Introduction
We’ve all seen “smartphone zombies” and to be honest almost all of us YES us have been one. Walk into any subway(地铁 Dìtiě) in Beijing, Shanghai, or even Atlanta, and you’ll see dozens of passengers with their heads bowed, and necks bent at an unhealthy 45-degree angle staring at their phones. The train is silent because everyone is on their phones. Throughout my life, I’ve prided myself on being disconnected from my phone, and not using it when I’m outside as seeing this makes me cringe.
These are 低头族 (dī tóu zú). Translated literally as the “bowed-head tribe,” the phrase refers to the people who constantly lower their heads to their devices and ignore the world around them. The tribe’s members are everywhere: the office worker scrolling WeChat in the elevator, the student watching TikToks in class, the disconnected couple having dinner but staring at their phones instead of making eye contact.
The word itself is humorous and pokes fun on these people, but it also shows what has become of our posture, and the frightening lack of human interaction irl.
“Commuters on a Taipei Metro train, each absorbed in their own screen”
Origin of the Term
Where did this term come from? 低头族 is built from two parts: 低头 (“to lower one’s head”) and 族 (“clan/tribe”). Chinese internet slang often uses 族 to describe lifestyle tribes: 拇指族 (“thumb tribe” for constant texters), 啃老族 (“gnaw-on-parents tribe” for financially dependent young adults), and even 月光族 (“moonlight tribe” for those whose salary vanishes by the end of the month). Add 族 to any bad habit, and it becomes a social group according to Chinese Netizens.
The concept of 低头族 rose to prominence in the early 2010s during the smartphone boom. It occured at the same time as the english slang “phubbing” was created (phone + snubbing). Made in Australia around 2012 to describe the act of ignoring real people in favor of a phone. Chinese internet users picked up their own version, popularizing 低头族 to describe a group of people with bowed heads who are look down at their phone.
Examples
Imagine a family gathered at dinner. Instead of talking, all four lean forward staring at their phones, occasionally glancing up only to take a photo of the food they aren’t really eating. That’s the 低头族 lifestyle in a nutshell. You don’t have to imagine any more check the slider out (W ChatGPT using it like it’s intented)!
Or picture pedestrians in China phone in hand almost colliding with distracted driver who also is staring at his phone instead of the road. This isn’t just the youth everyone in China of all age groups even grandparents have joined the tribe.
A European study found that 17% of people use their phones while walking, especially those aged 25–35. In China’s large cities, you can probably see how that would be a problem. Anyone who has been pushed on the subway by someone watching a TikTok or having to pass by a person staring at their phone and walking abnormally slow understands the pain. The phrase 低头族 usually carries a mocking tone, but isn’t entirely a insult more of a social behavior.
Cultural Significance
The rise number of 低头族 says a lot about current day life. Everyone is connected online while being disconnected offline. Dinner tables that used to be full of conversation are now silent. This could be thought of as an epidemic or phone addiction. Public safety officials caution us of car accidents and falls caused by distracted phone use. One tragic story in Hunan reported a mother so absorbed in her phone that she failed to notice her child stepping into traffic. Doctors also warn us of physical toll that constantly bending over has on your spine.
There’s also a mental health angle. Excessive phubbing strains relationships as nobody enjoys being barely listened to while the other person scrolls TikTok reels. There are satirical responses to this as the city of Chongqing painted a “cellphone lane” on a sidewalk meant to be funny, but also served as a warning. Other cities have posted “No Texting While Walking” signs which should be common sense like not to jaywalk or check both sides before crossing the road.
If you’re reading this on your phone congratulations, you’re officially 低头族. Please don’t walk into a streetlight :3
Unironically, I was editing this on my phone outside :((
Conclusion
低头族 is what’s called a 双刃剑 (double-edged sword) in Chinese. On one side, it connects us online and to friendships across continents(I know for myself whatsapp is extremely useful in contacting Indian family members as international calls cost money) it is kinda like what WeChat is for China. On the other, it disconnects us from the people sitting right next to us. We can laugh at phone zombies or seeing people distracted not noticing what’s right in front of them, but the joke is we’re all turning into one. The next time we’re in the subway or wherever let’s try to lift our heads! Perhaps we might relearn what “eye contact” is again 👀
Because sometimes the best thing you can do is just look up…