Reconsidering time: understanding the Lying Flat movement from social media use among Chinas Gen Z

The idea that the pace of life is speeding up has been explored in academia. Various cultural movements and practices (both online and offline) have emerged in response to this condition. Recently, Chinas Lying Flat movement, in which people refuse to participate in a culture of overwork and over-achievement, has drawn attention, yet few studies have examined participants temporal perception and pluralistic interpretations through social media engagement. Through interviews with Chinese young adults from 18 to 28 years old, this research investigates individuals perceptions of modern time and how they interact with related social media content. Findings indicate that Chinese young adults feel the pace of life is faster than in the previous generation. This socio-cultural environment has fostered collective resonance among Chinese Gen Z. Such narration and description are reshaping the Lying Flat movement as a constructive and reasonable way to adapt to temporal pressure. Meanwhile, Chinese Gen Z are developing sophisticated digital boundary-setting practices in terms of the usage of ICT. The results of this study suggest that future research should consider personal perception and autonomous choice of people who are engaging with temporal resistance when analyzing the relationship between time and modernity.