The z generation of the unemployed of China is proudly called the “people of rats” in a rebellion against professional exhaustion

• Millions of Z genres in the world are currently unemployed. An important part of young Neet – “not in employment, education or training” – are well qualified and want to work, but simply cannot get a job. And then there are “rats” that go to social networks to celebrate the work of abandonment for a slower life. Experts say it is a “silent protest” against professional exhaustion and the current labor market.

The millennium era of “working hard, playing harder” and “girls’ boss” has given way to a new trend. In China, at least, General Zers is proudly called “rats” – they spend whole days procrastinate in bed, scroll through their phones, sleep and order.

Through Weibo, Rednote, Douyin, you can find videos of the youngest generation of adults waking up, only to return to bed.

Somewhere in Zhejiang, a province in eastern China, a young woman regularly shares on Douyin (the Chinese version of Tiktok) its horizontal schedule.

In her most recent video on her day as a “domestic rat”, @jawensishi underlines how she woke up at noon, Doom scrolled until 3 pm, lounged around her house (mainly stuck on her phone on the sofa), before going to bed before 8 pm to spend the rest of his evening to switch between the sign and the fact of making the ground.

She compares her “low energy” routine reclusive with that of a rat – and her videos accumulate hundreds of thousands of likes and inspire others to follow suit. And for many “people people” commenting on his videos, his lethargic schedule is still too fast.

“You are still too energetic for me,” wrote a person. “I don’t even sit on the sofa. I lie on the bed from the moment I wake up and go to the toilet until I have to eat, then I get up to eat and then lie down. I can live like that for a week without going out. ”

“God, I think I’m even more a rat than the blogger,” said another. “I eat only one meal a day and I spend the rest of the time lying down.”

Another spectator echoed only to eat once a day and “can go there for several days without washing”.

Gen Z burned

Despite having a fun new name, this is not the first time that China has broken and burned the youth who has taken a life spent horizontally, instead of mounting the corporate scale.

In 2021, Gen Z and Young Millennials began to reject the Chinese culture for long hours and hard work in “flat lying”.

Instead of following the standard “996” (working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week), many said they did not work at all – or made the strict minimum to get out of it.

And this is exactly what many Gen Zers do in the West: in recent years, the youngest generation of workers has introduced Monday minimums and leave silent in the world of work.

Some have in the same way modeled the relaxed lifestyle of another slow animal: snails.

Others have completely abandoned employment and become neet (“not in employment, education or training”) by choice.

Whether in China, the United States or Europe, Clear Hustle of Gen Z is in direct response to a more difficult and more demanding labor market than ever.

Millennials are the most educated generation in history, with generation Z following closely. However, their financial prospects and their chances of being hired are considerably darker than those of graduates of generation X.

Today, more than 4 million American Zers remain unemployed. In China, the government said that in February 1, the young people out of 6 are unemployed.

“This trend is more than the inconvenience of generation Z, it is a quiet manifestation of young people who respond to professional exhaustion, disillusionment and a labor market that feels both punishing and inviting,” said Advita Patel, trusted and career coach, and president of the Charterd Institute of Public Relations, said Fortune.

“When you are constantly applying for jobs and you are a ghost or rejected, it can be incredibly damaging to confidence and mental well-being.”

Essentially, rather than chasing the jobs they consider out of reach, kissing the “rat” lifestyle is a way for young people to recover a feeling of control over their own life.

“It is not laziness, it is life and fatigue of management and the withdrawal of life becomes an attractive option to protect your mental health,” adds Patel.

Gen Z can run their career

In the short term, the treatment of the current labor market crisis by checking can give you a temporary help illusion. However, in the long term, this will not bring you closer to the landing of a job. And, as Skinner, author and psychotherapist,tellFortune, it could lead you to feel more deflated on the line. Really, once you are ready to take your head out of the sand, you can be in an even worse position you start.

“It is certainly difficult to deal with constant rejection. But those who have put themselves in difficult positions are likely to develop resilience and adaptability skills (while being ready to feel in opportunities when they arise), while those who decide not to participate in the process may feel behind their peers and friends, “warns Skinner.

But everything is not lost: as long as Time Out remains a temporary reset rather than a permanent retirement, most young people can bounce back – and some can even return to the labor market with a clearer sense of the objective and management.

“Gen Z is probably early enough in their career to be able to take some time,” said Skinner, pointing to years apart as an example. “The university can be a high intensity and difficult environment, and many people take the time after to rediscover personal passions, find career options and enjoy a break after studying.”

She recommends using this time to reconnect with your objective sense. “Try to ask yourself: what makes me excited in life?” What do I care the most? What big problems in the world would I like to solve? Using initial answers to these questions could help a person to connect with their sole sense of mission and vision, and from there, a person could look for related courses. ”

Just don’t announce your time as online “rat” – product recruiters could trip on your content and “find the attitude opposed to the values ​​of the company”, warns Skinner.

For those who are ready to join the world of work, gradually release can make the transition less intimidating.

“For all Gen Zs stuck in this rut, my advice is to start small, but to start,” said Leona Burton, career coach and founder of the professional community, Mums in Business International.

“You don’t need to understand everything overnight, so contact someone you trust, make a positive decision per day and stop measuring success by someone else’s chronology,” she said Fortune. “Whether it’s a part -time role, starting a side jostling or simply getting dressed and walking, without your phone, every small step.”

“Above all, remember this: you are not late, you are not broken, and you are not alone, but you have to do the work and do this change.”

This story was initially presented on Fortune.com