Video provokes discussion about workaholism in China

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A video featuring a young female professional working overtime until 3 a.m. has triggered a debate about work stress and overwork on Chinese social media.

The video was first posted on WeChat on May 29.

Some said it resonated with them and their own decision to put more value on work than on personal life in the hope that hard work would eventually pay off. “It makes me weepy. I don’t have a million assets to inherit; I only have myself to work endless days and nights," Wechat user @Shuangshi said

But one Weibo user criticized the woman’s choice to pick work over personal life in the video. “Does being a workaholic mean being distant to your loved ones?” the contributor asked.

Others labeled the video’s script as over-sensationalized, arguing that it sought to rationalize the culture of workaholism in China.

“Being a workaholic is just inevitable in urban workplace. No matter in which field, working overtime is a common reality,” Weibo user @Zuoyihuisatuodeziji commented. “There’s nothing to complain about if you’ve decided to work hard in exchange for a better life,” user @Zhuiliu said.

On average, statistics show people in China work significantly more hours than in Europe and even Japan.

According to Beijing Normal University, Chinese people work an average number of 2,000 hours – 2,200 hours per year, which is much higher than the US (1,790 hours per year), the Netherlands (1,419 hours per year), Germany (1,371 hours per year), and Japan (1,719 hours per year).