Young people in China are fangirling over a professor who gets their anxiety

Key Points:

• Professor Biao Xiang, a 54-year-old anthropologist, has become a popular figure among young Chinese people for addressing their anxiety amid China's rapid social and economic changes, offering guidance on navigating uncertainty and disillusionment.
• Xiang speaks openly about the pressures faced by China's Generation Z, including job insecurity, social competition, and the search for meaning beyond societal approval, resonating deeply with young audiences both in China and abroad.
• He identifies key factors amplifying youth anxiety, such as the property market's impact on family security and the intensified competition in higher education, which contribute to a societal "involution" where intense effort yields diminishing returns.
• Despite political sensitivities and censorship in China, Xiang's candid discussions on these "pain points of the times" have earned him a devoted following, with many young people appreciating his realistic and empathetic approach.
• Now based in Germany as director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Xiang embraces his role as a public intellectual and influencer, aiming to encourage independent thinking among China's youth during a critical societal turning point.