Explore the rise of the internet slang term ‘内卷’ (nèi juǎn / involution) — a powerful expression of burnout, overcompetition, and stagnation among Chinese youth. From its academic origins to viral memes and social commentary, this site examines how this keyword reflects deeper anxieties about success, pressure, and modern life in China’s hypercompetitive society.
Introduction
Picture this: students staying up all night to rewrite essays not for better grades — but to keep up with their peers doing the same. Or job applicants padding resumes with master’s degrees for entry-level jobs.
This is referred to as ‘内卷’, or “involution,” a slang term to describe the burnout, endless competition, and feeling of going nowhere that many Chinese people — especially youth — experience today.
But involution isn’t just an internet trend; rather, it’s a reflection of deep social anxieties in modern China. In a system that rewards constant overachievement without guaranteeing upward mobility, many feel stuck in a loop of doing more for less. As the term gained popularity online, it quickly evolved into a symbol of frustration, critique, and even quiet rebellion.
To fully understand the rise of ‘内卷,’ we need to trace its origins — not just in internet slang, but in academic theory, social conditions, and the pressures shaping everyday life for millions of students and workers.
Origins and Social Context
The term 内卷 (nèi juǎn), or involution, originally comes from anthropology. American scholar Clifford Geertz used it to describe a paradox in agricultural labor: farmers put in more effort year after year without seeing an increase in output. In other words, people were working harder but not producing more.
In recent years, Chinese netizens adopted the term to describe a modern reality: grinding endlessly in schools and workplaces, not for genuine improvement, but simply to keep up. It first gained traction around 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as discussions about work-life balance, academic pressure, and youth burnout surged on social media platforms like Weibo and Zhihu.
“为什么要卷我” — “Why must you involute me?”
This viral meme captures the despair of being dragged into relentless competition. Often used humorously, it reflects the emotional exhaustion felt by students and workers who feel trapped in a race.
China’s 996 work culture (working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) became a major source of frustration. Young tech workers began joking that they weren’t climbing a ladder — they were running on a treadmill. At the same time, students felt suffocated by increasingly intense competition and pressure to succeed academically. Even kindergarten admission became a race, with parents enrolling their toddlers in coding bootcamps.
In this context, ‘内卷’ became a shorthand for something bigger than stress — it captured the emotional toll of a hypercompetitive society, where working harder doesn’t mean getting ahead, and opting out can feel like failure. There is no real reward, no rest, and no exit.
How ‘内卷’ Is Used Online
While 内卷 started as a sociological term, it quickly evolved into everyday internet slang used by students, office workers, and meme-makers alike. On platforms like Weibo, Zhihu, and Bilibili, netizens began using the term to describe their own experiences of pointless competition, often with humor and sarcasm.
One of the most viral uses of the term came from a photo of a student from Tsinghua University, one of China’s top universities, operating his laptop while commuting by bike.
Another example that resonated with students was the trend of pulling all-nighters to match the efforts of peers who were also overworking. The attitude became: “If I don’t push myself, someone else will outdo me.” This cycle of effort without payoff is the essence of digital involution.
Popular slang phrases have emerged from this culture, including ‘卷王,‘ meaning “involution king,” which is used sarcastically for people who go overboard in trying to one-up others. The student pictured earlier was crowned “Tsinghua Involution King,” for example.
Although often framed with humor, these memes and phrases reflect serious concerns. Through jokes, sarcastic posts, and relatable images, netizens are expressing their stress and exposing the flaws in a system where endless effort no longer guarantees success.
Cultural Significance + Societal Impact
At its core, 内卷 (involution) is more than a trending buzzword — it’s a cultural diagnosis. For many young people in China, especially students and recent graduates, the word captures the emotional weight of living in a hypercompetitive society.
In earlier generations, upward mobility felt more attainable. Education was a clear path to success, and hard work was often enough to improve one’s circumstances. But today, despite rising levels of education, housing remains unaffordable, jobs are harder to secure, and the promise of a “better life” feels increasingly out of reach. Involution reflects this shift: people are still working hard, but they’re running in place rather than moving forward.
One Weibo user wrote:
“We study to get into a good school, then we study harder to survive in it. We graduate, only to find out we have to compete even more in job hunting. Is there a finish line?”
Another user approached this sense of burnout with sarcasm:
“Today I woke up at 5 a.m. to start work early, only to find three colleagues already online. I guess I’m not the ‘卷王‘ after all.”
The term also speaks to a deeper generational divide. Parents often encourage and pressure their children to push harder, believing success comes from discipline and sacrifice. But Gen Z, more digitally connected and mentally exhausted, has begun to question whether that mindset is sustainable. For them, “involuting” is a trap, not a virtue.
This disillusionment has sparked new forms of expression online. While some young people mock involution through memes, others respond by embracing alternate values. Movements like ‘躺平’ (lying flat) advocate for a slower, minimalist lifestyle, rejecting relentless hard work.
Even in workplaces, involution has sparked debate. Some companies now advertise “anti-involution” benefits, such as 4.5-day workweeks or no-overtime policies, to attract young talent. Yet these efforts often feel like surface-level fixes in a system still driven by status, performance, and appearances.
In this sense, ‘内卷’ reflects larger questions about what success means in modern China. It challenges the belief that more input always results in more output. It also raises uncomfortable questions: If the system demands constant competition just to survive, can anyone truly thrive?
Conclusion
‘内卷’ began as a term for agricultural stagnation, but it has grown into one of the most emotionally resonant expressions in contemporary Chinese internet culture. What makes it so powerful is not just its critique of overworking or competition — it’s how relatable it is. Whether in classrooms, offices, or even on social media, people recognize the feeling of doing more and more while getting less in return.
Through this single term, young people have found a way to voice their frustrations and poke fun at their reality. Memes, slang, and viral posts may seem like small acts, but together they point to something bigger: a generation navigating the tension between personal ambition and systemic limitations.
As involution continues to evolve, it leaves us with a question: If success no longer has a clear path, what does it mean to live well in modern China?