China’s internet supervisors have started a two-month plan. Their goal is to clear out online posts that show too much sadness or hopelessness. Officials say they want to “fix negative emotions.” They hope to build an internet that feels more polite and reasonable.
The campaign targets certain kinds of stories. These include posts that suggest things like “studying is useless” or “hard work doesn’t pay off.” It also goes after content that promotes a feeling of being “tired of the world.”
This big push happens while China’s economy is struggling. A housing crisis has slowed things down. Many young people are out of work. Finding a spot in college or a good job is extremely competitive. These problems have left many young people feeling upset and disappointed.
Dr. Simon Seehong Luo, who teaches social sciences at Nanyang Technological University, shared his thoughts. He told the BBC that young people in China are “asking big questions about their future.” They “face the truth that their lives will likely be worse than their parents’.”
The government is worried about this growing unhappiness. This concern shows in how they punish online influencers and social media sites.
Last week, a popular content creator named Hu Chenfeng lost all his posts. There was no official reason given. But many believe it was because of a viral comment he made. He had called people and things “apples” or “Androids.” The “Android” term was for things he saw as lesser. This joke about inequality seemed to upset officials. It highlighted differences the Communist Party wants people to ignore.
What’s different about this anti-pessimism campaign is its wide reach. It targets many types of online behavior that might create bad feelings. Before, censorship mostly focused on criticizing the Party or its leaders.
Take Zhang Shufeng, for example. He is a famous online tutor with millions of followers. Now, he can’t get new followers. He once caused a stir by saying he would donate a lot of money if China invaded Taiwan. But his recent punishment, this week, might be for something else. Many wonder if it’s because of his advice: “In an unfair world, you must only pick options that benefit you.” This idea could easily spread hopelessness.
Besides individuals, social media platforms also have to join this big cleanup. The CAC said it will “severely punish” apps like Xiaohongshu, Kuaishou, and Weibo. This will happen if they fail to control “negative” content. This includes “hyping up celebrity personal updates” and other “trivial information.”
However, Dr. Luo believes stopping people from “letting out their sadness” could make their “overall mental state worse.”
Experts say the pressures people face are still there. Many young Chinese are returning to live with parents. They can’t find jobs or want a break from tiring work. Recent studies show that despair about the future is actually growing in China. The Communist Party knows this and is trying to hide the evidence.
Dr. Luo summed it up plainly. “Chinese modern history has shown repeatedly that top-down ideological campaigns can hardly remove the roots of social problems.” He added, “Even with a powerful government like China, it is hard to contain pessimism when the economy looks gloomy, the job market is brutally competitive, and the birth rate hits rock bottom.”
Source: BBC