The dictionary of the Royal Academy of Languages ​​gives two very different definitions for “bird.” The first and most common one tells us that it is a type of bird, especially if it is small. The second tells us about “a cunning person with little conscience.” In China, young people are beginning to adopt the term under pressure to emancipate themselves and begin adult life. And not only that. They are taking the first definition literally.

We are birds. We said it a few weeks ago. It seems that young people in China are rebelling against a promised future that has little to do with the present. There is a lot of data to support this, but one of them is written in very large letters. When they finish their graduation and look left and right, there are millions of young people in the same situation.

A few years ago, there was a term for the apathetic philosophy of young people fed up with work and social pressure: tang ping. Now they have gone a step further. This rebellion against the stifling situation they imagine is causing many to act like birds.

Flight logic. You’ve probably guessed why, but maybe not how or where. The New York Times reported this weekend that the strange movement has been developing for several weeks via social networks in China. In each case, the situation is more or less similar. A young man wears a T-shirt or sweater that covers his arms and torso, and hides his legs, leaving only his hands exposed (yes, as if they were the claws of a bird).

They say it’s a way to cope with the pressures of working, studying or looking for a job after graduation, among other family challenges. Sometimes, the newspaper says, they “just want to get away from being human for a bit” at a time when their future is uncertain due to slowing economic growth. “Birds can fly freely and aimlessly,” says Wang Weihan, a 20-year-old finance student who disguises himself as a bird in his dorm room. He says the tendency expresses “the innate desire for freedom that exists in every human being.”

The logic of closure. But on the contrary, there are young people who “turn” into birds. Compared to those who express freedom and directionlessness, others try to reflect the closest thing to the “caged” nature of a bird they live in: “I felt like a flightless bird who could only hold on to the railing and look into the distance,” one young man told the media.

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A free, simple, happy life. That’s what young Chinese adults want these days. So how do you get there? You don’t, but you can protest by acting like a bird on social media. The growing trend has young people tucking their bodies into oversized T-shirts and perching on furniture, with some even going so far as to make bird sounds. Many of the participants appear to be new to the workforce, but perhaps they’re already done with work due to China’s infamous 996 work culture, where employees work from 9am to 9pm six days a week, sometimes synonymous with overwork. Others are stressed-out students who are sick from studying or fearful of the job market conditions that will come with graduation. “Youth is nothing but a summer dream,” one user wrote. The idea behind being a bird includes the freedom to fly freely and unfettered, as well as the courage to explore different corners of the world and different aspects of life. If that doesn’t happen, we’re guessing some of the opinions online will. #genz #culture #996 #employment #work #work #worklifebalance #trend #viral #fyp #youngpeople

♬ Cute and heartwarming song B: Edit 2 – Ken Nakagawa

Uncertain future. Zhao Weixiang, 22, a biology student in northern China’s Shanxi province, posted a digitally altered image of himself as a bird perched on a telephone pole. The caption on the photo read: “Study no more, be a bird.” The young man said he caught a glimpse of his upcoming job competition when he saw the birds flying in circles while looking out from his classroom one day. “I envied their freedom and decided to copy them,” he said.

“This trend (numbering in the thousands) seems to confirm that many young people in China are disillusioned, because the story they were told about a bright future if they study and work hard looks more and more dubious as the Chinese economy slows down,” Xiang Biao, director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany and an expert on Chinese society, told the NYT. The bird trend is another manifestation of this disillusionment, he says, allowing young people to have a moment of joy “without being left out of the hustle and bustle.”

A growing trend. What started as a small idea has gone viral and trending. In fact, these “birds” have a song about exploitative working conditions in China’s struggling post-COVID economy. Many publications refer to the “996” system, which requires employees to work from 9am to 9pm six days a week (i.e. a 72-hour workweek).

While it’s technically illegal under Chinese labor laws, many companies, including TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, continue to follow the policy. Overall, those born in China between 1995 and 2010 appear to be the most pessimistic of all demographic groups, with more than half expressing concerns about their future. This is a stark contrast to previous generations, who have seen significant increases in their standard of living since the country opened up to foreign investment in the late 1970s.

Other forms of protest in China. We’ve said it before. Younger generations in China are more likely to be critical of the government. Frustrated by diminishing homeownership prospects and angered by some of the harshest measures taken against COVID-19, this demographic formed the backbone of the largest wave of protests the current administration has faced, sweeping the country in 2022.

Alongside the tang ping movement, young people have also shown their displeasure by wearing pajamas to work. In early 2022, the term bai lan (“let it rot”) became popular in online discourse. The concept originated in the NBA video game community and refers to the practice of deliberately losing a game when the chance of winning is low.

In Chinese terms, the term was borrowed and expanded to encompass a general pessimism about the country’s work culture. Now it seems they’ve simplified things a bit by becoming birds.

Image | Douyin

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