WTF: Why Thousands Of Chinese Gen Z Are Embracing 'Rat People' Identity

What The Fact: China’s Gen Z has a new identity. They’re calling themselves “rat people.” And they’re proudly choosing naps, takeout, and scrolling over hustle, ambition, and burnout. Across Weibo, RedNote, and Douyin, young Chinese are posting entire days spent in bed. No work. No productivity. Just rest. And it’s going viral.

Influencer Leading The Movement

One Douyin creator, @jiawensishi, has become the unofficial face of this trend. In one of her most-liked videos, she wakes up at noon, scrolls till 3 pm, lies on the sofa, then returns to bed by 8 pm.

(Image credits: jiawensishi/Weixin)

Her routine? Sleep, scroll, snack, repeat. Millions felt seen. Some even joked that her lifestyle was “too energetic” for them.

Extreme Minimalism: Doing Almost Nothing

Comments poured in from users proudly admitting they eat once a day, avoid going out for a week, and even skip showers. This ultra-low-energy lifestyle speaks to a generation exhausted by pressure, competition, and burnout.

ALSO READ: WTF: Gen Z Turns To Dating Apps Instead Of Doctors For Sexual Health Guidance

From “Bird People” to “Rat People”

The “rat people” trend follows last year’s viral “bird people” phenomenon, where youth flapped imaginary wings and perched on furniture to symbolise freedom from academic and career pressures. “I don’t want to work. I want to be free like a bird,” one participant said.

Now, the same sentiment has gone underground, less flying, more hiding.

A Global ‘Quiet Protest’ Against Burnout

Experts say this is more than a TikTok trend. It’s a global rebellion.

China’s Gen Z is rejecting the infamous 996 schedule, 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week. Many aren’t working. Others are doing the bare minimum to survive.

The West Is Doing It Too

Gen Z worldwide is on the same wavelength. Gen Z is embracing trends that reject hustle culture, including Bare Minimum Mondays, Quiet Quitting, the Snail Girl Era of slow living, and becoming Voluntary NEETs. These movements reflect a desire for rest, mental peace, and freedom from burnout.

Many are even becoming NEETs, “not in employment, education or training”, by choice.

Why It’s Happening

The job market is tough. Burnout is real. And future security feels uncertain. So Gen Z is stepping back, slowing down, and redefining what a meaningful life looks like.

The “rat people” aren’t lazy. They’re tired. They’re done with grind culture. And they’re rewriting the rules of rest, survival, and self-worth.

(NOTE: This article is part of the series 'WTF'. To read more articles in the series, click here)