China launches campaign to curb online pessimism as internet crackdown widens

China’s cyberspace regulator announced a two‑month campaign to curb social media posts that excessively exaggerate negative and pessimistic sentiments, part of a broader push to create a more civilised and rational online environment.

Officials said the initiative would target posts that promote widespread pessimism about study, work and the future, including narratives that studying is useless or hard work is useless and a general sense of world‑weariness. The Cyberspace Administration said the campaign aims to rectify negative emotions and foster a more orderly online space. The agency said platforms and influencers would be expected to moderate content and that authorities could impose consequences on apps that fail to rein in negativity.

China has long wrestled with an economic slowdown, a property crisis, high youth unemployment and fierce competition for college and job placements, all of which have fed disillusionment among younger generations. Simon Sihang Luo, an assistant professor of social sciences at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, told the BBC that young people have serious questions about future prospects and must confront the fact that their livelihoods are very likely to be worse than their parents’ generation.

Last week, a well‑known content creator, Hu Chenfeng, had his social media accounts scrubbed of all posts, with no public explanation. While the exact reason remains unclear, observers cited a viral livestream in which he categorized people and things as either an “Apple” or an “Android,” with the latter used to describe items deemed inferior. The joke was widely embraced by many online users, but others viewed it as stoking social divisions, a sensitive topic in a country that has tightened control over online discourse.

Zhang Xuefeng, a famous online tutor known for blunt commentary on education and social issues, also found his reach constrained this month as his accounts were blocked from gaining new followers. Zhang and his staff told state media that he was reflecting on the restrictions. His case illustrates how even widely followed voices can be caught up in the broader effort to curb pessimistic storytelling online, alongside more routine moderation that targets sensational or trivial content.

Separately, Beijing has warned social media platforms to take responsibility for the tone of their feeds. The Cyberspace Administration said it would mete out strict punishments against Xiaohongshu, Kuaishou and Weibo for failing to rein in negative content, including sensationalizing celebrities’ personal updates and other trivial information. The move underscores a broader bid to shape online discourse and reduce what authorities view as corrosive negativity.

Experts caution that these measures may address surface symptoms without necessarily tackling underlying social and economic drivers. Dr. Luo argues that negative sentiments aren’t simply a product of online environments and can reflect deeper economic and social stress. He notes that top‑down ideological campaigns can hardly eradicate the social roots of problems, even with a powerful government, and that when the economy looks bleak, the job market is competitive, and birth rates fall, pessimism can persist.

Beyond policy enforcement, the campaign raises questions about how a society processes disappointment in the digital age. In China, many young people have embraced the idea of stepping back from a relentlessly competitive labor market, sometimes moving back into their parents’ homes or adopting more cautious life paths. The rise of such attitudes has been documented in recent research, and experts say the state’s response could influence how people discuss their futures online and offline.

With the economy facing structural headwinds and youth unemployment staying stubbornly high, the government’s approach to online mood management will be watched closely by observers and foreign audiences alike. Critics warn that aggressive censorship could push grievances underground or alienate younger generations further, while supporters argue that a more civil online environment can help maintain social stability during challenging times.