China’s Slacker Youths: Why They Went From ’Lying Flat’ To ’Let It Rot’ | Insight | Full Episode

“Tang Ping” or Lying Flat, was a 2021 movement that rejected the work culture in China. Now, it has morphed into the more extreme “Bai Lan” or Let It Rot. What behind this new phenomenon? Insight speaks to some Chinese youths who identify themselves as “Bai Lan”. They are opting out of climbing the economic ladder, choosing to put in the bare minimum at work and coasting along. What are the reasons for their despondency? And will this youth movement affect China’s economic recovery, even as it faces headwinds from COVID lockdowns and a property debt crisis? 0:00 China’s ’Lying flat’ & ’Let it rot’ trends 5:26 ’Lying flat’ vs ’let it rot’: a worrying difference 9:03 Why I chose to ’let it rot’: a Chinese youth 13:26 The rise of China and inequality 19:28 Anxieties of Chinese youth: Housing, healthcare, education 20:57 Gen Z vs Boomer: Differing attitudes to ’let it rot’ 25:50 ’Let it rot’: a rejection of 996