The Chinese Communist Party’s Cyberspace Administration declared a two-month nationwide special campaign named “Clear and Cure Malicious Provocation of Negative Emotions.” This move quickly sparked mockery and questions online. Some bloggers analyzed that the current downward trend in the Chinese economy, rising unemployment, and a sharp drop in the housing market have shattered public confidence. What the authorities fear most are complaints and “negative voices” that can resonate widely, spreading fear among the Chinese Communist Party.
According to the CCP’s Cyberspace Administration official Weibo account on September 22nd, they issued a notice to deploy a two-month “Clear and Cure Malicious Provocation of Negative Emotions” special campaign nationwide to address maliciously provoking opposition and advocating violent and hostile sentiments.
The responsible person from the CCP’s Cyberspace Administration stated that this special operation will focus on social media, short videos, live streaming platforms, conducting comprehensive inspections of topics, lists, recommendations, bullet screens, comments, and other key sections, aiming to cure the following issues: inciting extreme group opposition emotions. Forcing associations with identities, regions, genders, and other information labels through social hot-button events, stigmatizing and sensationalizing, inciting contradictions among groups. Utilizing topics like film and television works, talk shows, sports events to instigate malicious attacks, insults, or organize mass complaints by “fandom” fan groups. Some second-dimensional groups and “spray boy” organizations incite opposition or “unboxing,” or teach buying and selling “unboxing” techniques. Advocating panic and anxiety emotions by maliciously spreading fabricated disasters, dangers, police reports, and other possible public safety incidents, disseminating rumors on economic finance, societal livelihood, public policies, etc. Using “insider information” and other methods to fabricate, edit, or use dummy accounts to propagate false information about the causes, details, and developments of distorted events, spreading sensational “conspiracy theories.” Concentratedly promoting, unilaterally advocating absolutes like “effort is useless” or “reading is useless,” and negative discourse. Maliciously interpreting social phenomena, unilaterally amplifying negative cases, and promoting negative life perspectives.
The above information has sparked heated discussions on the internet. Most netizens believe that this two-month campaign defines lying flat and being lazy as negative energy that must be completely banned. In the high-pressure environment of the CCP, even self-deprecation is not allowed. Virtually all popular social media platforms are under threat. According to the Cyberspace Administration, spreading rumors about the economy, finance, social welfare, and public policies means you cannot talk about falling house prices or rising unemployment; no discussion about the lack of security when sick or the lack of support in old age—better pretend not to see. Even complaints about prices could be deemed as malicious spread of information.
Regarding the Cyberspace Administration’s claim to “create a more civilized and rational online environment,” netizens express that everyone understands this is actually a synonym for “maintaining stability.”
Some netizens sarcastically commented that the Cyberspace Administration’s special crackdown action gives the impression that the Chinese economy is “about to take off.” After this crackdown, what emerges in the domestic public opinion arena are expressions like “far ahead,” “improving steadily,” “prosperous,” and “rich and strong.”
Regarding the Cyberspace Administration’s statement about “malicious interpretation of social phenomena, exaggeration of negative cases, and promotion of a pessimistic life view…” current affairs blogger “Yuan Cheng” believes that the authorities are directly targeting the popular culture of lying flat and being lazy among contemporary youth. The iron fist is directly striking the popular phrases among the youth, even attitudes of self-deprecation that refuse to participate in cutthroat competition are being eradicated. What the authorities fear most are voices that reflect reality. The poor economy, waves of unemployment, insanely high housing prices, and the endless complaints of young people, but if you go online to complain about the difficulty of finding a job or affording a house, you’ll immediately be labeled as spreading false rumors about the economy. There are already numerous social contradictions, whether they are regional disputes between the north and south or gender-related topics, which are normal discussion subjects, but in the eyes of the authorities, it is instigating group opposition, hence the direct censorship.
He said, the most critical issue is that young people have no hope, can’t afford homes, can’t get married. All one can do is self-deprecate by saying, lying flat, being lazy, and now even this is defined as a negative, pessimistic energy. In plain terms, the requirement from the authorities is not to complain about reality, not to discuss conflicts, and not even to allow self-deprecation. The problems remain unsolved, yet discussion is prohibited. Over time, the internet will become a space of pretense, with a fake peace, and real loneliness.
“Yuan Cheng” pointed out that the Cyberspace Administration can delete text but cannot erase people’s hearts. While the authorities impose one underground gag order after another, the mockery of netizens continues to surge: Reality makes me lie flat, policies don’t allow me to say lying flat, then I might as well just lie down; It’s not that young people are pessimistic, it’s that you’ve blocked our way out. They won’t let you tire, they won’t let you despair, they won’t let you speak the truth. The Cyberspace Administration isn’t trying to solve problems; instead, they aim to eliminate those who discuss problems. This kind of “clear and cure” network is about deleting all displeasure and then telling you that everyone is happy.
“Yuan Cheng” also analyzed the true purpose behind the Cyberspace Administration’s full internet ban. He stated that on the surface, the Cyberspace Administration is under the guise of cleaning up the internet, tackling “gossip and negative energy,” but what the CCP really wants to cut off is social discussions on contradictions.
Firstly, the downward economic trend, rising unemployment, and the housing market crash have already shattered the confidence of young people. Once the most authentic complaints spread, they become the authorities’ greatest fear of spreading negativity; secondly, entertainment gossip used to shift conflicts, but once it involves a social trust crisis, such as the Yu Menglong incident, it quickly triggers the authorities’ nerves; thirdly, compared to individual grievances, the authorities fear the spread of resonance. Lying flat has become a generational language, already an unspoken resistance. Therefore, the truth behind this banning is silence, not managing the internet, but controlling people’s hearts. In the high-pressure environment of the CCP, young people have become accustomed to apathy and suppression. Once they experience normal social interactions, it’s like breathing in fresh oxygen—Chinese young people will develop a strong yearning for a normal society.