Young people in China are fangirling over a professor who gets their anxiety
China's economy and tech have developed at breakneck speed, but there is plenty worrying its Gen Z.
Reporting preview
Young Chinese people are anxious about their future in a rapdily changing country
"A star sent from the heavens," is how Zihan Han describes the man she's become a huge fan of recently, a man who young Chinese people call an "idol".
Except this is no pop singer or movie star, but a 54-year old anthropologist. Professor Biao Xiang has become an unlikely guide for an increasingly disillusioned generation.
And it's because of what he talks about: anxiety and how to navigate it.
China's economy and tech have grown at breakneck speed, but there is plenty worrying its Gen Z, from jobs to romantic prospects to the sheer pressure of keeping up.
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