Written by: Dragan Vojvodić //

The phenomenon of „bai lan“ (passivity), which The Guardian wrote about back in 2022, explains the frustration of Chinese youth and their willingness to let everything go to waste. This phenomenon reveals young people’s disillusionment in the face of fierce competition and social pressure and highlights the complex dynamics of fears, goals , and social narratives. In recent domestic media coverage, this phenomenon was also mentioned in connection with the analysis of the student protests by Slovenian philosopher and cultural theorist Slavoj Žižek, who pointed out that the attitude of young people in Serbia towards social reality is completely different today, as we can all see.

Bai Lan

The „bai lan“ phenomenon reflects a sense of passivity and fear of high expectations. This can lead young people, under pressure from social expectations, economic difficulties, and a sense of insecurity, to retreat into passivity, apoliticism, and apathy as a reaction to frustration and uncertainty. This problem is not an isolated case, but a global phenomenon. A similar condition is observed in Japan, known as „hikikomori“

Hikikomori

„Hikikomori“ is a Japanese term for young people who withdraw from society and live only at home for an extended period of time—at least six months—without going outside. Some researchers believe that this passivity and withdrawal are not only caused by the social context but also by a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.

The biggest student protests in Europe since 1968

In stark contrast to the phenomenon observed among the youth in China, students in Serbia are actively approaching the problems surrounding them and are fully aware of the state of their country. Their mobilization is a unique phenomenon in Europe and has triggered the largest student movement since the student demonstrations of 1968.

On 1 November 2024, at 11:52 CET, the station’s 48-metre-long (157 ft) concrete canopy collapsed onto people walking and sitting underneath. Fourteen people were killed on the scene of the accident, and three others were injured. The dead were Serbian citizens, except for one North Macedonian citizen. The collapse of the shelter at the Novi Sad train station, in which 14 innocent people lost their lives, marked a turning point after which citizen dissatisfaction exploded. The students managed to channel this discontent into long-lasting blockades and non-violent protests. They put forward four key demands and persistently insisted on their implementation while rejecting calls for dialog from institutions incapable of responding to their demands.

The student movement aims to free the state from the hostage of the ruling structure that controls the institutions and negates the principles of separation of powers between the judiciary, legislature, and executive.

What makes the Serbian students special

What makes Serbian students unique is their apolitical action; they do not rely on political groups and do not cultivate classical dissidence, nor do they have a prominent leader. Their organization in assemblies represents the highest form of decision-making and direct democracy. Despite their declared call for apolitical action, their demands are political per se. Their call for law and order is perceived as a form of subversion, in contrast to the anarchic activism that inspired the student protests of 1968.

Empathy, understanding, and common goals

Student blockades have brought empathy, reconciliation, a turning away from division, and a stronger connection between generations as well as within the same generation. They have brought together members of different social groups. Shared goals have created a space for empathy and understanding among those who often did not understand each other well enough. Stereotypical divisions of urban and rural, old and young, less or more educated, capital and periphery, residents of smaller or larger towns, and different schools and faculties have been overcome by the common goal.

For years, Serbian students were perceived as uninterested in the world around them, but today the student blockades and protests in Serbia show that young people can resist passivity and defeatism if they find strength in a common goal and collective action for the common good.