A term, often used in a derogatory manner, to refer to comments and rebuttals about about the current year and the actual or expected state of being for a society.

The phrase has its origins on 4chan, with satire of John William Oliver and his use of the current year as a straw man argument.

Lying flat refers to a defeatist lifestyle in Chin, where people stop working, desiring material acquisition, and tap out of any social life – sometimes for good. By lying flat, young people are participating in a kind of non-cooperation movement, rather than surrendering themselves to China's oppressive work culture where they see little hope of social mobility.