy my hair is just a matted mess and has been for like a month
Maybe Chinese millennials are more hard working
coolerthan us American ones?
I always find these articles being so popular in western social media weird and subtly braggy. It’s like the Lyndon Johnson quote about about making white feel better than black people so you can rob them of whatever. Such a distraction that makes people feel like we’re better than them/at least we’re not them. Yet pretty much every trend I’ve seen about Chinese ennui was at the time true of Americans and western Europeans just articles being written about the ennui would not be mainstream for a couple more years. Like minimalism during the financial crisis or recently quiet-quitting in the US were celebrated in US social media as great workers movements that are positive social movements and a sign of cultural strength while lying flat in China in US social media is a sign of societal decline. Whatever either is, it’s the same shit. It’s always weird exoticism to me. You don’t get popular articles about youth expectations about young people in Romania or Greece
I would imagine it reads rather differently to different people. Rich guys reading Forbes probably think it’s a great dunk on China. Meanwhile, I’m reading it thinking, “Shit, I could get behind this. Just wish I lived somewhere that it didn’t mean I would be homeless in less than a year if I tried it.”
Americans shouldn’t be looking at other countries to feel better about themselves regardless. They should be letting themselves feel bad so that they actually maintain some energy levels to fight for their own rights domestically instead of contributing to the constant stream of jingoism that has been American media since inception. Decades living and its a cycle of next enemy while economic disparity just keeps widening but people are pacifying themselves with the next enemy
Ehh it’s just your projection, people aren’t okay all over the world because of global downturn
There’s no bragging, just journalism. I am from Poland btw and here and in eu all gen z have similar tendencies. Worse in USA and China probably but it is a global trend
Hard not to sympathize. World is fucked.
Solidarity with rats worldwide
That’s just called depression. I’ve been experiencing that for years
Late-stage capitalism induced depression 👈
The environment doesn’t help whatsoever and capitalism absolutely breeds this but it’s not the sole cause. Depression is still a disorder that needs to be treated and would still exist even without this hostile environment we live in
Fair. Maybe I should get treated 🙃
If you have the means, I highly suggest it. I put it off for longer than I should have and finally got on medication and the difference has been night and day in quality of life, I experience a lot more clarity in my thought process. It’s definitely worth looking into if you think you may be struggling with depression. And it won’t disrupt the hatred of capitalism, I promise. It’s only helped me become a more clear headed anarchist
Aren’t rats notable for their hygiene and social skills? Seems like a poor comparison.
Chinese culture has almost satirical levels of disrespect and misunderstanding of animals so it’s very much on character.
I used to have 3 rescue rats and they are incredibly clean, active and social animals. I’d used to take them outside and observe how they explore new areas and its was really incredible how coordinated and thought out their exploration plans would be and executed with utter most curiosity. Also very cute how they’d come back to me and ask to be taken home to their cage by basically hugging my foot.
One of the animals in the Chinese year is the rat. I don’t think that there is a “satirical level of disrespect” if the animal is that important.
If anything the zodiac contributes to misunderstanding of animals. It’s like saying in the west we understand the buffalo because we have Taurus as a horoscope.
“Americans hate cows because they don’t understand them, as evidenced by this foreign language article that compares Americans to cows”
Nah Chinese culture is very well known for this. Have you been living under a rock?
Chinese treatment of animals is beyond anything else I’ve ever seen. There’s just fundamental lack of education and respect for non-human creatures. It’s trully something else and I’m not being xenophobic here as it’s an objective truth.
Even for a country with strong Buddhist and taoist presence it’s almost impossible to find vegetarian food unless you go to "sùshí restaurants (special vegetarian restaurants near temples) and outside if that you’ll get straight up mocked for eating vegan.
Seriously, my least favorite thing about China. Even worse than whole censorship thing. It’s just so incredibly disrespectful to our fellow creatures to the point where it feels intentionally cruel.
Chinese treatment of animals is beyond anything else I’ve ever seen.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_Giant_Panda_Sanctuaries
Oh, the inhumanity
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare_and_rights_in_China
In 2014, China received an E out of possible grades A, B, C, D, E, F, G on World Animal Protection’s Animal Protection Index
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_fin_soup
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Meat_Festival
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_zoo_scandal
Etc. Etc.That being said, I do think Chinese government is at least trying to drag the culture into reality.
The panda zoos were meant to spearhead the change in animal perception but it didn’t really trickle down to other animals and is widely considered to be a failure in that regard. Though there’s a big law proposition right now but it’s stuck since 2009:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_protection_law_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China
So China is still good 50 years behind the developed world when it comes to animal respect if not more.
Rats are the best. Little pocket puppies
/r/rats is the reason I’m still on Reddit
The pet rats community here is far too quiet
the only thing that stops me from getting rats is the short lifespans. I love dogs, and ~10 years is already too short. Dealing with that every two would just break me.
agreed. They really should live longer. the universe is not fair
Are they? I thought they piss and shit poison and eat their babies for food. Are you thinking of mice?
You’re thinking of humans
Human eat their babies for food??
Small brain energy.
your mom definitely should have
Amateurs.
At least they are proud
Today, over 4 million American Gen Zers remain jobless. In China, the government has said that as of February, 1 in 6 young people are unemployed.
I hate mixed comparisons…
There’s about 69 million (nice) Gen Z in America.
So America = 5.7%
China = 16.6%
Are those 69 million all adults/working age already?
For full context it might also be useful to see the unemployment rates in other age groups in both countries.
Gen Z are all 18+ now, and it’s a safe assumption neither number includes students
Most definitions I find define Gen Z as early 2010s or 2012 as the end year which would make plenty of them underage still.
There’s a lot of factories over there dude
bitch I’m disabled
