- Young Chinese professionals are sharing their “naked resignations” on social media.
- This term means leaving your current job without having your next job lined up.
- Young people in China seem to be open to traveling during their work breaks.
Gap years have traditionally not been common in China.
Taking a year off work to travel or explore a new passion doesn’t necessarily translate to career advancement or a higher salary.
But in recent years, young Chinese professionals have increasingly taken to social media to share their struggles with long hours and low wages. The fears seem to be easing as people are coming to terms with the reality of long, exhausting hours of work with little time for themselves.
For young people, the ultimate luxury is taking a vacation from the daily grind.
“Naked resignation”
A popular phrase on Chinese social media is “two dots and one line,” which translates to “two dots, one line,” referring to the endless commute from home to work and back home without a chance to see anything new, Jack Porteous of China-focused consulting firm Tong Global told Business Insider.
According to Porteous, this sense of monotony and overwork has led disgruntled workers to rebel and start posting their own “loud resignation” videos online, publicly sharing news on social media that they are leaving their jobs to travel to China or further afield for a period of time.
This is similar to the QuitTok social media trend in Western countries, where young Chinese workers are more willing to quit their jobs.
There has been a lot of discussion on Chinese social media about the term “naked resignation,” which literally translates to “naked resignation” and means exactly what it sounds like: quitting your job with no alternative plan to fall back on.
For example, let’s take a look at a popular post made by a 28-year-old man on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter. In the anonymous post on July 5, the man said that he had quit his job right after receiving a pay raise, without preparing an alternative plan, because he wanted to “take some time off.”
“For the past two years, my salary has increased every six months, but I have always believed that the most important thing in life is not work,” the post read. Business Insider was unable to verify the identity of the social media user.
The post’s author also lists the things she wants to do after she quits her job, including learning English, getting healthy, becoming a better cook, and going on a trip to “see all the amazing sights I never had time to see before.”
“I don’t know if my life will be better after this ‘naked resignation,’ but if I stay the same, I feel like anything I didn’t dare do at 28 will be something I never dared to do when I’m older,” the person wrote. “Life is short and now is the time.”
This person is not the only one thinking about “naked retirement.” Weibo has a ton of hashtag-like trending topics spreading the word. Examples found in this keyword search on BI include “How much should you save before naked retirement?”, “3 things to consider before naked retirement”, and “20 jobs to try after naked retirement.”
On the Instagram-like platform Xiaohongshu, people are also posting about life after “naked resignation”. Some posts detail the pros and cons of “naked resignation”, while others are travel diary-like, advocating for a slower, more fulfilling life away from the corporate rat race.
Take a career leave
Porteous told BI that some people are spending quality time with their families and visiting parts of China they haven’t had the chance to visit before.
He added that activities related to crafts and spending time outdoors are particularly popular among people looking to learn new skills or reconnect with nature.
A gap year is also an opportunity to visit places outside of traditional bucket list destinations, such as the big cities of Europe.
“People are turning to niche destinations and unique experiences as they look to escape reality and immerse themselves in authentic local culture,” says Lawrence Lim, founder and managing director of branding agency Cherry Blossoms Intercultural Branding. He told BI.
For young people, a gap year is often an opportunity for personal growth and exploration before embarking on a career.
“They want to travel, learn new skills and take part in volunteer work before deciding on a long-term career path,” Sally Meyer Yip, founder of China-focused communications consultancy 11K Consulting, told BI.
“A gap year gives young people a much-needed break and helps them join the workforce more refreshed and motivated,” she said.
China’s harsh work culture and economic downturn
It’s no secret that China’s job market is not necessarily favorable for young college graduates and early-career professionals.
According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds was 14.9% in December, compared with 6.1% for 25-29 year olds and 3.9% for those aged 30-59.
The recent economic downturn and pandemic have many young people re-evaluating their careers and trying to find new meaning in life.
Social media trends such as “lying down” are examples of disillusionment with work, Lim said. “This reflects a move away from traditional definitions of success to a focus on freedom, happiness and health rather than career achievement,” she said.
Many people who choose to take a gap year come from the technology industry, Porteous said.
This industry is notoriously competitive. “996” work culture, Workers will be expected to report to work six days a week, from 9am to 9pm.
Alibaba CEO Jack Ma once endorsed the grueling work schedule, calling it “a great blessing for young professionals.” Qu Jing, a former public relations chief at Chinese tech giant Baidu, resigned earlier this year after posting an online video blasting staff who disagreed with her extreme work ethic.
“Finding a decent job at a big tech company is a dream shared by young people from top universities,” Jenny Chan, an associate professor of sociology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told Business Insider. But succeeding in China’s cutthroat tech industry requires an all-out commitment of time and effort, blurring the lines between work and home, she said.
The sluggish economy and tough working conditions have left people feeling like they are just cogs in the machine of big corporations, Lim told Business in Business. “Many people are becoming disillusioned and demotivated.”
Generational divide
With the help of social media, younger generations are increasingly questioning the career status quo, but older generations are less keen on taking time off work.
“The older generation in China is generally skeptical of the concept of a gap year,” Lim told BI.
“There are articles on Chinese social media criticising the gap year,” she says, “arguing that it’s a Western idea that doesn’t fit well into Chinese society.”
She said that while older generations may see it as a hindrance to career advancement, Gen Z may be more open to prioritizing self-awareness and self-care.
“There’s a popular online buzzword among young people in China called ‘taozi’, which roughly translates to ‘street drifter’,” Lim added.
It’s a derisive term for drifting through life without making a plan. “It reflects a laid-back attitude that takes pride in stepping away from the hustle and bustle of conventional life and just enjoying it,” she said.
