THEfunctionofyoungpeopleinsocietyisthesameasthatofnewcellsinthehumanbody,”wroteChenDuxiuinanarticleforTheNewYouthmagazinewhichhefoundedin1915.
Theyear2018hasseentheyoungestpost-90sgenerationgrowupfromateenagertoanadult.Thepopulationofthosewhowerebornbetween1990and1999hasreached190millioninChina.Theyarenicknamed“newpeople”andhavereceivednumerouscommentsandcriticismfortheirindividualisticbehavior.Nowtheyaretakingthestageandbeginningtoshapethecountry.OlympicmedalistFuYuanhuiattendstheFINAWorldAquaticsGalaonDecember2,2017inSanya,SouthChina’sHainanProvince.
IndividualismandDiversification
Thecommonkeywordaboutthepost-90sgenerationisindividualism,butthereisnoreasonforthemnottobeindividualistic.TheygrewupintheperiodduringwhichChinasawpeaceandprosperity.Theirparentsmostlyreceivedpropereducationandtheyhaveonlyknownastableandaffluentlife.TheyarealsothefirstgenerationthathasgrownupwiththeInternet.
Thepost-1980shavebeennicknamedas“littleemperors”beingthefirstgenerationoftheonechildpolicy.Theoldergenerationhasexpressedtheirconcernoverthepost-80s.Thepost90s,wholiketouseMartianlanguage(akindofbrain-damagedonlineinformallanguagethatisessentiallystandardMandarinwrittenmixedwithothersignssuchasotherforeignlanguagesandemotionicons),haveexaggeratedhairstyles,andpouttheirlipswhentakingphotos,havebeennicknamedasa“collapsedgeneration.”
“Thepost-90sareoftencomparedwiththepost-80s.TheysharesomesimilaritiesastheybothhavegrownupinthemostopenandprosperousperiodofChina’shistoryandtheybothliveinaneraofInternet.Theyarealsotheonlychildoftheirfamilies.Mostofthemarewell-educated,sotheyaremoreknowledgeableandexperienced,withbroadenedviews.Theyenjoybetterlivingstandardsandhavericherinternationalexperiencethanthepreviousgenerations.However,thetwogenerationsalsosharesimilarweaknesses.Forexample,theyareill-preparedfordifficultiesandtheyneedtoimprovetheirinterpersonalcommunicationskills,”saidZhangYiwu,professorofPekingUniversity’sChineseDepartment.
ProfessorZhangpointedoutthetwogroupshavedifferentbackgrounds.Thepost-80sgrewupintheinitialperiodofthereformandopening-up,whentheChinesepeoplewerejustbecomingabletomeettheirbasicneedssuchasclothingandfood.Atthattime,theyhadlimitationintermsoflivingstandardsandperspective.Incomparison,thepost-90sgrewupinaperiodwhenChinaseesthefastesteconomicgrowthandchanges.
Somepeoplejokedthatthepost-80shateworkingovertime,whilethepost90sdon’twanttoworkatall.Themoreappropriatewaytointerpretthisisthatmostpost-90sarenotwillingtofollowtheinstructions.Accordingtoasurveyonthepost-90sbyAnalysys,aChineseInternetdataanalysisproductsandservicesprovider,about11.7percentofthepost-80swillprioritizetheirinterestswhenchoosingajob,whiletheproportionis21.3percentforthepost-90s.
Astableandaffluentenvironmentwherethepost-90sgrewuphasenabledthemtopursuetheirneedsandinterests.Comparedwiththepreviousgenerations,theyexpectmorediversifiedprofessionsandcareers.
Theprevalenceofunique,self-definedandmultiplesimultaneouscareerchoicesisproof.Youngpeoplenolongerwanttoengageinonlyoneprofession.“Iamawhitecollar/gymtrainer/travelwriter/photographer/Taobaoshopowner.”“Iamanaccountant/florist/onlinefictionwriter.”Theyenjoymultipleprofessions.AsurveytargetingChineseyoungpeopleagedfrom18-to25-year-oldshowsthatabout82.6percentofthemwanttohavevariedcareers.
FanShizhong,whowasbornin1992,hasapassionforcreativedesign,especiallydesignsforpracticaluse.Hespenttwoyearstoworkwithfirementodevelopa“lifeslide.”
Hisdesignencompassesslide,crane,andrescueladder.Therescueslidesaredividedintothreesections.Peoplebeingrescuedcanslipdownfromthehighrisebuilding,justlikeplayingslide.Abufferareabetweentwosectionscaneffectivelyslowdowntherateofdecline.Itisalsodesignedforguidersandpersonswhocangivesomehelp.Aviationgradeinsulationcoatingusedonthesurfaceoftheslidecanresisthightemperaturesoffire;ventilationdeviceonthetopcanprotectpeoplefromsmoke.Thetopofthedevicecanalsobreakwindowsandextendintotheroom.
ThedesignhaswonFanaseriesofawards,includingtheRedDotDesignAward,IFDesignAward,A’DesignAward,GoldenPinDesignAward,andLITE-ONAward.FanhimselfwasincludedintothelistofChina’sTop30MostPromisingDesignersbyForbesin2015.Heisnotonlytheyoungestbutalsothesolestudentincludedintothelist.
AlthoughnoteveryonecanachievefameasFanhas,mostpost-90sareexploringtheirpersonalvaluesduringthework.
GuoYi,whowasbornin1992,isaninternatahospital.Hesaidheismaturingandlearningwhenhetookthenightshiftandovercamethefatigue,whenhesawapatientpassawayinanICU(intensivecareunit),andmanagedtorefusethepresentsfromfamilymembersofhispatients.
GlobalPerspectiveandPatriotism
Thepost-90sgenerationenjoysadvantagesinaccesstoinformation.WithaccesstotheInternet,theykeepthemselvesabreastwiththelatestdevelopmentsaroundtheglobe,absorbingglobalculturalresourcesbywatchingAmericanTVseriesortakingHarvardcoursesonline.Therefore,theirviewshavebeenbroadened,enablingthemtohaveaglobalperspective.
Comparedwiththepreviousgenerations,thepost-90senjoymoreopportunitiestogoabroad.In2009,theyearwhenthosewhowerebornin1990finishedtheirentranceexaminationtouniversity,thepost-90swhowenttostudyabroadontheirownexpensesaccountedfor60to70percentofthetotalnumberofstudentsthatwenttostudyabroadduringthesummervacation.Thepost-90senjoyoverseasexperiencesandcross-culturalcommunication.TheybelieveChinaandWesterncountriesareequalandtheyseldomthinkWesterncountriesaresuperiortoChina.
AccordingtoareportonInternetbasedpublicopinionin2016releasedbyPeople’sDailyOnline,thepost-90sareconfidentwiththeChineseculture.Theyhaveenjoyedthebenefitsbroughtalongwiththereformandopening-up,andtheyhavewitnessedhowthecountryhasbecomestrongerandmoreprosperous,sotheyhighlybelieveinthenationaldevelopmentmodelandcourse.DengXiquan,directoroftheChinaYouthandChildrenResearchCenter’sYouthResearchInstitute,saidthepost90sarepatrioticastheyareconfidentwiththeircountry.
AccordingtoasurveyconductedbyHorizonResearchConsultancyGrouponthepost-90s,about79percentofintervieweesthinkChinaisastrongcountry;93percentfeelproudtobeaChinese;81percentsaidtheypreferlivinginChinathanothercountries.
MostintervieweesadmitthatChinastilllagsbehinddevelopedcountriesintermsofenvironmentalprotection,wealthgap,foodsafety,andsocialsecurity.However,theybelieveChinaisabletosolvethoseproblems.TheygenerallyopposeprejudicebysomecountriesagainstChinaastheybelievemanysimilarproblemsalsoexistinforeigncountries.
“Whenmanagingthewebsite,oneofthebiggestimpressionsthattheyounggenerationhasgivenmeisthatthosepost-90sareverypatriotic.Theylivedagoodlife,theyarewell-educatedandsincerelythinktheyliveinagoodcountryandloveourcountrydearly,”saidChenRuiinapublicspeech.ChenischairmanofChina’sleadingvideobroadcastingportalBilibili,oneofthemostpopularwebsitesamongthepost-90s.
InJune,2016,aChinesehip-hopgroupChengduRevolution(alsonamedasCDRev)composedoffourpost-90sreleasedarapvideoThisIsChina,inabidtoshowforeignersatrueChina.
Thevideonevershiesawayfromthecountry’sproblemssuchaspollutions,foodanddrugsafety,andcorruptpoliticians.Fromthepointofviewofthesingers,whogrewupinsouthwestofthecountry,“Highergrowthrateisalwaysaccompaniedbypain.”Intheendofthevideo,thoseyoungsingersexpressedtheirattitudebysinging“Althoughthecountrydoeshavetheseter-riblethingstodealwith,wehavemadeprogress.”
Thisvideocreatedbuzzonbothforeignanddomesticmedia.WangZixin,leaderofCDRev,said:“Nomatterhowforeignmediacommentonourvideo,atleastwehaveshowntheworldhowChineseyoungpeoplearefirmlybelievinginourcountry.”
FromZhangYiwu’spointofview,althoughthepost-90ssometimesfeelunsatisfiedaboutthecurrentChinesesocietyandtheydemandmore,theyseldomgotoextremes.Theyexpecthappinessandsocialdevelopment.Theyareconfidentwiththecurrentdevelopmentastheyalreadyenjoyedcomfortablelives,aswellasrichexperiencesandculture.
“Thecurrentstatusofthepost-90sshowsthatamoreopensocietywhichisamidafastdevelopmentphasewillensurethatyoungpeoplewillbeabletointegrateintomainstreamsociety,withdiversificationandindividualismexistingintheoverallharmony,”saidProfessorZhang.NineoutofthetotalstaffmembersattheHuangtujingStation,asmallrailwaystationintheborderareabetweenHunanProvinceandGuangxiZhuangAutonomousRegion,areofthepost-90sgeneration.
NewMinds,NewLifestyles
Thepost-90sgenerationisprobablythefirstgenerationthatdoesn’tfeelanxiousabouthowtoowntheirownproperty.The2017SocialBlueBookpublishedbyChineseSocialSciencesAcademicPressshowedthatthepost90sgraduatesvaluethequalityofliferatherthanowningtheirownapartments.Theyarelikelytobecomeagenerationthatwillnotbeeagertobuyahome,asonlyover30percentofthemsaidtheyarewillingtobuytheirownapartmentsatthesacrificeoflifequality.
Duringthe2016RioOlympics,ChineseathleteFuYuanhuibecameanovernightsocialmediastarwithherexaggeratedfacialexpressionsandenthusiasticstyleininterviews.Fuwasborninthe1990s.Afterherteamnarrowlymissedwinningamedalinthe4x100-metermedleyrelay,shesaidintheinterview:“Idon’tthinkIperformedverywelltoday.It’salsobecausemyperiodcameyesterday,soIfeltparticularlytired.”SomeWest-ernmediasuchasTheNewYorkTimesandtheBBCcommentedthatFu’sfeministcommentshaveraisedawarenessandshatteredbarrierinthisregard.
Intheendof2017,Reutersinterviewedadozenpost-90sinBeijing,Shanghai,Chengdu,andWuhananditreachedtheconclusionthatthoseyoungpeopleareoptimistic,openminded,pragmatic,ambitious,confident,andhappy.
OnJuly14,2012,YangFanbeganhisjourneyaroundtheworldbyridingamotorcycle,searchingforother“him”whowasalsobornonOctober5,1990.Yangdecidedtoexploretheirdifferentculturalbackgrounds,lives,andstories.Aftertwoandhalfayears,travellingasfaras13,000kilometers,Yangfinallyfoundatotalof23peoplewhosharethesamebirthdaywithhim,includinganorphanwhoisafanforheavymetal,abartenderfromMoscow,andarebelliousgirlwhoenjoyswritingpoems.ThosestoriesrecordedbyYangalsoreflecthisownobservationandthoughtabouttheworld.
Yangdroppedoutofschoolattheageof13withthesupportfromhisparentsanddevotedhimselftothepursuitofart.Althoughhislifetrackisunusual,droppingoutofschoolisacceptableintheChinesesocietytoday.However,HanHan,oneofChina’sbestsellingauthors,borninthe1980s,oncetriggeredheateddebateacrossthesocietybecausehedroppedoutofschoolinhisteenage.
TheChinesepost-90sgenerationdefiessimplisticlabelsanddefinitions.Theyareindividualisticandtheywanttolivetheirownlives.Astheygrowupandbecomemature,theyarebecomingthemostdynamicgroupthatisshapingtheChinesesociety.
WANGKUANisaveteranofthemediaindustry.