More and more young Chinese netizens are embracing a quirky, offbeat way of expressing themselves online called “playing abstract.” By blending memes and ideas in unexpected or absurd ways, Gen-Zers are communicating in styles that may seem nonsensical at first but often carry deeper meaning. Some are quick quips, like “As far as I know, I know nothing.” Others have fun with wordplay: “Life is like a glass of beer. You know you’re living in a glass (homonym for “tragedy”), but as time goes by, your temper (homonym for “beer head”) disappears.”
The tone is often sarcastic and even pessimistic, a reaction to the societal pressures young people feel powerless to change. Another example comes from lifestyle app RedNote: “Reality hit me with a punch. Then I made a video about it to make people laugh. When it did, I thought I had won the fight. The punch still hurt, but at least someone laughed with me.”
“Playing abstract” bears similarities to the nonsensical humor made famous in Hong Kong pop culture by the comedic films of Stephen Chow such as Kung Fu Hustle. The trend allows young people to challenge linguistic norms, reshape communication and infuse online interactions with humor and creativity.
RedNote crowned “playing abstract” as its buzzword of 2024. Over the past year, the hashtag exceeded 10 million views, while related discussions surged past 160 million comments. The phenomenon reflects how Gen-Zers are pushing boundaries, not just in language but in the way they view and interact with the world.
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