“Playing Abstraction”: An In-Depth Analysis of Contemporary Chinese Youth Subcultural Phenomena
Abstract:
This article aims to present an in-depth analysis of “playing abstraction”, a rapidly emerging subcultural phenomenon among Chinese youth on the internet. “Playing abstraction” encompasses a range of non-traditional expressions in language, attitude and behavior, often characterized by humorous, absurdity, and a deliberate departure from traditional logic. This article explores the origins of this phenomenon, its diverse manifestations, and the complex psychological and social drivers that underpin its widespread popularity among Chinese youth nowadays. Moreover, the article considers the implications of “playing abstraction” as a creative outlet and coping strategies within a high-pressure, deeply mediated society, also examining the potential challenges it poses for communication.
1. Introduction
As the term “abstract” appears more and more frequently in daily life, phrases like “You’re being too abstract” have become increasingly popular among young people. These expressions often show up in comment sections, bullet chats in online spaces to describe behavior or content that feels absurd. This trend are not only shown linguistically but also behaviorally, reflecting the humor and creativity of today’s youth, and evolving into a subculture known as “playing abstraction”.
As a widely used internet catchphrase, “playing abstraction” was listed among the “Buzzwords of the Year” in 2024. This widespread recognition highlights its significant position in the contemporary digital situation of China. Several official media outlets and scholars have already begun to notice this trend of “playing abstraction” and are discussing its meaning and origins. For instance, Hongyu Wen wrote an article named A Multidimensional Perspective and Reflection on the Phenomenon of “Playing Abstraction” among Youth Groups to analyze the motivations behind this phenomenon. Some media outlets discussed psychological effects of “playing abstraction”.
Interestingly, the meaning of “playing abstraction” is hard to define. Some people say it’s like “trying to catch a breeze with chopsticks”, which shows how unclear it is. However, the unclarity of “playing abstraction” enables it to include many kinds of jokes, comments and behaviors, making it popular and flexible. At its core, “playing abstraction” is about being funny by acting or speaking in a silly, unexpected or even absurd way. It shares similarities with nonsense humor—we laugh when things turn out differently from what we expected.
The unclear meaning of “playing abstraction” is actually one of its key features, which means being vague is part of what defines “playing abstraction” and makes it attractive. This property allows people to interpret it in their own ways. Also, the vagueness also creates a feeling of being “in the know”—those who understand it feel like part of a special group, while others are excluded. As a consequence, a shared identity is created and strengthened, and a unique subculture group is founded.
The term “playing abstraction” first appeared in live streaming rooms, which shows that it came from interactive online spaces. Around 2015, a gaming streamer started saying “that’s too abstract” as a joke to describe confusing or strange things in games. Over time, this phrase came to describe anything that feels unclear, weird, or hard to understand. Eventually, it became more that just a description—it became something people actively do online and even offline.
The phrase “playing abstraction” has experiences an explosion since 2024. There were more than 10 million posts using it and over 1.6 billion comments, much more than in 2023. This kind of growth highlights how fast and flexible internet subcultures are, especially because they are driven by users creating and re-mixing content. Unlike traditional trends that often come from the top, internet culture spreads from the bottom. That is because people online are creators rather than viewers, giving new words, ideas to the subculture constantly, which is the key to explain why “playing abstraction” has spread widely and lasted so long.
The “abstract” in “playing abstraction” is different from that in art or philosophy. In art, abstraction usually means a visual style, often misunderstood as just simple shapes or colors. In philosophy, it refers to general ideas formed by removing details from specific examples, a concept debated by thinkers like Berkeley and Locke. But “playing abstraction” uses the term in a playful and ironic way, creating a new meaning. Although “abstract” in art, philosophy, and “playing abstraction” all share a sense of being hard to explain, the meaning of “abstract” in “playing abstraction” is playful, humorous, and sometimes absurd. Additionally, it is precisely this deliberate absurdity that sets “playing abstraction” apart from ordinary meme-playing.
2. Forms of “Playing Abstraction”: A Cultural Landscape
One of the most obvious features of “playing abstraction” is how people use language, especially through mismatched replies. Mismatched replies mean responding in ways that are off-topic, illogical, or absurd. For instance, when someone asks, “When’s your wedding?”, the reply might be “At noon. Or maybe tonight.” Or when a hairdresser tries to sell a vip card, the customer might say, “Sorry, I’m bald. This is a wig.” These kinds of strange replies are not random but clever. Young people use them as a way to avoid giving direct answers to awkward or pushy questions. Instead of starting a conflict, they set boundaries through humor.
In this wordplay, expected answers are avoided on purpose, creating surprise or humorous. It brings a touch of “madness” by twisting logic to make people laugh. Puns and jokes with similar-sounding words also play an import role in creating this mismatched feeling, which helps to break tense or serious moods. For example, punctuation is often used incorrectly in “abstract” conversations (normal version: “It’s great!”, “abstract” version: “It’s great,,,,”). Young people are not just using language, they are playing with its rules, challenging normal logic and creating new meanings. This playful way of talking including mis-used punctuation has become a special style for this generation. It reflects both a questioning of rigid systems and a desire for creative self-expression.
The heart of “abstraction” culture is a relaxed attitude toward life, which includes enjoying small moments and using self-mocking humor to deal with stress or problems. For example, if your birthday cake falls on the floor, you might say, “Gravity is celebrating with me.” If your life feels messy, you could joke, “might as well drink it while it’s hot.” Or if a pipe bursts, you might call it a “spiritual cleaning”.
“Abstract” people live by three rules: don’t get too angry, don’t be too sad, and keep humor first. This is similar to a psychological concept called cognitive reappraisal—changing how we think about something to feel better. By turning bad situations into comedies, young people are actively reshaping how they see the world. This helps reduce emotional stress and gives them a sense of relax.
In this view, humor is not just a way to joke around, but a personal philosophy, a way to deal with life. It shows a deeper shift in mindset, which uses humor as a core way of seeing and understanding reality. Even when life feels out of control, this attitude builds inner strength and a sense of independence.
In behavior, “abstract” culture looks a lot like performance art made for everyone. For example, people might copy funny internet trends like “middle-aged shy version of Yabi Jiong Jiong Jiong”. Also, behavioral “abstraction” includes wearing funny badges that say things like “battery 1%”. These actions might seem random or weird, but they often go viral and get called “abstract” by others. Their charm lies in breaking usual rules and doing things in unexpected ways. By using creativity to break small rules, people let off pressure and bring joy into their routines. It’s a gentle protest against boring, standardized life.
The trend has even spread into tourism. Examples include strange but catchy promotions like “Who’s even in Beijing right now?” and “place of exile” in Heilongjiang. They all look absurd on the surface, but underneath they are a bold remake of old ideas and norms.
Calling these acts “mass performance art” shows that they’re more than just random behavior—they’re often done on purpose, out in the open, as a way to challenge social expectations. For example, the “battery 1%” badge is a humorous way to push back against workplace pressure. These performances let people express their personality and feelings in a non-threatening, funny way. They also help build a shared sense of community among those who “get it”.
3. Psychological and Social Drivers Behind “Playing Abstraction”
Firstly, the widespread appeal of “playing abstraction” among Chinese youth reflects a deeper psychological function—it acts as a form of emotional regulation in response to the intense academic, social, and economic pressures of modern life. Serving as a kind of “mental ibuprofen,” this “abstract” humor transforms stress and setbacks into shared jokes, enabling individuals to convert negative experiences into laughter. This aligns with psychological theories like cognitive reappraisal and sublimation, where emotional strain is redirected into creative or humorous expression. By poking fun at their own hardships—whether through self-deprecating phrases like “wasted” or ironic references to daily struggles—young people aren’t merely escaping reality, but actively reshaping their perception of it to stay emotionally resilient.
Additionally, “playing abstraction” offers a subtle but powerful form of resistance against societal expectations of constant productivity and success. In a culture dominated by narratives of “making it”, “abstract” humor offers an alternative language—one that detaches meaning from pressure and values emotional relief over rigid achievement. Rather than retreating from reality, young people use humor to soften its weight and carve out a space where vulnerability is masked but still acknowledged. These expressions allow them to cope with burnout not through direct confrontation, but through a softer, culturally resonant form of critique.
Additionally, “abstract memes” act as a kind of Morse code for Generation Z, which means “abstraction” enables them to recognize and affirm peers who understand their unique expressions. This selective resonance helps combat social fatigue. Young people find fulfillment when friends join in the “abstraction playing”, deepening mutual understanding. This suggests that “playing abstraction” is not merely about seeking a sense of belonging, but about find more meaningful belonging in the superficial digital era. It allows young people to filter genuine connections based on a shared understanding of subtle humor and nontraditional thinking, instead of engaging in broad and indiscriminate social interactions. Drawing from Benedict Anderson’s theory, “abstract” culture fosters an imagined community, where individuals form a sense of belonging through shared discourse and behavioral patterns.
Furthermore, “abstraction” offers camouflage for those who may once have seen as weird and represents a soul of free expression, independent values and diverse vitality. “Playing abstraction” is like a sanctuary with provides a space where individuality and nonconformity are not only tolerated but celebrated, fostering psychological safety and identity for those potentially marginalized by mainstream norms.
4. Case Study: Ding Zhen
The “Ding Zhen abstract” phenomenon exemplifies how the subculture of “playing abstraction” transforms personal frustrations and collective anxieties into humorous, self-aware expressions. Linguistically, it mirrors the “mismatched replies” and “wordplay” identified earlier as core features of “abstract” language. Many male netizens began to use Ding Zhen as a meme, creating absurd and exaggerated comparisons that intentionally deviated from logical responses. Phrases like “I’ve been working hard for twenty years, not as good as Ding Zhen’s smile” became popular. This was not meant as literal jealousy towards Ding Zhen, but rather as an “abstract” way to express their own frustration with societal pressures and the seemingly unpredictable nature of success. By deliberately creating a discrepancy between effort and outcome in a humorous context, these statements functioned as a form of cognitive reappraisal, enabling individuals to externalize and process anxieties in a lighthearted manner, aligning with the “mental ibuprofen” concept discussed previously. This kind of “off-topic” served as a subtle critique of traditional success narratives, twisting the expected meaning for comedic effect and emotional release.
Behaviorally, the “Ding Zhen abstract” phenomenon closely aligns with the concept of “mass performance art” within “playing abstraction”. Netizens engaged in performative self-deprecation, posting images of themselves in stressful or mundane situations with captions like “Me after living the Ding Zhen life.” These acts directly mirror the pursuit of spiritual pleasure identified as core appeals. More profoundly, these behaviors functioned as a subtle, non-confrontational critique of the traditional success narratives—those emphasizing relentless hard work and academic achievement—by highlighting the perceived absurdity of charisma or luck eclipsing years of hardwork. This collective “performance” allowed participants to release pressure and inject joy into their routines, embodying the “gentle protest against boring, standardized life” described in the previous section.
Among the most popular “abstract” behaviors were the “Ding Zhen Golden Songs”, or “Ding Songs”. These are playful meme songs or remixed videos featuring Ding Zhen (because Ding Zhen was invited to sing on a variety show), mainly circulated on platforms like Bilibili. Content creators produced “Ding Songs” not just for entertainment, but to embed their criticism of traditional value systems and dissatisfaction with reality within a humorous, indirect framework. For instance, a “Ding Song” might overlay Ding Zhen’s image with lyrics describing monotonous work, ironically contrasting the idealized image of success with the ordinary reality faced by many young people. This “twisting logic to make people laugh” and “breaking tense or serious moods” directly echoes the properties of behavioral abstraction. The very act of creating and sharing these songs fostered a shared sense of community and “in-the-know” identity among those who understood the underlying irony, reinforcing the idea of “abstract memes” as a “Morse code for Generation Z.”
5. Insights and Critical Perspectives on “Playing Abstraction”
“Playing abstraction” acts like a pressure release for young people living in a high-stress environment. It gives them a way to relax and express themselves creatively, often by making memes or remixing cultural content. It allows people to step away from daily worries and find joy, humor, and freedom in language.Far from being just a passing fad, “playing abstract” is a smart cultural response to the pressures of modern life. It helps people manage their emotions in a low-cost way and provides space for creativity and self-expression. It also allows individuals who feel different or unconventional to feel accepted and understood. In this way, it supports diversity and helps people feel more connected and less isolated.
On the downside, the vague and playful nature of “playing abstraction” can make communication harder, especially for those outside the trend. It may lead to misunderstandings or even prejudice. Relying too much on abstract or simplified expressions can weaken language skills, limit thinking, and spread poor-quality or vulgar content online. Some scholars worry that it may undermine traditional cultural values and weaken the role of mainstream culture. Although it creates a strong sense of community within certain groups, it may also isolate others and break down broader communication. Linguists also criticize the term “abstract” as being too vague and lacking clear meaning. “Playing abstraction” shows how language is evolving, but it also raises questions about where this evolution is heading and what role institutions should play in guiding it.
Conclusion
“Playing abstraction” is far more that just a fleeting internet trend; it’s a dynamical and multifaceted subculture that offers young people a vital outlet in a demanding society. This phenomenon, characterized by its humorous, absurd, and often illogical expressions, serves as both a creative coping mechanism against high pressure and a powerful means for self expression and identity formation. While “playing abstraction” fosters a strong sense of community and belonging among its adherents, creating a space for individuality and nonconformity, its inherent ambiguity can sometimes pose challenges for broader communication and may even spark concerns about linguistic evolution. As “playing abstraction” continues to evolve, understanding this subculture is crucial for grasping the deeper psychological and social currents shaping contemporary Chinese youth.