BETTER THAN METH –
Sept. 16, 2023 – Young people in China are using oxygen inhalers to boost their capacity for work and study in the face of relentless pressure to excel.
The extent of the phenomenon is illustrated by the fact that a topic titled “Oxygen is more useful than coffee” began trending on the social media platform Xiaohongshu on September 10, attracting more than 5.6 million views.
A 26-year-old account holder on the platform called @Zhimali posted a photo of herself using a portable oxygen machine in her office and said she bought it to keep up with colleagues who work until 11pm every night.
The product manager, from Hunan province in central China, said she inhaled oxygen during the lunch break, and sometimes while working, to help her focus and stay creative.
According to @Zhimali, a positive side effect is that her boss pushes her less after seeing her inhaling oxygen at work.
