According to He Junke, a member of the Central Youth Committee of the Communist League, the government has increased support for solving problems in education, employment, marriage and child-rearing posed by the younger generation.

He also considered it vital to involve the whole society in the mental and psychological development of young people and acknowledged that many feel lost in the pressures of study, life and the highly competitive job market.

He noted that most youth in China have an optimistic view of the future and refer to “lying flat as a fun way to release pressures and express their feelings”.

However, he said it was unrealistic for some to seek to build a successful career without taking on responsibility or working hard.

He responded to questions about the popularity of this lifestyle among the country’s so-called Generation Z.

The “lying flat” trend, or tang ping in Chinese, emerged last year and involves young people’s apathetic and passive response to long working hours, professional competition and other social demands.

pgh/arm/mgt/ymr