According to the newspaper South China Morning Post, this trend started after a "trending" article on China's Little Red Book social network. Titled "Oxygen is more useful than coffee", the article has received more than 5,6 million views since it was posted on September 10.
Chinese youth posted pictures of themselves using oxygen generators 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 in the office. She wrote that she brought it so she could race with her colleagues who worked until 11pm every day.
This office worker in Hunan province said she uses the inhaler at lunchtime and sometimes even at work to help herself concentrate better and stay creative.
A 21-year-old college student with an account named Biqibaodiyizhangyumei said she uses a breathing tube to keep her mind more alert when she falls asleep while studying. According to her, this is a great substitute for coffee because this drink makes her heart beat too fast.
According to Zhimali, another positive side effect was that her boss pressured her to work less after seeing her using a breathing tube at the office. Photo: Little Red Lady
According to shopping advertisements, pure oxygen is recommended for the elderly, pregnant women as well as normal people going to high altitudes or having to concentrate and stress. A 1-liter bottle of oxygen, which lasts less than 10 minutes, costs about 10 yuan ($1,40) on the online shopping platform Taobao.
Of course, not everyone agrees with this trend. Some people argue that the use of “augmented” breathing tubes is useless, even counterproductive.
A response under the post of the Biqibaodiyizhangyumei account wrote: "Even donkeys get to rest when they're too tired from work, but now humans have to pay for the air we can breathe freely."
Another netizen also advised against using an oxygen tank because depending on it is not beneficial for long-term health.
According to Mr. Mou Xiandong, a doctor at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Geng Hospital, overuse of oxygen tanks can cause healthy people to have lung damage or oxygen poisoning, leading to respiratory problems and even death. dead.
A 1 liter oxygen tank, used within 10 minutes, sold on Taobao e-commerce platform. Photo: Taobao
