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

Chinese professor Biao Xiang has gained an unusual following among young people, who are drawn to his discussions of anxiety and how to cope with it. At a recent Singapore event, about 500 people attended his Mandarin talk.

One 23-year-old graduate said the move from education into working life can feel uncertain. She withheld her name, concerned that speaking to foreign media could affect her job prospects in China.

Xiang discussed how young people may rely on exams and career success for approval, making external recognition a measure of personal worth. He said this pressure can be exhausting and harmful.

He argues that China is undergoing major social and economic change, leaving people searching for meaning. His role, he says, is to explain the forces behind the contradictions young people face.

Xiang describes people working constantly to get by as “floating.” His ideas appear to be resonating with young listeners, though the article does not identify any specific next steps or solutions. His Singapore audience queued afterward to meet him and take photographs.