China’s Stressed Young Adults Raise Bricks as Zero-Energy Pets
Young adults in China facing a sluggish job market and intense societal pressures have turned an ordinary building block into a low-maintenance companion. The trend involves placing a brick on a tray or in a bowl and spraying it with water several times a day. Airborne moss spores settle on the damp surface and gradually turn the brick green over weeks or months. A related hashtag surpassed 5 million views on Weibo, according to secondary reports, with participants photographing their bricks at intervals to track the slow spread of green.
The practice connects directly to “lying flat,” a cultural philosophy that emerged as a quiet refusal of relentless competition, grinding work hours, and the standard milestone checklist of career, marriage, and children. Secondary reports describe participants framing the hobby as “zero-energy emotional companionship.” The brick asks nothing in return, does not need to bloom on schedule, and cannot make anyone feel inadequate. When the brick dries out, the moss simply goes dormant; watering it again revives the greenery.
The trend offers a cheaper, low-maintenance alternative to having children or pets, costing next to nothing. One brick parent wrote, No cats, no dating, I started raising a brick.
Another participant posted on Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-like platform also known as Rednote, that the hobby requires no output required, no KPIs to hit, no need to beg it to bloom [and] no comparing its growth with others.
Official statistics indicate that nearly one in five 16- to 24-year-olds in China, excluding students, are unemployed, while the birthrate fell to a record low last year.
Health Risks and Moss Specialist Warnings Over Damp Bricks
The popularity of keeping persistently damp bricks indoors has prompted warnings from academic and public health sources regarding potential respiratory hazards. Xuedong Li, a retired moss specialist associated with Beijing’s Capital Normal University, advised keeping mossy bricks in an enclosed or semi-enclosed environment. Li urged people to wear disposable gloves and a mask during handling to reduce spore inhalation and skin contact.
Secondary reports described some participants complaining of itchy eyes, runny noses, or sneezing, although these accounts are not medically confirmed. Cultivating moss can encourage mould alongside moss. Separate reporting also cautions that bricks sourced from roadsides, demolition sites, riverbanks, or industrial areas may carry insects or chemical contamination.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Brick Raising Trend
How does a brick turn green without planting seeds?
Raising brick babies does not involve planting seeds or purchasing greenery. Instead, participants spray an ordinary brick with water several times a day, allowing moss spores already floating in the surrounding air to settle on the damp surface and grow naturally over weeks or months.
What health precautions do specialists recommend for indoor moss bricks?
Xuedong Li, a retired moss specialist associated with Beijing’s Capital Normal University, advised keeping mossy bricks in enclosed or semi-enclosed environments. Li told Chinese media that handlers should wear disposable gloves and a mask to minimize spore inhalation and skin contact.
How much does it cost to participate in the brick-raising trend?
The hobby costs next to nothing because participants use ordinary bricks, requiring only a spray bottle and water to maintain the moss.
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