丧 (sang), pronounced “sahng” in English, is a slang term popular in Chinese internet spaces used to comically represent a feeling of hopelessness or a nihilistic worldview. The term is often used ironically to satirize the sadness present in the population as a form of dark humor. It reflects the sense of burnout and pessimism towards the increasingly unfavorable circumstances for China’s youth due to higher levels of competition in the workforce and the increasing demands being put on young people.
Origins
The term “sang” was popularized by an online subculture of people who felt hopeless about the future and looked for ways to express their frustrations as a form of dark humor. The first notable instance of the sang type of humor in China was the Ge You slouching meme. The meme comes from a scene in the Chinese sitcom “I Love My Family” where actor Ge You’s character hopelessly slouches on a couch after losing his job. Ironically, the scene was meant to demonstrate how not to respond to difficult circumstances, but instead, many in the soon-to-be sang subculture used the image of Ge You as a way to express their feelings of pessimism due to increased competition in academia and the job market as well as the lowered standard of living for many Chinese youths. The image was reposted on the internet, often accompanied by text that said things like “Why work when I can just lie around all day”, “No dreams, no pain”, and other dark but entertaining statements.
Above is the infamous image of actor Ge You slouching
The sang mindset spread quickly thereafter and was captured in several popular songs such as 我的滑板鞋 (My Skate Shoes) by Hua Chenyu, which featured an upbeat tune juxtaposed by depressing, sad lyrics. In late 2019, China became the first country to experience an outbreak of the Coronavirus, which only further fueled the growth of the sang subculture as the lockdowns and loss of social interaction led to increased feelings of sadness and depression. “Sang” was popularized as a slang word for those looking to express their frustrations surrounding their circumstances in a cynical but humorous manner, and was often used in memes similar to the one of Ge You slouching.
Below is the aforementioned song:
What Does Sang Culture Tell Us About China?
The sadness and hopelessness seen in sang culture reveal a lot about how China’s youth population views their ability to be successful and live a fulfilling life.
According to the 2023 study “The Influence of the Development of Sang Culture on Chinese Youth” by researcher Xinyi Huang, a significant catalyst for the growth of the sang subculture is the increased competition in job markets and academic environments. The increase in the number of people in China and the increased cost of living that have come with the change of the millennium have made it so that better opportunities are available to a much smaller number of people. The result of this is that many people find upward social mobility very difficult, if not impossible. Sang humor is a way for many of these people to vent and express their frustrations with the world. This is very interesting as it shows that rather than outright rebelling, much of China’s disgruntled youth population is finding a way to accept their circumstances through ironic dark humor.
Above is an example of what a sang meme may look like
The rise of the sang subculture also reveals a lot about how the younger generation in China is using the internet in new, unseen ways in China. The rise of sang humor as a form of coping with the difficult circumstances present for China’s youth shows an increasing interest in the use of the internet as a coping mechanism for difficult emotional experiences. It is not always easy for youth to be able to make their dissatisfaction with society known in China, as there is no guarantee of free speech, and criticism of the leadership in the country could lead to repercussions. The Chinese authorities have taken note of the pessimistic attitude many of the youth have on the internet, but it’s unlikely that memes of the sang variety will lead to persecution. The youth can use the internet and sang humor as a way to find emotional support with their peers without the risk of punishment for speaking out, which is something that has rarely been seen when it comes to internet use in China.
How Sang Culture Reflects Traditional Chinese Philosophy
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the sang subculture is how it relates to the traditional Chinese guiding philosophies of Daoism and Confucianism.
As scholars Tan and Cheng argue in their 2020 study “Sang Subculture in Post-Reform China” sang humor is not a rebellion by the youth in that they are actively fighting against the way society is progressing, it’s more of a large-scale disillusionment with the ideas and expectations that have historically been present within Chinese society. This can be seen in how sang humor is very contradictory to the ideas of Confucianism. The people who participate in sang humor reject the heavy emphasis on 君子 (junzi), the drive for self-cultivation, and the acceptance of responsibility asked by Confucianism. Instead, they accept that merely surviving is enough, and that trying to have anything more is unattainable. Rather than fighting for their dreams and aspirations, they survive through apathy.
On the other hand, sang culture and humor are aligned well with some of the ideas of Daoism. Notably, the Daoist idea of 无为 (wu wei) fits in very well with sang culture as it emphasizes the ideas of non-action as well as a detachment from ambition and material gains. Sang culture aligns with this idea because it largely rejects ambition and action in the face of adversity, instead embracing circumstance and accepting reality.
Conclusion
Ultimately, sang culture marks a new shifting attitude in China’s youth population. It is odd in that the attitudes Chinese youths are expressing reject many teachings present in traditional Chinese philosophy. It is a trend that likely will continue to gain traction if economic circumstances in China do not improve. If this large-scale apathy continues to manifest in more of the population, it may pose a serious threat to the future of China’s workforce. It speaks volumes to the resilience of the youths of China that they have found a way to cope with the difficult circumstances they’ve found themselves in.
Works Cited
Tan, K Cohen, and Shuxin Cheng. “Sang Subculture in Post-Reform China.” Global Media and China, vol. 5, no. 1, 20 Feb. 2020, pp. 86–99, https://doi.org/10.1177/2059436420904459. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Huang, Xinyi, et al. “The Influence of the Development of Sang Culture on Chinese Youth.” Communications in Humanities Research, vol. 6, no. 1, 14 Sept. 2023, pp. 130–142, https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7064/6/20230162. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Zhu, Ying, and Junqi Peng. “From Diaosi to Sang to Tangping: The Chinese DST Youth Subculture Online.” Global Storytelling, vol. 3, no. 2, 26 Feb. 2024, https://doi.org/10.3998/gs.5304. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.