Beijing, October 2025 — China has launched a sweeping online campaign targeting what authorities describe as “excessively pessimistic” and “defeatist” content on social media platforms. The move highlights Beijing’s growing concern over negative public sentiment as the country faces economic challenges and a restless younger generation.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced a two-month cleanup drive in late September. The campaign aims to remove online posts that “exaggerate negative emotions” or promote “defeatist narratives” such as “hard work is useless” and “studying has no meaning.”
Officials say the goal is to create a “positive, rational, and healthy” online environment. However, critics argue the campaign risks stifling genuine expressions of frustration over economic and social pressures in China.
Targeting Negativity and ‘Defeatist’ Voices
As part of the campaign, China’s major social media platforms — including Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu — have suspended or banned hundreds of accounts accused of spreading negativity. Influencers and bloggers who advocate for a slower, low-pressure lifestyle known as “lying flat” have been particularly targeted.
One influencer, known for suggesting that not marrying or having children made financial sense, recently had her account permanently removed. Another popular commentator who pointed out that China still trails Western countries in quality of life also faced penalties.
State broadcaster CCTV defended the crackdown, stating that “the internet is not a dumping ground for negativity.” It argued that while fatigue and anxiety are natural emotions, deliberately amplifying them for attention is harmful to society.
Censoring Online Despair
Authorities in several Chinese cities have joined the effort. In Zhengzhou, officials investigated users accused of portraying the city in a negative light. In Xi’an, five accounts were punished for “spreading false information” about housing prices.
Weibo, one of China’s largest platforms, reported suspending over 1,200 accounts for “spreading rumors” about the economy and government policies. Posts that use isolated news stories to highlight wider social issues — a style officials call “malicious interpretation” — are also being deleted.
Economic Anxiety Behind the Crackdown
Experts say the new campaign reflects the leadership’s unease about the country’s declining optimism. China’s slowing economy, rising youth unemployment, and property market troubles have deepened frustration among its citizens.
“The root cause is deteriorating economic and social prospects,” said David Bandurski, director of the China Media Project. “Such sentiment, the leadership worries, might be infectious.”
Over 12 million new graduates are entering the job market this year, facing limited opportunities. Many young people have turned to cynical slogans like “let it rot” — expressing resignation to the system rather than rebellion against it.
Silencing or Stability?
While Beijing presents the campaign as an effort to maintain harmony, analysts suggest it could further alienate citizens. Katja Drinhausen, head of Chinese politics and society at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, said the campaign highlights the gap between official optimism and everyday reality.
“The government’s positive messaging clashes with economic stagnation,” she explained. “Censorship may limit public complaints, but it won’t erase the underlying frustration.”
Meanwhile, Chinese state media have framed the campaign as an attempt to stop “emotional predators” — creators who profit from despair and controversy. CCTV warned against online narratives portraying family breakdown, workplace apathy, or gender conflict, calling such content “toxic.”
Conclusion
China’s online cleanup shows the state’s increasing control over public discourse. While the government claims it is curbing harmful negativity, critics fear that silencing online voices will only deepen social isolation and disillusionment.
As China grapples with economic uncertainty and social anxiety, the question remains: can deleting pessimism from the internet truly restore optimism in real life?
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