The article “Struggle for careers leaves graduates questioning value of doing a degree” (Report, May 14) cited one graduate who explained their difficult situation using the Chinese term “neijuan”. This borrowed sociological concept describes a situation where ever-increasing inputs produce no improvements, a societal phenomenon where intense competition drives individuals to increase their efforts in a self-defeating cycle, leading to no real progress. Thus, no matter how hard someone works, progress is impossible. This leads to demotivation and disengagement and even “opting out” altogether.
However, the UK context is very different and less stark compared to China. In China, the “pressure cooker” working environment, working “996” (9am-9pm, six days a week) or even “007” (no days off!), and the “hustle culture” are often the norm.
This was exemplified by the 2020 picture of a student from the elite Tsinghua University working on a laptop while cycling. This went viral, spreading to the hyper-competitive tech industry, a preferred destination for many Chinese graduates.
This neijuan-driven disillusionment should be set against the new trend of tang ping (“lying flat”) and bai lan (“let it rot”) social movements — even the idea of a return to being a “full time child” — all seen as antidotes to society’s pressures to find a job and perform well while working long shifts.
These slang neologisms reflect the increasing apathy felt towards the brutal “rat race” in Chinese society and work, and have become part of the zeitgeist for tech-savvy younger generations.
In short, for growing numbers of people, the “China dream” — of being brought up on the mantra of “study hard” followed by “work hard” and you will be rewarded by a better life — is now less a verity and more a chimera.
Professor Chris Rowley
Kellogg College, University of Oxford and Bayes Business School, City St George’s, University of London
