Nearly half of Hong Kong secondary students ‘lying flat’ or planning to: survey

Nearly half of Hong Kong secondary students say they were planning to “lie flat” or were already doing so, according to a recent survey, even as a researcher urged adults not to be too concerned by youngsters’ lack of motivation as it could be a “temporary” phase.

The poll by Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association of 990 secondary students from September to November last year aimed to unpack the mentality of young people who opted to “lie flat” – a term that meant doing the bare minimum to get by.

The association said on Sunday that around 27 per cent of respondents reported that they had been lying flat, which the poll defined as “being lazy, not wanting to do homework or socialise, not aiming for good results in their studies, lacking specific targets or interests, having no aspirations for the future, and wanting to live a relaxed life.”

About 41 per cent of those who had been lying flat said they had done so for more than a year.

Meanwhile, another 17 per cent of respondents indicated that they were “planning to lie flat”.

Despite the troubling findings, Kwok Yi-chung, chief officer of youth and community services for the association, said “the majority of students view lying flat as a temporary status rather than a permanent lifestyle”.

He added that instead of passively feeling hopeless or incapable, students said they were willing to try harder when the right opportunities arose.