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Re:A shrinking life: Why some Asian youth withdraw from the ... by Animats on Saturday May 25, 2024 @02:13PM (#40476792)
The article reports this happening in countries that are quite comfortable at the moment and have strong safety nets. This isn't being reported from Venezuela or Ukraine or even Poland or the UK.

China has something else - the "lying flat" movement.[1][2] This is just "dropping out", something China is now rich enough to allow. It's not about isolation, just not working much.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/03/world/asia/china-slackers...

[2] https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/arti...

Re:A shrinking life: Why some Asian youth withdraw from the ... by wholemodern on Saturday May 25, 2024 @02:33PM (#40476928)
I wouldn't call what the young people lying flat in china "rich enough". There are stories of people in their 20s and 30s, after college or after layoffs, that they've either got a few thousand dollars saved up or from family. They couldn't find any jobs due to ~70% youth unemployment rate. Or they don't want to work in factories that pays out $2/hour and waste their degree. So they are moving to very remote countryside and renting a room for $50/month, and spending only $.50 a day. Or live off of parents, what's also known as 啃老族 or eat the old.

Remember the previous Chinese premier confirmed there are 700 million people living off less than $100/month a few years ago. so this living of standard is possible for young people. Especially now that there's widespread 50% reduction in wages/cost of living in China.