In late April, China’s top intelligence agency claimed that foreign forces were weaponising the concept of “lying flat” to dispel young people’s “belief in striving” and undermine social values.

Once a niche subculture, “lying flat” has evolved into a mainstream phenomenon over the past five years.

“Lying flat” became a buzzword on Chinese social media around 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the phrase was usually applied to people who had completely dropped out of the rat race, choosing to survive on odd jobs.

But now, it applies to a broader cross-section of society – from successful professionals and middle-aged entrepreneurs to risk-averse officials – as they avoid extra work to survive an era of intense competition with diminishing returns.

In a social media post, the Ministry of State Security accused unnamed overseas groups of funding influencers to constrain China’s development by conducting “lying flat brainwashing”.

While the intelligence agency blamed external enemies, a flood of social media comments showed how many users felt their fatigue was actually home-grown.

“So my exhaustion isn’t from overwork – it was the CIA all along,” one user wrote.