The conventional roster of life milestones is under review. Having kids in your 30s is no longer a given, if kids are part of the plan at all. Career progression is non-linear. Older Adults are finding new forms of independence. And Gen Z are embracing a more fluid definition of home.

Youth unemployment has reached some of its highest rates in China as young people deal with economic uncertainty and reevaluate their lifestyles. These rates reflect a prioritisation of wellbeing and highlight a disconnect between education and employment where brands can help bridge the gap.

Chinese parents are using dating apps to find partners for their unmarried children in the hope they’ll continue the family lineage. Due to economic conditions requiring pragmatism, young people in China are defying conventional social expectations and taking a more laid-back approach to life.

In contrast to quiet quitting, resignation parties have become a new spectacle online in China. Borrowing from the tacky and nostalgic aesthetics of Chinese corporate culture, these parties demonstrate next-level irony that underscores how younger generations aren't taking themselves too seriously.

Exhausted and disillusioned with China’s oppressive work culture, young people there are embracing a defeatist ideology that takes inspiration from the act of lying down. As more people reject the grind, they're pining for simpler living away from the pressures of traditional expectations.