"Raising Crabs to Relieve Stress"... Desk Decoration Craze Among Chinese Office Workers [Youth Report]

The Desk Decorating Craze Among Chinese Office Workers
"A Desk Decorated to Taste Provides a Sense of Stability"

Recently, in China, an increasing number of office workers are uniquely decorating their office spaces to relieve stress. They are engaging in activities such as ripening green bananas in the office or setting up tanks to raise crabs. Local media analyzed that office workers are decorating their desks not only as a means of expressing individuality but also to achieve psychological stability.

Green Bananas in High Demand... Growing Fruits in the Office

Chinese office workers who posted verification photos on the Chinese SNS Xiaohongshu.
[Image source=Xinhua News Agency]

Recently, China's state-run media Xinhua reported that young office workers in China regard 'crabs' as the best 'work companions.' A person named A, born in the 2000s and working as a secretary at a company, said, "After focusing on work, I feed the small crab on my desk," adding, "Watching it eat helps me relax." Videos capturing crabs eating are also popular on social networking services (SNS). On Xiaohongshu, a Chinese SNS, videos titled 'Crab Raising Records' are being uploaded one after another.

Meanwhile, quite a few people are growing green bananas. In Chinese, 'banana green' (香蕉?) sounds the same as the word for 'worry' (焦?), so this trend started with the meaning of 'no worries.' Office workers place a bunch of unripe green bananas in a water bottle on their desks and post photos on SNS with labels saying 'Banana Green Prohibited (禁止蕉?).' This is a popular stress relief method among Chinese office workers. Experts also explain that green bananas have a similar effect to placing green plants on office desks and actually help relieve stress.

Besides this, many also place their favorite character figurines on their desks or grow various plants. As the culture of 'desk decorating' among office workers has become popular in China, labor unions in Shanghai and Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, have even held 'Most Beautiful Desk' contests.

Trend of Decorating Office Desks... Experts Say "To Reduce Work Stress"

Growing Green Bananas Trending in China.
[Image Source=Chinese SNS]

The media analyzed that the reason office workers decorate their spaces is related to stress. Xinhua stated, "When mood brightens, it leads to stress relief," adding, "The reason for investing in (office) decoration is because they believe it can have positive effects." According to the '2024 China Consumer Trends Survey' released by global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, 64% of consumers emphasized spending on mental health, with this tendency being even stronger among young people.

Experts also analyzed that decorating office desks reflects an attitude that values mental health. Woo Gwangseo, a psychological counselor active in China, said, "A small space on a desk decorated according to personal taste brings a temporary sense of belonging and stability," adding, "It allows for the pursuit of comfort within limited conditions and makes it easier to find happiness at work."

'Deskterior' Gaining Popularity in Korea as Well

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

In Korea, office workers who decorate their office spaces are called 'Deskterior-jok.' Deskterior is a compound word of 'desk' and 'interior.' It is not simply about 'decorating the office desk,' but the core is that office workers express their individuality to minimize work-related stress.

Kim Jimin (27), who works at an IT company, also has many character figurines she likes on her office desk. She said, "I spend more than half of my day at the company. When the space is pretty, my mood naturally improves, and then my work efficiency seems to naturally increase." She added, "Decorating the desk is also one way to express one's personality."

In fact, a considerable number of office workers are decorating their desks. According to a 2021 survey conducted by JobKorea and Albamon targeting 683 adult men and women, 57.5% of respondents identified themselves as 'Deskterior-jok.' The biggest reason for becoming interested in deskterior was 'I want to decorate my desk with things I like' (48.5%).