According to the South China Morning Post , this trend began after a trending post on China's Little Red Book social media platform. Titled "Oxygen is more useful than coffee," the post received over 5.6 million views since its publication on September 10th.
Young Chinese people are posting pictures of themselves using oxygen concentrators instead of coffee to stay awake while working or studying. (Photo: SCMP)
An account named Zhimali, 26 years old, posted a picture of herself using a portable ventilator at the office. She wrote that she brought it along so she could keep up with her colleagues who work until 11 pm every day.
This office worker in Hunan province said she uses a breathing tube during lunch breaks, and sometimes even while working, to help herself concentrate better and stay creative.
A 21-year-old university student with the username Biqibaodiyizhangyumei said she uses a breathing tube to stay awake whenever she feels sleepy while studying. According to her, it's a great alternative to coffee because the latter makes her heart race.
According to Zhimali, another positive side effect was that her boss pressured her less after seeing her using the breathing tube at the office. Photo: Xiaohongshu
According to shopping advertisements, pure oxygen is recommended for the elderly, pregnant women, as well as ordinary people traveling to high altitudes or experiencing intense stress. A 1-liter bottle of oxygen, used for less than 10 minutes, costs around 10 yuan (US$1.40) on the online shopping platform Taobao.
Of course, not everyone agrees with this trend. Some people argue that the use of "enhanced" breathing tubes is useless, even counterproductive.
One comment under a post by the account Biqibaodiyizhangyumei read: "Even donkeys get a break when they're too tired from work, and now humans have to pay for the air we can breathe comfortably."
Another netizen also advised against using oxygen tanks because becoming dependent on them is not beneficial for long-term health.
According to Dr. Mou Xiandong, a physician at Beijing's Tsinghua Chang Geng Hospital, overuse of oxygen can cause lung damage or oxygen poisoning in healthy individuals, leading to respiratory problems and even death.
A 1-liter oxygen cylinder, sufficient for 10 minutes of use, is sold on the e-commerce platform Taobao. Photo: Taobao
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