A Generation Promised Everything – Now Facing a Wall

For decades, China’s young people were told that if they studied hard and worked even harder, they could build better lives than their parents ever dreamed of. It was the heart of the “Chinese Dream”—a future where each generation would rise higher than the last. But today, many Chinese youth feel abandoned by that promise.

In cities like Huizhou, job listings at electronics factories offer salaries of just 4,500 to 6,000 yuan per month, or about $620 to $830. These jobs demand long hours and obedience. “Work hard and endure hardship,” the factory ad says. That kind of messaging might have worked for an older generation who saw hardship as a stepping stone to prosperity. But many of their children are no longer willing to sacrifice so much for so little.

“I can’t sit on an assembly line,” said Zhang, a 20-something barista with dyed red hair, who works at a tea shop for 4,000 yuan a month. He prefers the freedom and social interaction over grueling factory work. “Why suffer when the payoff isn’t there?” he asked.

The Education Myth

The older generation told their kids that education was the key to success. And they listened. Millions of families scraped together money to send their children to universities, even overseas. But now, many graduates are finding out that degrees no longer guarantee decent jobs.

Joy Zhang, a 23-year-old from a village in Sichuan province, is one of them. She graduated from college and then worked five different jobs in just a few months—selling hot drinks, guiding tourists at a panda park, and interning at a kindergarten. “These jobs don’t have good prospects for your future,” she said. “They offer low salaries and you are easily replaceable.”

Out of her college class of 32 students, only about a third found full-time work. And Joy’s story is not unique. China’s youth unemployment rate reached over 20 percent in 2023, before the government stopped releasing the numbers altogether.

Even highly educated candidates face strange barriers. Boris Gao, who earned his graduate degree in Hong Kong, said he was once rejected from a job for being “politically unreliable” because he studied outside mainland China. In another interview, he was told he didn’t get the job because his “family has low social status.” Gao, whose father used to drive a taxi, said, “To them, perseverance is a defect. If you have to struggle, it means you’re not good enough.”

Stuck Between Rent and Reality

Even for those who are employed, the reality is discouraging. Rent eats up most of their income. Home ownership, once considered essential to building a family and future, is now nearly impossible. In big cities, buying a home requires not just a good job but also help from family wealth—something many don’t have.

Parents who worked grueling jobs in factories or farms believed that their sacrifices would lift their children to a higher class. Instead, their children are finding themselves in the same struggles, just with a college degree and more debt. Joy recalled how proud her father was when she got into college, even throwing a banquet for 30 tables of guests. Now, she says, “My parents expect me to have a better life and income than their generation. But I will insist on going down my own path at my own pace.”

Turning Away from the Race

Some young Chinese are now rejecting traditional success entirely. Many have chosen to “lie flat”—a popular phrase that means stepping away from the constant push to achieve. Others have gone even further, moving into rural communes or wellness retreats to rethink their lives.

One such place is Wen Chao retreat in the Mandiu Ancient Village of Yunnan province. Here, young people wake up with the sun, drink coffee, practice meditation or martial arts, and help out on local farms. In the evenings, they gather around bonfires and talk about their dreams and frustrations. “We hope young people will gather here to learn, socialize, and resolve their inner struggles,” said Lu Boke, the founder of the retreat. He created the space to give youth a break from the exhausting pace of modern life.

Lu said he expected only freelancers to come, but even white-collar professionals have shown up. “Some were unfamiliar with farming,” he explained. “But after feeling the fresh soil under their feet, they came back the next day wearing straw hats, excited to work in the fields.”

These retreats, often called “retirement homes for the young,” are not about giving up. They’re about pausing. “The residents are all strangers,” Lu said. “And that makes it easier for young people to open up and share their problems without judgment. It’s like a support group.”

Mental Health, Emotional Resilience, and Social Expectations

According to recent psychological research from Sun Yat-Sen University, mental toughness and emotional intelligence are key to life satisfaction among Chinese youth. But that kind of resilience doesn’t come easy when the social system feels stacked against you.

Young adults who try to appear “socially desirable” by putting on a brave face or hiding their anxiety may report higher life satisfaction, but the underlying stress still builds. In the end, emotional intelligence—the ability to manage emotions and relationships—plays a bigger role in how satisfied a person feels than their job title or salary.

Researchers found that those with strong mental toughness and emotional intelligence were more likely to cope with disappointment and still find purpose. However, that emotional strength is being tested in a society where many young people feel overlooked and undervalued.

A Crisis of Meaning

Anthropologist Xiang Biao calls this a “collapse of the dream.” For years, Chinese youth were told that their future would be built on discipline, education, and ambition. But now, many are realizing that no amount of studying will overcome a slow economy, unfair hiring practices, or rising costs.

“This is not only about a shortage of jobs or income,” said Xiang. “It is a collapse of the dream that has pushed them to work so hard. That not only brings disappointment—it breeds disillusionment.”

Some have even started documenting their new lifestyle choices online. One trend shows young people becoming “full-time children,” moving back in with their parents and getting paid small allowances for household chores.

Others stage dramatic resignation parties with red banners, celebrating the moment they leave their corporate jobs. “Embrace the resignation,” read one banner shared on social media. “The future will be cooler.”

Looking for Hope in Small Places

Despite the bleak economic outlook, not all is hopeless. Many young Chinese are turning to self-employment or small business dreams. Guling, a 23-year-old sales and marketing graduate, wants to open a breakfast shop that sells Cantonese rice noodle rolls. “This will offer me more freedom,” she said. “Then I can do what I like instead of just carrying on working for other people.”

Still, most young people know this is not the future they were promised. The belief that each generation will do better than the last is no longer a given. As Joy said, “Compared to the last generation, we don’t care that much about earning money. We think more about what we can do to achieve our dreams.”

Whether or not those dreams can be realized is unclear. But one thing is certain: the Chinese Dream of prosperity through hard work and obedience is being redefined—not by the government, but by a generation that refuses to believe in it anymore.

ACZ Editor: This is a bleak situation for youth in China, in a situation that is made worse by socialism and a totalitarian government. China does not have the flexibility to adapt. America has similar problems, a discouraged youth missing out on opportunities. But American culture is resiliant and a determine young person can make a life. China is rigid, its youth are stuck until the government figures out a way to fix it.