Suffering from sleep deprivation and unhealthy diets, many young Chinese office workers are battling gastric problems such as heartburn and ulcers. While there’s an opportunity for brands to address gut health concerns, it’s also crucial to get to the root of the problem: a stressful work culture.

The oppressive ‘9-9-6’ work culture has seen some young people in China choose to ‘lie flat’ to avoid burning out. For others, however, a ‘45-degree life’ is more appealing – a pragmatic middle ground that revolves around the pursuit of personal and professional balance.

As young Chinese people feel less secure about China’s harsh working and living conditions and COVID-19 policies, they are leaning into the Guochao movement as a route of finding state-funded employers. But as frustrations grow and economic instability mounts, where will Gen Zers seek release?

Several approaches have been developed to teach young Southeast Asians money management. However, economic issues and hustle culture make lessons hard to remember. That’s why The Simple Sum keeps financial literacy simple through bite-sized comic strips about real-life budget experiences.