From slash youth to flow workers: exploring the work issues behind the slash youth phenomenon in Mainland China

ABSTRACT

In 2016, the slash youth phenomenon gained attention in mainland China. It was seen as an ideal work plan to adapt to contemporary conditions, and was even endorsed by Chinese state media. However, this paper challenges these narratives and examines the practicality of slash youth as a work plan. Through in-depth research and interviews with 20 slash workers, it explores the work problems faced by young people in mainland China and highlights the discrepancies between practice and narrative. In reality, most slash youth work as flow workers, a new type of labor subject shaped by the specific contextual conditions of mainland China. This type of work typically fails to provide a decent income or opportunities for personal growth, contradicting the promises of slash youth narratives. The transition from slash workers to flow workers reveals the limited employment options available and underscores the need for systemic changes in the nature of work. An integrated work culture and system that adapts to new forms of work is needed to avoid dire consequences.

KEYWORDS:

• Slash youth
• flow worker
• works
• work culture
• work transformation

Notes

1 The Q&A community page can be found at: https://www.douban.com/gallery/topic/69911.

2 The website can be found at: www.xgqngw.com.

3 The two pages can be found at：https://www.douban.com/group/588263/#topics；https://www.douban.com/group/675400.

4 Quoted from Douban user “Miao.” https://www.douban.com/people/126490949/status/3662072092. All US dollar figures in this article are converted from Chinese yuan based on the exchange rate on 1 December 2023.

5 Quoted from Douban user “A miao.” https://www.douban.com/people/131374829/status/4377624201.

6 In China, people who are 35 years old or older are generally not eligible to take the civil service exam and become a civil servant, and many private companies also prefer to hire people younger than 35 years old, hence, the phenomenon is referred to as “the 35year-old-limit.”

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yuman Hao

Hao Yu-man is an assistant professor of cultural studies at the School of Humanities, Changzhou Institute of Technology, China. She received her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Shanghai University. Hao’s research interests include contemporary youth work culture, the relationships between social media and society/culture. Her essays have been published in 上海文化 [Shanghai Culture] and 名作欣赏 [Masterpieces Review].