BEIJING - There is a trend of young Chinese giving up the traditional aspiration of a stable, mainstream job in exchange for alternative careers and a chance at self-fulfilment.
Chinese media and online posts in recent years have drawn public attention to young people trading in their careers for a diverse range of other options, including a nomadic "van life", becoming an influencer, or pursuing art.
While they remain a small minority, the growing discussion around their choices reflects broader changes in the world's second-largest economy after decades of breakneck growth.
In recent years, more defeatist concepts like "lying flat" and "letting it rot" have gained popularity among those grappling with intense job competition.
At the same time, other jobseekers anxious about an ongoing economic slowdown and a volatile private sector have flocked to the "iron rice bowls" of civil service and state-owned enterprise jobs.
Many others have trouble finding work altogether, with youth unemployment reaching 14.2 percent in May.
And while going to an office may be the norm for urban middle-class youth, for large parts of the country, desk jobs are a rare opportunity.
Some people, especially those from more prosperous backgrounds, now "try to redefine what is successful", said Miao Jia, a sociology expert from New York University Shanghai.
"When they receive better education and after they have enjoyed the benefits brought by rapid economic growth, (young people) begin to think about what things can make you happy," she told AFP.