China’s online mood turns dark as job fears and economic woes deepen

China’s carefully managed internet is showing signs of a darker mood, as economic anxiety fuels a growing wave of pessimism, satire and frustration among social media users. According to the New York Times, one of the most popular videos on Bilibili in recent weeks offered a tongue-in-cheek guide to surviving homelessness. It suggested sleeping near garbage bins, using cardboard for insulation and avoiding surveillance cameras. The video attracted more than six million views and briefly became the platform’s second-most-watched video. Users jokingly called it “Youth Study”, borrowing the name of a Communist Youth League political education programme. Others described it…