Young people in China who shy away from success and embrace low-energy lifestyles are calling themselves “rat people”, a slang term that has gained widespread attention online.

Unlike the hyper-disciplined crowd that usually gets up at 5am, goes to the gym, and powers through packed schedules, so-called rat people live in the slow lane.

They spend their days in bed, live on takeaway food, avoid socialising, and have no clear goals in life.

The term took off after a video appeared online in late February, in which a young woman from Zhejiang province in eastern China, known as @jiawensishi, shared her day of extreme lethargy.

She stayed in bed for three hours after waking, washing up, then sleeping for another five hours.

The woman did not have her first meal until her parents woke her up in the evening. At midnight, she finally started unpacking a week’s worth of parcels and did not shower until 2am.

By calling herself a “rat person”, she likened her sluggish, reclusive routine to that of a sewer-dwelling rat.

The video went viral online, attracting more than 400,000 likes and comments like: “Most relatable vlog ever”.

One popular comment summed up the mindset of so-called rat people perfectly.

“We are tired of the polished, fast-paced, hyper-efficient lifestyle forced on us. We just want the freedom to lie down whenever and wherever we want.”

The slang echoes China’s earlier “lying flat” trend, where young people used humour and self-deprecation to push back against relentless societal pressure.

A woman, surnamed Lin, from Beijing told the Post that she works from home, avoids unnecessary communication with colleagues, lives on takeaway food, and spends her weekends sleeping and gaming at home.

“There is no need to act energetic or ambitious,” she said, adding: “We do not live to impress anyone. Being comfortable is enough.”

Chinese students studying abroad in the UK are among the most visible examples of rat people.

Faced with grey, rainy skies and high living costs, many of them choose to stay indoors, avoiding social interaction to conserve their mental and physical energy.

Online posts related to rat people have racked up more than 2 billion views on mainland social media.

A cartoon character called Big Rat, created by illustrator Sugar Xianbei, has become the unofficial mascot of rat people.

As of April, merchandise featuring Big Rat has brought in over one million yuan (US$140,000) in sales.

Some netizens worry the popularity of the lifestyle could deepen negative social attitudes.

Zhang Yong, a social worker from central China’s Hubei province, said that rat people reflect a broader trend of “social withdrawal” among young people.

“It is a passive coping mechanism after setbacks. They reduce social contact and simplify their lives to recover,” said Zhang.

He also warned that being a rat person is not sustainable.

“After some rest, it is important to reconnect with what you love and actively engage with life again.”

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/tr...2-billion-views

Just found my lifestyle have a name.

Well, 2000 years ago, they called him ZhuangZi.

Materialism has made the Chinese retarded.

Yes, rats are highly social animals and need companionship for their well-being. They form strong bonds with each other and with humans, and can experience stress and abnormal behavior when kept alone. In fact, they groom each other, sleep together, and even engage in play fights.
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/p...ts/rats/company

Watashi wa nezumi daisuki dess! 🥰

Got Mandarin version or not? I can't understand this shit

For Great Horned Rat.

https://www.douyin.com/user/MS4wLjABAAAAZ8b...14&type=general

https://www.douyin.com/user/MS4wLjABAAAAZ8b...39&type=general

This post has been edited by diffyhelman2: Apr 14 2025, 05:50 PM

funny how one animal have different meaning across culture. "rat race" carry opposite meaning.

more like snorlax people. kahkahkah.

then gym rat is how?

Well if you interact with them in Mandarin they quite ok though. Otherwise they will just keep to themselves

my neighborhood garbage truck always came at 5am

This post has been edited by keyibukeyi: Apr 14 2025, 05:59 PM

There is a lifestyle considered even more tragic and marginalized, often referred to as the “Sanhe Gods” (三和大神). This subculture began to emerge around 2005 among day laborers in Shenzhen, China, particularly around the Sanhe Talent Market in Longhua District. These individuals often drift from place to place. Sleeping on the streets when they have no money, or staying in internet cafes or cheap, rundown hostels when they can afford it. With no stable housing or official identification, they survive on very little and rely on short-term, daily-wage jobs. Their motto, “work one day, play for three,” reflects a lifestyle of minimal labor followed by long stretches of leisure, typically spent in internet cafes.

Many Chinese-language YouTube videos document their lives, and media outlets from both Hong Kong and Japan have produced documentaries about them. Since 2017, the local government began restructuring the area and sent in authorities to "clean it up." As a result, many of these workers have since relocated to a new area near the Longhua Inter-city Bus Station.



This post has been edited by incognitroll: Apr 14 2025, 06:03 PM

should be called sloth people

shun success, embrace gains

Snitch

trusol: see this is proof that 996 culture is a myth

This post has been edited by diffyhelman2: Apr 14 2025, 06:14 PM

They spend their days in bed, live on takeaway food, avoid socialising, and have no clear goals in life.

She stayed in bed for three hours after waking, washing up, then sleeping for another five hours.

The woman did not have her first meal until her parents woke her up in the evening. At midnight, she finally started unpacking a week’s worth of parcels and did not shower until 2am.

Don't insult rat. Rat is not lazy, lethargic, anti social, or purposeless.

Don't insult rat.
A lazy person it is

Ah yes, apparently working like a slave for monetary gain is a very good lifestyle