Chinese Government Initiative to Eliminate Negative Emotions and Pessimism on Social Media

An emotion that the Chinese government considers too prevalent online, hopelessness, has received a major focus. This week, the Cyberspace Administration of China launched a two-month campaign to stop social media posts that "exacerbate pessimistic and negative sentiments." According to authorities, the goal is to "correct negative sentiments" and "create a more rational and civilized online environment." These include narratives such as "hard work is useless" and "studying is useless," along with stories that foster "disgust with the world."