Instead of even trying to chase jobs that seem out of reach, Gen Z is embracing living like a rat—not showering or leaving the house for days at a time.

The millennial era of “work hard, play harder” and “girl bossing” has given way to a new trend. In China, at least, Gen Zers are proudly calling themselves “rat people”—they’re spending entire days procrastinating in bed, scrolling on their phones, snoozing and ordering take out.

I think it has something to do with “giving up” on the economy: if you have very low chances of landing a job anyways, why even try?

The article does not directly tell us how many people participate in this movement consciously. It does hint, however:

Today, over 4 million American Gen Zers remain jobless. In China, the government has said that as of February, 1 in 6 young people are unemployed.

    • tal@lemmy.today
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      5 days ago

      If it is, staying in a dark house and not exercising is definitely not what one wants to do.

      • GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Ditto this. This isn’t the hard-hitting smear they think it is, it’s a cry for help. They’re suffering the same symptoms of a collapsing society that we are. That’s not demeaning, it makes me sympathize with these kids even more.