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🇰🇷 South Korea /Health & Science

“I don’t want to grow old at work”: Chinese employees bring parasols and UV masks to the office

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth From a news agency Context piece
  • Chinese workers are sharing ways to reduce what they call “office aging,” including skin changes, eye strain and other symptoms linked to long hours at work.
  • Social media posts describe darker skin and frequent eye fatigue after starting office jobs, while some employees say their symptoms improve during leave.
  • Some workers have opened parasols at their desks or worn hats and full-face UV masks indoors.

“I don’t want to grow old at work.” That concern is spreading among Chinese employees who say their office environment is affecting both their appearance and their health.

I don’t want to grow old at work

· Chinese office workersHeadline framing the concern over perceived health and appearance effects of office work.

The South China Morning Post reported that Chinese social media users have been sharing ways to counter “office aging,” a term used for skin becoming dull, eye fatigue and other physical symptoms associated with spending long hours in the office.

Just one month after starting work, my skin became noticeably darker and I began to feel eye fatigue frequently

· An employee in JiangsuSocial media post describing changes after beginning office work.

One employee in Jiangsu said online that just one month after starting work, their skin had visibly darkened and their eyes had begun to feel tired frequently. Other workers said they had experienced similar problems. One wrote that their skin became brighter again after taking leave and staying away from the office. Another said secondhand smoke at work made them feel as if their body was deteriorating.

When I take leave and do not go to work, my skin becomes brighter again

· Chinese internet userComment reporting improvement while away from the office.

Some employees have responded by opening parasols on their desks, wearing hats indoors and covering their faces with full-face masks designed to block ultraviolet rays.

When I go to work, I feel as if my body is being ruined by secondhand smoke

· Chinese internet userComment describing concern about workplace secondhand smoke.
About this summary

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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