A Study of The Metaphor of The Internet Buzzword “corporate slave” in The Context of Semantics

Abstract

From January 2022 to July 2022, the average daily Baidu search index for the term “corporate slave” was 2,266 times. Meanwhile, the search result of Sina Weibo for the term “corporate slave” was 1523880, and the search result of Baidu was 5510000. The term “corporate slave” originated in Japan and was later introduced to China, and within a short period, it caused widespread use and phenomenal discussions on the Internet. The explosion of this exotic word is not only accidental but also inextricably linked to the current Chinese society, Internet ecology, and young adults’ thinking. Therefore, this paper analyzes the metaphorical meaning of the term “corporate slave” and the thoughts of young adults in China as reflected by its widespread use in the context of the current social development. The study of Japanese-derived vocabulary can not only promote the exchange between Chinese and Japanese cultures, but also learn more about the philological meaning of Internet buzzword.