Negative comments In May 2021,
Sina Weibo's "Communist Youth League Central Committee" posted a Weibo message stating that "contemporary young people have never chosen to lie flat." The
Nanfang Daily published a commentary article titled "Lying flat is shameful, where does the sense of justice come from?" by Wang Qingfeng, which criticized the "lying flat philosophy," condemning it as harmful and "toxic chicken soup". This article was reposted by Xinhua News Agency. The
Guangming Daily's "Guangming Commentary" column criticized the "lying flat" phenomenon in an article titled "Rejecting 'involution,' are young people starting to believe in 'lying flat-ology'?". A commentary from the TV Economic Channel of Hubei Radio and Television stated: "Accepting fate is okay, lying flat is not". The
Global Times' "Global Times Sharp Commentary" column sarcastically said: "Young people who claim to lie flat are always woken up at dawn by the alarm clocks they set themselves". Li Fengliang, an associate professor at
Tsinghua University, believes that "lying flat is an extremely irresponsible attitude that not only disappoints one's parents but also millions of taxpayers. ... People can still achieve upward social mobility through competition." On December 27, 2021, the Guangming Daily published a commentary on its front page titled "Lying Flat is Not Advisable," rejecting the behavior of lying flat.
Positive comments Financial scholar He Jiangbing believes that lying flat is a kind of "helpless activism". Although it will harm the economy, reducing consumption helps reduce waste and carbon footprint, which is conducive to achieving carbon emission reduction targets. People who "lie flat" are usually very gentle, not rebellious, and tend not to retaliate against society, which helps maintain stability. He believes that it is unreasonable to accuse young people of lying flat as decadent, and that a rigid hierarchy and a lack of fair competition are the real decadence. "Lying flat" can be extended to describe a state of inaction with low desire, low social participation, and not catering to secular expectations or mainstream views, to resist or withdraw from formulaic social norms (but not anti-social). On August 3, 2021, former
CIA employee and
NSA contractor
Edward Snowden posted on
Twitter, sharing the song "Lying Flat is King", and encouraged young people to "never forget that you are not alone: the exploitation of the emerging generation is a global struggle." Huang Ping, a professor in the Department of Chinese at
East China Normal University, believes that "lying flat" is a way for young people to put down their burdens. When people cannot keep up with the distorted development of society (such as soaring housing prices), "lying flat" is not a bad choice as the most rational option, and the official media's attention to this trend is due to concerns that the lying flat philosophy may pose a potential threat to productivity. There is also a view that although "lying flat" is only an emotional social response, it also poses new issues for the healthy development of society, such as how to improve the working environment and career development ecology of young people. Columnist Chang Ping commented that "lying flat-ism" is "an awakening of rights consciousness and identity consciousness." Sinologist Mieke Matthyssen further describes tangping as a "courageous resistance" that expresses a desire for a mentally healthy lifestyle and balanced personal development. It is a form of "self-preservation" against the harmful inputs of excessive materialism and submissive citizenship.
Analysis of the phenomenon In a post in May 2021, Guangming Net stated that lying flat is a common phenomenon across a wide range of countries and regions. An economy possesses a certain security function and diversified economic opportunities when it reaches the climax of a state, so the marginal utility of working overtime decreases, resulting in a passive young generation. According to the BBC, the serial popularity of "Geyou Lying Down" to "Lazy eggs" to "mourning culture" signals the increasing pressure on the younger generation, who grew up under the single-child policy, to work longer hours, abide by the
social credit system, and show their patriotism.
Business Insider and
The Washington Post reported on the issue and interviewed several young people who practice reclinism. According to
The New York Times, lying flat happens in the US too. It's a movement that individuals are embracing, lying flat as a way to resist the expectations of relentless productivity and career success. It highlights economic inequality, limited job opportunities, and a sense of disillusionment with the traditional path of working long hours as factors contributing to the rise of the lying flat movement. Lying flat represents a rejection of the idea that one's job or economic status solely determines one's worth. Instead, it reflects a desire for a simpler, more fulfilling life that prioritizes personal well-being over material success. In
NTV NEWS24, Morimoto Hayashi believes that the popularity of the "lying flat" movement contrasts sharply with the philosophy of striving advocated repeatedly by the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, such as "the new era is the era of struggle." This news has garnered thousands of responses on Japanese websites, resonating with many Japanese netizens. Some believe that the official concern and criticism of the trend stem from its ideological connotation of non-cooperation, which is considered a potential threat to stability. == Similar concepts ==