These young adults are consciously opting out of the societal grind, spending their days in bed, doom-scrolling, napping, and ordering takeaways. On platforms like Douyin, individuals share their “horizontal schedules”, with some videos garnering hundreds of thousands of likes. For many, even these depicted low-energy routines are deemed too strenuous, with comments describing lifestyles involving only one meal a day and minimal movement beyond bed.

This phenomenon isn’t entirely novel, echoing the 2021 “lying flat” movement where Chinese youth rejected excessive work hours. It also mirrors Western Gen Z trends like “quiet quitting” and “Bare Minimum Mondays”.

Experts suggest this isn’t simple laziness but a “quiet protest”. Advita Patel, a career coach, highlights it as a response to burnout, disillusionment, and a punishing job market with high youth unemployment – currently one in six young people in China. Embracing the “rat” lifestyle is a way for them to reclaim control and protect their mental wellbeing from constant job rejection and economic uncertainty, Fortune reports.

Whilst offering temporary respite, psychotherapists warn that long-term withdrawal could hinder future prospects. They advise using such periods as a temporary reset to rediscover purpose, rather than a permanent retreat from the challenges of building a career.