No Jobs, Low Pay, Falling Home Prices: China's Social Media Is Getting Darker

On China's social media, more and more people are openly talking about unemployment, low salaries, falling house prices while also being worried about their future.

A video showing people how to survive on the streets has become one of the most popular videos on Chinese social media.

The video, posted on Bilibili, gives a tongue-in-cheek guide for people who may become homeless. It suggests sleeping near garbage bins, using cardboard to keep away the damp and avoiding security cameras, according to The NY Times.

More than six million people watched it. For a short time, it was the platform's second-most-watched video.

What made the video more striking was how people reacted to it. Users jokingly called it "Youth Study", referring to the Communist Youth League's political education programme. Some called it a "required course for young people in 2026".

For a long time, the Chinese Communist Party has pushed social media platforms to promote what it calls "positive energy". These people have been expected to show China's economic achievements, praise the government and promote confidence in the country's future.

But many users are now talking about not having jobs, earning very little, losing money on property and being unsure about what comes next.

On RedNote, Douyin and Weibo, posts about financial struggles are getting thousands and sometimes millions of views. Many people are using humour because directly criticising the government can lead to their posts being removed.

China's youth unemployment rate stood at 17.9 percent in July. More than 200 million people are also working in what the government calls "flexible employment", which includes temporary and gig jobs.

One RedNote hashtag asking people to hold on to their money has been viewed nearly 120 million times. A post under the trend said people may actually be better off if they do not buy a house, buy a car, invest or get married early.

It argued that people born in the 1980s, who spent years following the traditional path to a secure life, could now be among the biggest losers.