The song "So far, the sofa is so far," about the exhaustion of modern life, has gone viral online soon after it was made public. Working overtime is quite common in first-tier cities, where office workers, especially the young, trade their health and family life for a space in a highly competitive company. Squeezed by abusive employers, an increasing number of middle-class migrants, who originally moved into big cities for opportunities, start to weigh up between career success and a relaxed life at hometown. 

Disgruntled but meanwhile "enthusiastic" about overwork is a mixed sentiment for many young Chinese. "My biological clock is in total disorder … Who needs sleep? What a waste of time?" the song whines.

Admittedly, diligence is a traditional virtue in China. However, overtime working at the cost of health is an abuse of right. Sudden death from overwork makes headlines frequently. Young people are more prone to chronic diseases, such as heart troubles, cervical spondylosis and stomach problems, than before.

Staring at the computers for about 10 hours a day, an office job is no longer an appealing choice for graduates now. In addition, the busy traffic in big cities means people have to spend two hours or more commuting every day.

As a result, an increasing number of young people are now escaping from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong to their hometowns, where life is much easier.

"I want to go to Yunnan [a southeastern province known for its great scenery and relaxing life]," the song chants. But there is a huge gap between life in big cities and small towns.

I really envy a close friend of mine who works in my hometown, as she finishes work at 5 pm every day and has abundant time to share with friends and families. Every time she posted her travel photos on social media, I was always working in the office, daydreaming about my holidays.

Frankly speaking, I don't like living in Beijing given its poor air conditions, extreme weather, crowds, and crazy rent. But that doesn't mean I want to give up my ambitions to work in a third-tier city. I'm conflicted between comfort and career.

In fact, the gaps are due largely to the unequal distribution of resources. With better-equipped hospitals, schools, and more job opportunities, big cities are more attractive to ambitious young people. Highly-trained talent flocking to Beijing also means high competition. To survive and climb quicker on the ladder of social status, overwork is common in big cities.

The situation would be much improved if resources could be equally distributed. An increasing number of young people would not choose Beijing if they could realize their ambitions in their hometowns.

An article of yours argued last week about how much time young people can afford to waste when others are improving skills. I don't think overwork should be encouraged. Young people must be aware that overtime is not a virtue, but an unhealthy phenomenon that should be tackled with.

The exhaustion of young Chinese is a serious problem that deserves high attention and urgent solutions. The government should allocate more resources and introduce favorable policies to smaller cities so that more young people can have other choices to balance their work ambitions and life.

The authorities should also play a more active role in protecting employees' rights. Supervision needs to be strengthened in companies where the labor law is poorly enforced. Meanwhile, young people must raise their awareness of rights and dare to say no to exploitation. After all, overwork brings nothing but poor health and low efficiency.

Little Jelly, a free-lancer based in Beijing