How ‘lying flat’ went from a niche subculture to mainstream phenomenon

AI Summary

The concept of “lying flat,” once a niche subculture in China, has become mainstream over the past five years. China's top intelligence agency claims that foreign forces exploit this idea to undermine young people's motivation and social values.

In late April, China’s top intelligence agency claimed that foreign forces were weaponising the concept of “lying flat” to dispel young people’s “belief in striving” and undermine social values. Once a niche subculture, “lying flat” has evolved into a mainstream phenomenon over the past five years. “Lying flat” became a buzzword on Chinese social media around 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the phrase was usually applied to people who had completely dropped out of the rat...