INVC NEWS
Beijing – : A silent rebellion is taking hold across China, not with chants in public squares or marches down city streets, but through an unexpected symbol: the bed. A growing number of Generation-Z youth in China are resisting societal expectations by disengaging entirely from the hustle. These self-proclaimed “Rat People” are rejecting the pressures of work culture and life’s demands by retreating into isolation — scrolling endlessly on their phones, ordering takeout, and rarely stepping outside their bedrooms.
This passive form of protest is gaining momentum, especially on popular Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin (China’s TikTok equivalent), Weibo, and Rednote, where users share videos and photos of their day-to-day lives confined to bed. What appears on the surface as apathy is emerging as a powerful statement against overwork, economic stagnation, and a bleak employment landscape.
From Lying Flat to Rat People: A New Era of Protest
The “Rat People” movement is widely viewed as the next chapter following the “Lying Flat” (躺平) trend, which made headlines in the early 2020s. While “Lying Flat” was about slowing down and opting out of the rat race, “Rat People” take this further — choosing isolation, digital escapism, and physical withdrawal as a coping mechanism.
Many of these individuals share meticulously documented daily routines. One popular content creator from Zhejiang province posts her “horizontal schedule,” which includes waking up in the afternoon, binge-scrolling on her phone, rising only to eat, and then returning to bed. Her videos have gone viral, with millions of views and thousands of comments from users identifying themselves as even more dedicated “rats.”
996 Work Culture Sparks Generational Fatigue
At the heart of this digital protest lies discontent with China’s now infamous “996” work culture — a system that demands employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. Once hailed as the engine of China’s rapid economic growth, this relentless schedule is now widely criticized by younger generations, who see it as exploitative and unsustainable.
The rat people trend represents a growing disconnect between China’s younger workforce and the hyper-competitive job market. With limited job opportunities, declining wages, and rising living costs, more youth are questioning the value of relentless productivity. Their refusal to participate is both a mental health survival strategy and a form of quiet defiance against a rigid economic order.
Psychological Toll and the Quest for Meaning
Mental health experts say the rise of the Rat People is less about laziness and more about psychological burnout. After years of systemic pressure, many young people have lost their sense of direction and purpose. The rat lifestyle, while seemingly passive, is a protective retreat from constant rejection, disillusionment, and emotional fatigue.
Becoming a rat, as some call it, has become a form of resistance and self-recovery. It’s a response to an environment where efforts often go unrewarded and personal agency feels out of reach. Yet, professionals caution that prolonged disconnection from reality could further alienate youth from future opportunities, suggesting this should be a time for reflection, healing, and eventual re-engagement.
Digital Protest with a Cultural Pulse
Despite its passive nature, the Rat People phenomenon is highly visible — and increasingly controversial. For some, it is a worrying sign of societal decay and a loss of ambition. For others, it’s a necessary cultural shift, a call to redefine success, rethink priorities, and reclaim time and mental health in a world that rewards burnout.
Social media continues to amplify this movement. Hashtags related to the Rat People lifestyle are trending regularly in China’s digital space. Online communities have formed where users share their bed-bound routines, tips for ordering cheap food, and mental health struggles, creating solidarity in silence.
China’s Youth Signal It’s Time for Change
As traditional systems of work and ambition grow increasingly disconnected from the lives of young Chinese, the Rat People protest serves as a symptom of deeper structural and emotional challenges. It reflects the tension between rising expectations and dwindling opportunities, between societal pressure and personal well-being.
Whether this movement will evolve into political change or remain a personal rebellion against the modern world remains to be seen. But for now, China’s youth are making one thing clear: lying down is not giving up — it’s fighting back on their own terms.
