老母亲

Imagine calling yourself an 'old mother' not because you have kids, but because whatever you're stressing over — a coworker, a fictional character, a group project — has aged you twenty years. Chinese internet users adopted this phrase to humorously describe that bone-deep, martyrdom-flavored exhaustion of caring too much. It's equal parts complaint and badge of honor, dripping with loving exasperation.

As China's younger workforce faced mounting pressure from 996 work culture and high-stakes social expectations, self-deprecating humor flourished online. Calling oneself a 'worn-out old mother' let people mock their own over-investment in things beyond their control — bosses, idols, fictional characters — while finding community with others equally drained. It flipped traditional maternal sacrifice imagery into a relatable Gen-Z coping mechanism.

用"老母亲"自称，表达对某人或某事操碎了心、疲惫不堪却又放不下的复杂情感。