The frustration of young Chinese is rising in line with the demand for long working days, greater unemployment and a property market in crisis. They don’t take to the streets in protest, and rarely shout out their displeasure, but have adopted a meme that can give vent to their feelings. – I cannot express my dissatisfaction with the job directly, because that could create conflicts in the workplace. That’s why I use the Loopy meme to express that I’m unhappy and stressed when I chat with friends online. That is what Li Ziying, who belongs to the fan base, told the newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP). Zanmang Loopy can get angry and frustrated. Photo: Social media New identity The creators of the cartoon character Loopy originally gave her a sweet, shy and sensitive personality in 2003. She swaggered around the lead actor in the series “The Little Penguin Pororo”. During the pandemic, the pink beaver got a new identity, with the name Zanmang Loopy. And although the name means small and sweet in Korean, she got an inside with a twist. – Everyone knows me as Pororo’s friend. Everyone says I’m kind and sweet, but sometimes I get tired of people’s expectations. Then I saw a new side of me on the internet, “says” the cartoon character. The new Loopy still has a sweet exterior, but at times boils over with anger. Now she takes her place, whines and complains, and is embraced by young, frustrated Chinese. – Good morning my work colleagues, says Loopy in a meme where she holds a handcuff in her hand and smiles. Instead of representing the perfect image of success, she gives insight into the inner struggle many can relate to. Sarcastic The new Loopy is sarcastic, bored, and often thinks she’d rather be relaxing than working. She is being embraced by young Chinese who have grown up with an economy that for a long time developed at a stormy pace, but which has now slowed down. Many have put all their efforts into going out with top grades in order to land the best jobs, but now find that the job market is tight. In June last year, the peak was reached with one in five unemployed in the age group 16–24 in the cities. Young Chinese now have to take jobs they don’t want and work long hours. Others refuse to join “996”, which is the widespread requirement to work twelve-hour days, until nine in the evening, six days a week. They give up and move to the countryside. Tea is served to China’s leadership gathered for this year’s People’s Congress in Beijing. Unemployment among young people is one of the major challenges they have to deal with. Photo: GREG BAKER / AFP Bets on work Generation Z has a feeling for Loopy because the character mirrors their feelings and no longer plays second fiddle to others, but is himself the main character in his own life. After the pandemic, the message to young people has been that they should bite the bullet and not have such high demands, but take the jobs they get. Now it seems that China’s Communist Party is taking the growing frustration among young people more seriously. Zanmang Loopy is an attractive producthttps://kpop2u-unnie.com/collections/zanmang-loopy On the sidelines of this year’s People’s Congress, HR Minister Wang Xiaoping says that the focus should be on work for young people, and on small companies, writes Reuters. China will create more than twelve million jobs in the cities, while almost as many new graduates will enter the job market this year. It became clear at the People’s Congress that China is betting on growth of over 5 percent, but experts still believe that this is too optimistic. Unemployment among young people in China was last summer reported to be one in five. Here, job seekers hope to land opportunities at a job fair in Beijing. Photo: Andy Wong / AP More memes The real estate market, which has been driving a quarter of the economy, is also in crisis. Prices are falling, but many people now find it risky to buy an apartment. Housing Minister Ni Hong says that it is still a challenge to get the property market in order. At the same time, more and more memes are emerging, with characters such as Barbie and Telebubbies, where young Chinese get an outlet for feelings they don’t want to show publicly. – I usually use a sarcastic Loopy meme, says Li Ziying, who hides her face behind a mask. – Something always happens during working hours that makes me uncomfortable, but I cannot express this in front of my colleagues and managers. Then I chat with my friends and use this meme to complain, says Li. Delegates are led into the People’s Great Hall to take part in this year’s People’s Congress. The country’s economic situation is an important topic on the agenda. Photo: Andy Wong / AP At a shopping mall in China, a woman has caught a lot of things and seaweed with the pink beaver on it. – I have bought a fridge magnet, two bottles, a thermos, two drinking glasses, a decoration and a sleeping Loopy pillow, the woman tells SCMP. Loopy’s fan base in China is growing fast. Over the past three years, a new edition of the cartoon character has gained 3 million subscribers, and most of them are Chinese, SCMP writes.
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Young people in China get an outlet for frustration via a pink beaver with a snarl – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
