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

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...