China’s youth generation is joining the disadvantaged groups as the multiple pressures on them are growing into an alert to the whole society, experts in youth research warned at a recent seminar, local newspaper the Heilongjiang Morning Post reported yesterday.
Researchers pointed out at the youth policy seminar that China is in urgent need of social welfare policies in favor of the youth to alleviate their mounting burdens.
“It’s inappropriate for young people’s career and development that the wage growth of fresh graduates is falling behind that of the migrant labourers,” said researchers, “it's unlikely that young people can afford a city house without their parents’ financial feed.”
“Many of us don’t take the pressure on youth as a serious issue, nor do we see the young generation as the disadvantaged, “ said Feng Xiaotian, a sociology professor with East China’s Nanjing University, “we should explore about their stresses, the financial one in particular, to help them from turning to their parents for financial aid.”
According to Professor Feng’s recent survey on the pressures of employed youths from 12 cities, nearly 70 percent of the surveyed list the financial pressure as the greatest, followed by the stress in social relations; 41 percent of them look to their parents for help facing financial need.
“Firstly, we should pay attention to the phenomenon of ”Ant Tribe” and “Snail House”(internet metaphors of young people living with awkward narrowness under a shared roof) among college graduates. An internet point said China’s sky-high home prices destroyed young people’s love and imagination, university graduates begin to live a material life of the middle-aged right after their graduation, rather than enjoy a adventurous youthhood as it’s supposed to be, it’s dangerous,” said youth problem expert Yang Xiong from Shanghai Social Academy.
“In the second place, it's a pressing issue getting the second-generation migrant workers accepted by the metropolises, for example, the migrant population has exceeded the local population in Shanghai, so as in Beijing and Shenzhen,” he added.
One of the important factors leading to the youth problems is the unfair distribution of social wealth among different industries, said Liu Junyan, a deputy director with China Youth Research Centre.
“The number of science students has dropped from 55% to 33%, while the number of students in liberal arts has risen from 20% to 37% since the year-on-year increase of students intake by Chinese universities in 1999, which reflects on the trend that people are more attracted to such beneficiary industries as financing, law, and accounting than those generating social wealth.
