Hope Consumption: The Mental Consumption of Chinese High-Tech Giants’ Workers

In the wake of China’s post-reform economic boom and the rapid expansion of the Internet economy, China has emerged as the world’s second-largest economy with one of the most advanced systems of e-commerce consumption. However, this prosperity has become a double-edged sword for the newly formed “tech elite”, affecting both their work and lifestyle. While it has brought higher wages, it has also led to gruelling overtime schedules, with unprecedented precarity through the common practice of bottom-ranking elimination and mass layoffs for workers over the age of 35. Drawing on 32 semi-structured interviews with tech workers, this study examines both the working conditions and how these demands manifest in consumption patterns. First, we identify the emergence of a new trend in spiritual consumption, which includes the rising popularity of Tarot readings, Buddhist retreats, counselling, and other spiritual engagements. Second, interviewees consistently reported this trend as a direct response to the growing precarity within the tech industry. Finally, we argue that spiritual consumption serves as a coping mechanism for alleviating anxiety, fostering a sense of empowerment, and restoring meaning to their lives. We term this phenomenon as “hope consumption”, to reflect that in the era of widespread alienation in the workplace, work becomes a source of despair leading workers to turn to spiritual consumption to restore peace for life. This transformation underscores contemporary Chinese society's increasing pursuit of spiritual fulfilment beyond material success and reveals how neoliberal anxieties are being channelled in a non-religious society. However, while mental consumption may temporarily relieve workers’ struggles on a personal level, it fails to address the structural issues in the workplace on a macro level.