Internet buzzwords trigger controversy

Geng Peisen, 20, a junior student at Northeast Forestry University in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, said he is also looking for an industry in which he can build his career after graduation.

"I want to find an internship and then a job, and to no longer depend on my parents' support after I graduate. I have not met anyone who actually lies flat. After all, it's too early in life for college students to do this," he said.

Those who worry about "lying flat" often compare it with otaku, a Japanese word that refers to people who become engrossed in hobbies, particularly anime and manga.

The former is a style of film and television animation, while manga refers to comic books and graphic novels, typically aimed at adults as well as children.

Most otaku are millennials who become obsessed with a particular aspect of popular culture to the detriment of their social skills.

As a result, the term has also become synonymous with the word "homebody", used to describe someone who prefers to stay at home for long periods and refuses to go out.

Chen, the social psychology researcher, believes that "lying flat" is different from otaku, and that the latter is not as harmful to society as many people think.

"The emergence of Japanese otaku culture has a specific historical and social cultural background. This culture raises its head when young people in Japan re-examine their needs and desires," he said.