In China, an Increasing Number of Young People Are Dissatisfied With the Future That Awaits Them, So They’re Pretending to Be Birds

The Oxford English Dictionary provides several definitions of the word “bird.” Among the first is the most common: “An animal of the vertebrate class Aves.” Other definitions refer to “an exceptionally smart or accomplished person,” “a term of endearment or affectionate form of address,” and even “a source of information whose identity the speaker chooses to keep secret.” 

In China, young people are starting to give the term a whole new dimension as they strive to break free and enter adulthood. Not only that, they’re taking the first definition literally.

We are birds. It appears that young people in China are expressing their desire for a future that’s different from the current one. There’s ample evidence to support this, but one striking example is the sight of millions of young people facing similar circumstances upon graduating.

A few years ago, there was a term to describe the apathetic philosophy of young people who were tired of the work and social pressure they faced. That term was tang ping. Now, they’ve taken it a step further. Their rebellion against the suffocating situation they foresee is causing many of them to literally act like birds.

The concept of flight. You may have already guessed the reason behind it, if not the exact details of how and where. The New York Times recently reported that this unusual trend has been gaining traction in China over the past few weeks, largely through social media. The circumstances are quite similar across the board: Young individuals wear T-shirts or sweaters that cover their arms and torso, while hiding their legs, with only their hands exposed (resembling a bird’s claws).

They see this as a response to the pressures of work, education, post-graduation job hunting, and other family-related challenges. According to the outlet, “Sometimes they just want a break from being human,” especially when their future feels uncertain due to a slowing economic growth. 

"Birds can fly free and aimlessly in the sky,” said Wang Weihan, a 20-year-old finance student who pretended to be a bird in his dorm room. He believes that this trend represents “the innate desire within every person for freedom.”

The concept of confinement. However, some young people are pretending to be birds for a completely different reason. While some are drawn to freedom and aimlessness, others identify with the feeling of being “kept in a cage,” like a bird. One young man told The New York Times, “I felt like I was just a flightless bird that could only grip the railing and gaze into the distance.”

The uncertain future. Zhao Weixiang, a 22-year-old biology student from Shanxi province in north China, posted a digitally altered image of himself as a bird perched on a telephone pole with the words “No more studying, be a bird!” He expressed that he saw the increased job competition and one day, while looking out from his classroom, he envied the freedom of the birds he saw flying in circles. “I envied their freedom and decided to copy them,” he said.

The trend, which involves thousands of young people, appears to reflect the disillusionment of many Chinese youth with the narrative of a promising future through hard work and education as the Chinese economy slows. Xiang Biao, director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany and an expert on Chinese society, explained to The New York Times that the bird trend is a manifestation of this disillusionment. It allows young people to “have a moment of being light hearted” without completely opting out of the rat race.

A growing trend. What initially started as a small idea has now become viral and has gained significant attention. In fact, these “birds” have already created a song highlighting the exploitative working conditions in China’s post-COVID economy. Many posts have mentioned the “996” system, which requires employees to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, resulting in a 72-hour work week.

Even though this system is technically illegal under Chinese labor laws, many companies, including TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, reportedly enforce this policy. People born in China between 1995 and 2010 seem to be the most pessimistic among all demographic groups, with more than half expressing concern about their future. This is in contrast to previous generations who have experienced significant improvements in their standard of living, especially since China opened up to foreign investment in the late 1970s.

Other forms of protest in China. Younger generations in China are more likely to be critical of the government. Disillusioned by declining prospects for homeownership and angered by some of the harsher anti-COVID measures, this demographic formed the backbone of a wave of protests that swept the country in 2022, the largest ever faced by the current administration.

In addition to the tang ping movement, young people have also expressed their dissatisfaction by going to work in their pajamas. In early 2022, the term bai lan (meaning “let it rot”) gained popularity in online discussions. The concept originated in the NBA gaming community and referred to the practice of intentionally losing a game when the chances of winning were slim.

This term was adopted in Chinese culture to reflect a general pessimism about the work environment in the country. Now, it appears that they’ve simplified it even further by likening it to birds.

This article was written by Miguel Jorge and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.

Image | Douyin

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