"Millions of Gen Z around the world are currently jobless. A significant chunk of young NEETS-"not in employment, education, or training"-are well-qualified and want to work, but just can't land a job. And then there's "rat people" who are taking to social media to celebrate ditching work for a slower life. Experts say it's a "quiet protest" against burnout and the current job market."
"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. Across Weibo, RedNote, Douyin, you can find videos of the youngest generation of adults waking up, only to go back to bed."
"Somewhere in Zhejiang, a province in eastern China, one young woman regularly shares on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) her horizontal schedule. In a video about her day as a "domestic rat," @ jiawensishi highlights how she woke up at midday, doom scrolled until 3pm, lounged around her house (mostly glued to her phone on the sofa), before getting back into bed before 8pm to spend the remainder of her evening switching between napping and scrolling."
Millions of Gen Z are currently jobless, and many NEETs are well-qualified yet unable to secure work. A distinct subset of young people is adopting a low-energy, homebound lifestyle labeled 'rat people,' spending days in bed, doomscrolling, napping, and ordering takeout. Social platforms like Weibo, RedNote, and Douyin host videos that showcase horizontal daily routines and celebrate disengagement from traditional work rhythms. Creators document midday wakeups, prolonged phone use, lounging, and repeated naps. Many viewers praise or emulate even slower habits. Experts interpret the trend as a quiet protest against burnout and a difficult job market.
Read at Fortune
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