Introduction and Usage

躺平 (tǎng píng) translated directly means to lie flat. For example, the sentence “幫病人躺平” translates to “help the patient lie [down] flat”. In recent years, this term has become very popular among Chinese netizens. 躺平 has adopted a new meaning among youth in China; to just lay back, do nothing, and remove themselves from the pressures of society. The term 躺平 gained popularity among Chinese internet users starting around 2021. The term quickly blew up, with many internet users creating groups to talk about the 躺平 lifestyle and many people began to sell merchandise with the term on it. However, the term was quickly criticized by the Chinese government, and many groups on social networking sites relating to 躺平 were removed. Critics of the 躺平 movement in China has labelled people that use this term as “lazy”.

“It’s more free, you aren’t limited to what you study. My time can be used for what I want to do.”
“We are 躺平, not beggars.”

Contemporary Work Culture

The Concept of the Iron Rice Bowl (鐵飯碗)

To understand contemporary Chinese work culture, it is important to explore the idea of the 鐵飯碗, or iron rice bowl. When the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was first established, 毛澤東 (Mao ZeDong) used a planned economy for the nation. In this economy, people would be assigned jobs by the government. These jobs would include lifelong employment as well as other benefits such as healthcare. Essentially, the freedom of choice was sacrificed for job stability. This was a very stable employment, and thus coined the term 鐵飯碗. This system would continue for about 50 years until 鄧小平’s (Deng XiaoPing) period of reformation and opening up (改革開放). During this period, the Chinese economy shifted towards a market economy, and many state-owned enterprises would be privatized. This caused mass layoffs (下崗) in China; about 34 million workers were laid off between 1995-2001, and the unemployment rate reached to more than 10% (about the same as the 2008 Great Recession). This was known as the breaking of the iron rice bowl (打破鐵飯碗). Following these mass layoffs, many struggled to find new employment for various reasons such as age and lack of experience. Additionally, these mass layoffs were very sudden unexpected. Since the 鐵飯碗 jobs were thought to be very stable, many people were not prepared, and few people had savings.

A man on the side of the road looking for work in 1998.

These mass layoffs were very recent in Chinese history, and it still lives in the consciousness of many working adults in China today. As a result, it created a kind of trauma within Chinese society with many working people today working more and for longer hours in case of another mass layoff.

The 996 and 007 Work Schedules

Headline: Overworked for a year and gained 20kg;
Helpless woman: Young girl turned into a fat auntie

In the United States, the most common work schedule is the 9 to 5, or 9:00am to 5:00pm for 5 days a week. In China, the work week is almost doubled under the 996 work schedule (996工作制度). This work schedule refers to working from 9:00am to 9:00pm for 6 days a week. Additionally, many people also work overtime (加班) on top of the 996 work schedule. In recent years, a new work schedule has arisen: 007. This work schedule refers to working 24 hours, 7 days a week. This kind of work schedule is very unhealthy both physically and mentally to works with many experience burn out after a few years.

The video below by VICE Asia gives a lot of insight into the 996 work culture in China.

It is important to note that there is a labor surplus in China, meaning that there are not enough jobs for the population. This labor surplus creates an environment where many workers feel that they can be replaced easily. This also creates a “rat race” where people are constantly competing with each other by working more and more. Considering the job insecurity faced by the people during the breaking of the iron rice bowl, it is easy to understand why many people continue to work under these conditions. In their minds, they do not have another option.

A career fair at Tsinghua University (清華大學), one of the top universities in China.

White Collar vs Blue Collar

For many Chinese, there is a hierarchy in what job you have: white collar jobs (白領工作) are usually seen as having a higher status than blue collar jobs (藍領工作). However, a recent phenomenon is flipping this hierarchy on its head. Many Chinese youth are fed up with the stressful life of white-collar work and have turned to an alternative: blue-collar work. Despite being “lower” in the job hierarchy, many youth find blue-collar work liberating as there is not as much competition and the ability to choose their own working hours.

Significance

躺平 reflects a growing disdain for the toxic work culture that exists, and a growing resistance against the exploitation of workers in China. While 躺平 is most directly related to the work culture in China, it is also shows the rejection of societal pressures in China as a whole such as getting married, having children, and owning a home. The term 躺平 may just translate to lie down, but to many youth in China, it embodies the struggles and resistance against involution found in the work culture found in contemporary China.

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.

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?

For the Internet Keyword Project, students will choose a piece of internet slang or a keyword from contemporary Chinese online culture. Explain its meaning, origins, and the cultural significance it appropriates or resists. Discuss how it is used, and what larger questions or phenomena this keyword reveals about contemporary Chinese society.

Students can search “online buzzwords in China” as a source of keywords.

Please use this website as a reference and/or inspiration: https://wiki.ubc.ca/Course:ASIA319/SamplesLinks to an external site.