Burnout is the name of the game, and China's Gen Z generation are refusing to play it. A growing number of young people in China are stepping away from work entirely, and calling themselves 'rat people,' as frustration with employment turns into a visible online trend.
The label has emerged on Chinese social platforms as mostly Gen Z users document days spent almost entirely in bed, scrolling on phones, sleeping, and ordering takeaway. The trend marks a jarring difference from earlier ideals that praised long hours, ambition, and constant productivity. Instead, 'rat people' present inactivity as both routine and identity.
