This is why Chinese students are pretending to be birds
A bizarre new trend that involves Chinese youths tucking their hands into oversized t-shirts and perching on household objects to mimic a bird is taking over social media. The message behind this trend is, however, more sad than obnoxious. The act is sort of a protest against China's infamous "996" work system that requires employees to work from 9:00am to 9:00pm, six days a week. This work system is in place in many companies despite being illegal under labor laws.
Symbolic bird act represents desire for freedom
To break this chain, these youths are acting as birds to symbolize the longing for freedom from long hours spent studying or working. The majority of participants in this trend are students tired of the competitive academic environment and concerned about future job market conditions, or young professionals worn out by the 72-hour work week imposed by the 996 culture.
Social media users express desire for freedom
Users have expressed their sentiments toward exploitative working conditions in China's faltering post-COVID economy through posts such as "Youth is but a summer dream." Some also creatively "chirped" songs like, "Can't help but turn into a stubborn bird, against the wind to the end," while another user candidly stated in their video, "I don't want to work, I want to be free like a bird."
'Bai Lan' trend: Another expression of discontent
In 2022, a similar trend against the country's work culture also gained popularity among young people. The "bai lan" (let it rot) concept originated in the NBA video game community and refers to intentionally throwing a match when the prospects of winning were low. However, the trend has since spread to encompass a general pessimism toward Chinese work culture.
