Young Chinese have little hope for the future. Xi Jinping wants them to toughen up
. Using sentiment-analysis tools to extract feelings from text on social media, we found that the mood of young Chinese is growing ever darker.
One problem is a mismatch between the skills that graduates are acquiring from school and those required by employers. According to one academic study of Zhaopin, a recruitment portal, 39% of job-seekers in first-tier cities had at least two surplus years of education, over and above those required by the jobs they sought. Outside these big cities, the proportion was more like 70%. Tales abound on social media of educated young people taking low-skilled jobs, such as sorting trash.
Those born in such places have the most difficult time moving up in the world. They have little chance of getting into a good university in a big city, where the admissions system favours locals. Most are stuck in low-skilled service jobs, such as delivering food in cities. Thesystem, a household registry, forces most who migrate to cities to live precarious lives, without access to local benefits like medical insurance.
At entertainment venues, bands are asked to send authorities videos of their sets before gigs. Directors of plays know that in the audience there are people checking that actors stick to approved scripts. Comedians plead for their audiences not to record them. Earlier this year Li Haoshi, a Beijing-based comic, used an army slogan—“Forge exemplary conduct! Fight to win!”—in a joke about how his dogs eagerly chased a squirrel. That was deemed insulting to the armed forces.
Our findings come with caveats. We have focused on a single platform, which may not be representative of other social media in China. Indeed, our results could be subject to selection effects, where users of different dispositions flock to certain sites. Baidu Tieba tends to attract an older crowd. And algorithms have trouble detecting irony and sarcasm.
Young people are pulling back in other ways, too. “Why would I get married? Why would I go on a date?” asks Qin, citing the cost of each. High house prices are a particular concern for young men because home-ownership is often seen as a prerequisite for marriage. Dowries, which more traditional families demand for marrying their daughters, have been increasing. Some ask for sums that would bankrupt prospective grooms and their families.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rapper Young Capone dies aged 35 after he was 'reported missing in Chicago'RIP.
Read more »
Humza Yousaf urged to help young parents by boosting Scottish Child PaymentEXCLUSIVE: A coalition of more than 80 charities wants the Scottish Government to help tackle age discrimation in the UK welfare system.
Read more »