'Very Chinese Time' meme exposes U.S. youth's anxieties and projections onto China: WIRED

A foreigner drinks hotwater in the morning, living a Chinese-style life. (ScreenShot Photo)

(ECNS) — A viral U.S. online trend dubbed "very Chinese time" reflects a blend of irony, curiosity, and unease among young Americans, revealing how dissatisfaction with domestic social and economic realities is increasingly projected onto perceptions of China, according to a recent WIRED magazine article.

The article, titled Why Everyone Is Suddenly in a 'Very Chinese Time' in Their Lives, describes how U.S. social media users have begun jokingly claiming they are in a "very Chinese" phase of life, often accompanied by stereotypical imagery such as drinking hot water, eating Chinese food, or wearing China-themed clothing. While the trend appears playful on the surface, WIRED argues it carries deeper cultural significance.

According to the report, the phenomenon is less about China itself than about how American frustrations are being externalized. The memes, the article notes, function as a way to externalize "the decay of the American dream," as young people grapple with deteriorating infrastructure, economic pressure and political polarization at home.

At the same time, China is increasingly portrayed as a contrast and even an aspirational symbol. With its rapid urban development, expansive high-speed rail network and growing presence in advanced technologies, China has come to represent "something completely different" from the lived experiences of many Americans, the article said.

WIRED pointed out that China's global manufacturing and technological footprint has made it "unavoidable" in daily life, from consumer electronics and electric vehicles to renewable energy equipment and artificial intelligence products. This ubiquity, combined with domestic disillusionment, has helped fuel a semi-ironic, semi-admiring online fascination.

As the article concludes, the "very Chinese time" trend does not signal a genuine embrace of Chinese identity. Rather, it reflects broader anxieties within the United States—using China as an abstract mirror through which young Americans articulate their own sense of uncertainty, frustration and unmet expectations.

(By Evelyn)