China has launched a sweeping campaign to curb what it calls excessive negativity on the internet, aiming to counter a growing wave of despair among its young population.
The Cyberspace Administration this week began a two-month drive targeting social media posts that “excessively exaggerate negative and pessimistic sentiments,” saying the move is meant to “rectify negative emotions” and “create a more civilised and rational online environment.”
Authorities are focusing on online narratives such as “studying is useless” and “hard work is useless,” along with content that promotes “world-weariness.”
The effort comes as the country grapples with slowing economic growth, a property crisis, high youth unemployment and fierce competition for school and job opportunities, all of which have deepened feelings of hopelessness among younger people.
“Young people in China have serious questions about future prospects of their lives and must confront the fact that their livelihood is very likely going to be worse than their parents’ generation,” Simon Sihang Luo, an assistant professor of social sciences at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, told the BBC.
Beijing’s unease with rising disillusionment has already led to sanctions on social media influencers and platforms. Popular content creator Hu Chenfeng recently had all his posts erased without explanation.
Many believe the punishment followed a viral livestream in which he jokingly divided people into “Apple” or “Android,” calling some “Android person” and “Android qualification.” While the gag spread quickly, others accused him of deepening social divides.
Similarly, Zhang Xuefeng, a well-known tutor with millions of followers, saw restrictions placed on his accounts this week. Earlier this month, Zhang had caused uproar by pledging to donate 100 million yuan ($14m) if Beijing invaded Taiwan.
He is also known for blunt advice, telling students to pursue practical choices based on test scores and financial realities instead of chasing dreams, an outlook that many say reflects the mood of despair that authorities now want to suppress. His staff told state media he was “reflecting” on the matter.
Beyond individuals, Chinese regulators have turned their attention to major platforms.
The Cyberspace Administration announced “strict punishments” for apps including Xiaohongshu, Kuaishou and Weibo over “negative” posts, citing examples like “sensationalising celebrities’ personal updates” and spreading “trivial information.” The regulator said: “A clear and healthy cyberspace is in the interests of the people.”
However, experts warn that forcing optimism online could deepen the very frustrations Beijing seeks to control.
“The expression of pessimist sentiments doesn’t necessarily mean a fundamental rejection of participating in the labour market and society at large,” said Dr Luo. But depriving people of “relief after venting these sentiments might make it even worse for their collective mental status,” he added.
The pressure on young people is mounting. Many have returned to live with their parents after failing to secure jobs, or are choosing to step away from demanding work, referring to themselves as “full-time” children. Surveys show rising doubts about the future, from falling birth rates to fierce job competition.
Dr Luo cautioned that such campaigns may not solve the underlying issues: “If anything, contemporary Chinese history has repeatedly demonstrated that top-down ideological campaigns can hardly eradicate the social roots of problems. Even with a powerful government like the Chinese one, it is hard to arrest pessimist sentiments when the economy looks bleak, the job market is cruelly competitive, and birth rate hits rock bottom.”