4 ms·

I live in Iowa, and I had a roommate who just stopped going to work one day. I learned after talking to her that she had done this before. In talking to her, i

by chasil 2y ago

I live in Iowa, and I had a roommate who just stopped going to work one day. I learned after talking to her that she had done this before. In talking to her, it seemed to me a mix of anxiety and depression with a focus on agoraphobia. Her family from several hundred miles came to retrieve her when they contacted me. She asked to move back in later, but I declined. I saw her start a new career some years afterwards. I don't know if the "laying flat/tang ping" movement in China, or the issues of the people in the article, are completely separate from this. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_ping https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_ping

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
wholemodern 2y ago
the laying flat movement has mostly to do with lack of jobs/opportunity for young people. - there's a societal trend to not hire people over the age of 30-35 in China. after months of looking for work, they've given up - there's an unofficial 70% youth unemployment rate, and with 12 million new grads each year and intense competition for government work, sometimes hundred of applicants for a single stable government spot, the new grads give up - the young generation has realized that no house/car/marriage/kid (没房没车没妻子) is a good way to live, and there's no pressure on them to create a life. so they lay flat. thus the abysmal marriage/child rate in China, which is near the bottom of world ranking - the new grads don't want to work in a factory, day or night shift, for $2/hour. - if the workers are in 1st tier cities, they can barely save up any money working and living there, due to the recent 50% reduction in wages ($1000/month -> $500/month) and increased spending on necessities. so it's easier for them to just not work and live off of parents.
- spywaregorilla 2y ago
  > there's a societal trend to not hire people over the age of 30-35 in China > there's an unofficial 70% youth unemployment rate > , due to the recent 50% reduction in wages I couldn't find anything on these points. The second one seems completely unbelievable while also being at odds with the first claim. What are you referring to?
  - wholemodern 2y ago
    It's typically on Chinese social media apps, and when they get popular they get taken down immediately by the government here are some remnants in non-chinese websites. http://www.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2023-06/26/c_1129716071.htm http://www.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2023-06/26/c_1129716071.htm https://botanwang.com/articles/202308/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E5%81%9C%E5%8F%91%E9%9D%92%E5%B9%B4%E5%A4%B1%E4%B8%9A%E7%8E%87%E3%80%80%E8%B5%84%E6%B7%B1%E6%96%B0%E9%97%BB%E4%BA%BA%EF%BC%9A%E5%BA%94%E5%B1%8A%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E6%AF%95%E4%B8%9A%E7%94%9F%E5%A4%B1%E4%B8%9A%E7%8E%87%E6%81%9080.html https://botanwang.com/articles/202308/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E5%... https://www.voachinese.com/a/more-chinese-white-collar-workers-report-decreasing-wages-20240209/7481715.html https://www.voachinese.com/a/more-chinese-white-collar-worke... if you want to verify secondary effects: Retail sales of passenger cars in China declined to 1.095 million units, down 21% from a year earlier and 46% from January. https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/chinas-vehicle-sales-dropped-in-february-amid-price-war-long-holiday-df7465f3 https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/chinas-vehicle-sales-drop.... A decline of real estate development investment widened to 9.5% in the first quarter from 9% in the first two months https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-16/china-home-prices-fall-as-slump-shows-few-signs-of-abating https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-16/china-hom... Stingy Chinese shoppers are returning their goods, erasing up to 75% of their sales value.https://fortune.com/asia/2024/04/17/luxury-brands-new-headache-china-stingy-shoppers-returning-their-goods-75-sales-volume/ https://fortune.com/asia/2024/04/17/luxury-brands-new-headac...
    - nradov 2y ago
      Popping the residential real estate investment bubble was probably the root cause behind the collapse in sales of cars, luxury goods, and other consumer products. A lot of consumers who had made highly leveraged investments on unoccupied apartments in "ghost cities" were sitting on significant paper wealth for a few years and felt comfortable spending money. Now that has largely evaporated.
  - stevenae 2y ago
    Last time I tracked this closely: https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL4N3960Z5/ https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL4N3960Z5/
- Izkata 2y ago
  > lack of jobs/opportunity for young people. > there's a societal trend to not hire people over the age of 30-35 in China Did you mean "under" or is it more complicated than "young people"?
ii41 2y ago
tang ping is just an internet slang. Didn't expect it to have a wikipedia page. In China, the "normal" is "to try to be the best". For example, less than half of Chinese students can make it into a "good college" (in China there's a very specific definition of a "good college"), but if you didn't make it, like more than 50% of your peers, that's enough to say that you're "bad at studying". tang ping basically means quiting this kind of culture and accepting that one's normal. Buying a house and settling down in a city that's not Beijing or Shanghai, like 90% of people do. It has nothing to do with social withdrawal.
- prettywoman 2y ago
  [dead]
refurb 2y ago
These people have always existed. In the 20th century we just called them “shut-ins”. People who socially isolate themselves. As kids there would be the old run down house with an older man or lady who would rarely be seen. They would be dressed shabbily, and the house would be poorly maintained but livable.
- chasil 2y ago
  These people weren't always bathed in the desires of a global culture (that does not work).
- hammyhavoc 2y ago
  Equally, I know plenty of "Bruce Wayne" types who don't live in crappy conditions, are highly in-demand for their skills and extensive knowledge, but are very much asocial when it comes to in-person stuff.
- darkclouds 2y ago
  [dead]

by chasil 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

wholemodern 2y ago

the laying flat movement has mostly to do with lack of jobs/opportunity for young people. - there's a societal trend to not hire people over the age of 30-35 in China. after months of looking for work, they've given up - there's an unofficial 70% youth unemployment rate, and with 12 million new grads each year and intense competition for government work, sometimes hundred of applicants for a single stable government spot, the new grads give up - the young generation has realized that no house/car/marriage/kid (没房没车没妻子) is a good way to live, and there's no pressure on them to create a life. so they lay flat. thus the abysmal marriage/child rate in China, which is near the bottom of world ranking - the new grads don't want to work in a factory, day or night shift, for $2/hour. - if the workers are in 1st tier cities, they can barely save up any money working and living there, due to the recent 50% reduction in wages ($1000/month -> $500/month) and increased spending on necessities. so it's easier for them to just not work and live off of parents.

spywaregorilla 2y ago
> there's a societal trend to not hire people over the age of 30-35 in China > there's an unofficial 70% youth unemployment rate > , due to the recent 50% reduction in wages I couldn't find anything on these points. The second one seems completely unbelievable while also being at odds with the first claim. What are you referring to?
- wholemodern 2y ago
  It's typically on Chinese social media apps, and when they get popular they get taken down immediately by the government here are some remnants in non-chinese websites. http://www.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2023-06/26/c_1129716071.htm http://www.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2023-06/26/c_1129716071.htm https://botanwang.com/articles/202308/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E5%81%9C%E5%8F%91%E9%9D%92%E5%B9%B4%E5%A4%B1%E4%B8%9A%E7%8E%87%E3%80%80%E8%B5%84%E6%B7%B1%E6%96%B0%E9%97%BB%E4%BA%BA%EF%BC%9A%E5%BA%94%E5%B1%8A%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E6%AF%95%E4%B8%9A%E7%94%9F%E5%A4%B1%E4%B8%9A%E7%8E%87%E6%81%9080.html https://botanwang.com/articles/202308/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E5%... https://www.voachinese.com/a/more-chinese-white-collar-workers-report-decreasing-wages-20240209/7481715.html https://www.voachinese.com/a/more-chinese-white-collar-worke... if you want to verify secondary effects: Retail sales of passenger cars in China declined to 1.095 million units, down 21% from a year earlier and 46% from January. https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/chinas-vehicle-sales-dropped-in-february-amid-price-war-long-holiday-df7465f3 https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/chinas-vehicle-sales-drop.... A decline of real estate development investment widened to 9.5% in the first quarter from 9% in the first two months https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-16/china-home-prices-fall-as-slump-shows-few-signs-of-abating https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-16/china-hom... Stingy Chinese shoppers are returning their goods, erasing up to 75% of their sales value.https://fortune.com/asia/2024/04/17/luxury-brands-new-headache-china-stingy-shoppers-returning-their-goods-75-sales-volume/ https://fortune.com/asia/2024/04/17/luxury-brands-new-headac...
  - nradov 2y ago
    Popping the residential real estate investment bubble was probably the root cause behind the collapse in sales of cars, luxury goods, and other consumer products. A lot of consumers who had made highly leveraged investments on unoccupied apartments in "ghost cities" were sitting on significant paper wealth for a few years and felt comfortable spending money. Now that has largely evaporated.
- stevenae 2y ago
  Last time I tracked this closely: https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL4N3960Z5/ https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL4N3960Z5/
Izkata 2y ago
> lack of jobs/opportunity for young people. > there's a societal trend to not hire people over the age of 30-35 in China Did you mean "under" or is it more complicated than "young people"?

ii41 2y ago

tang ping is just an internet slang. Didn't expect it to have a wikipedia page. In China, the "normal" is "to try to be the best". For example, less than half of Chinese students can make it into a "good college" (in China there's a very specific definition of a "good college"), but if you didn't make it, like more than 50% of your peers, that's enough to say that you're "bad at studying". tang ping basically means quiting this kind of culture and accepting that one's normal. Buying a house and settling down in a city that's not Beijing or Shanghai, like 90% of people do. It has nothing to do with social withdrawal.

prettywoman 2y ago
[dead]

refurb 2y ago

These people have always existed. In the 20th century we just called them “shut-ins”. People who socially isolate themselves. As kids there would be the old run down house with an older man or lady who would rarely be seen. They would be dressed shabbily, and the house would be poorly maintained but livable.

chasil 2y ago
These people weren't always bathed in the desires of a global culture (that does not work).
hammyhavoc 2y ago
Equally, I know plenty of "Bruce Wayne" types who don't live in crappy conditions, are highly in-demand for their skills and extensive knowledge, but are very much asocial when it comes to in-person stuff.
darkclouds 2y ago
[dead]