List ignites talk on pressures of life
Print Edition
A netizen’s tongue-in-cheek “top torture ranking” of modern inconveniences has become a hot topic in cyberspace and aroused fresh discussion of the pressure Chinese people face in a fast-developing country.
The netizen, with the screen name “Weibogaoxiaopaihang,” posted the list on Tuesday on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, with “no WiFi connection,” “being on a crowded subway carriage,” “waking up in the morning” and “being on a diet” regarded as among the cruelest experiences.
The list instantly struck a chord with other Internet users, and his post has been forwarded nearly 18,000 times on Weibo. Many Chinese said the ranking is a true reflection of the daily troubles they endure in their hectic life.
Zhang Ya, a 28-year-old white-collar worker who has been working in Beijing for 10 years, said she agreed with many entries on the list.
“For example, taking the subway is a dreadful experience that tests a lot of people like me,” Zhang said, referring to modern public transport as a “battle.”
She said subway carriages are generally so crowded that she can barely find a place to stand during the morning and evening rush hours, forcing the young woman to “edge out” others in order to get on the trains.
When it comes to losing weight, a busy work schedule has greatly reduced the amount of time that Zhang Zhengyong, 35, can dedicate to exercising. Working around the clock has fattened the previously fit man.
“I am always on the run, but my health has deteriorated due to a lack of proper exercise, which sometimes makes me wonder what I am busy for,” Zhang said.
Zhou Keda, deputy director of the Institute of Social Sciences at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, said the ranking is a manifestation of the pressure induced by large workloads and busy lifestyles in modern China.
“China is going through a phase of social transformation, in which people inevitably feel vulnerable and easily irritated,” Zhou explained.
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