![]() ![]() “Unlike my parents’ generation, young Chinese today have much bigger expectations, but there are many more uncertainties for us, too. He says that for his generation of young Chinese, this attitude of letting things rot is likely to be caused by a lack of social mobility and increased uncertainty in today’s China. “In fact, this is as a result of negative auto suggestion, repeatedly telling oneself I cannot make it… And this kind of mentality often leads people to adopt the ‘bai lan’ attitude.”īut the reality is not quite as state media suggested, says Sal Hang, a 29-year-old creative industry professional in Beijing. “Why modern young Chinese like to ‘bai lan’?” one recent article in official media outlet asked. State media have taken note of this trend. ![]() It is close to other Chinese phrases, for example ‘to smash a cracked pot’ (破罐破摔) and ‘dead pigs are not afraid of boiling water’ (死猪不怕开水烫). In recent days, this phrase – and more previously ‘ tang ping’ (lying flat, 躺平), which means rejecting gruelling competition for a low desire life – gained popularity as severe competition and high social expectations prompted many young Chinese to give up on hard work.īut bai lan has a more worrying layer in the way it is being used by young people in China: to actively embrace a deteriorating situation, rather than trying to turn it around. ![]()
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