Bilibili Homelessness Guide Draws 6 Million Views as China’s Economic Gloom Darkens Online
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 7
Bilibili Homelessness Guide Draws 6 Million Views as China’s Economic Gloom Darkens Online
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 7
Summary
More than 6 million views pushed a quasi-serious Bilibili video on surviving homelessness to No. 2 on the platform, turning it into a viral symbol of anxiety among young Chinese users.
The video advised sleeping near garbage bins, using cardboard against damp and avoiding surveillance cameras, while viewers mockingly dubbed it “Youth Study” and a “required course for young people in 2026.”
That response reflects broader economic strain: slowing growth, a prolonged property slump and harder-to-find, less secure jobs have fed persistent pessimism on Chinese social media.
The darker mood challenges Beijing’s long-running push for “positive energy” online, as users increasingly post counternarratives that censors can remove but struggle to disprove.