Topic Reading-Vol.3433/9/4/2021
0422-27-5366
〒180-0006 東京都武蔵野市中町2-3-5 IIHA武蔵野1階
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Topic Reading-Vol.3433/9/4/2021
0422-27-5366
〒180-0006 東京都武蔵野市中町2-3-5 IIHA武蔵野1階
電話受付/月〜金 9:00-18:00
Topic Reading-Vol.3433/9/4/2021
Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Exhausted and without hope, East Asian youth are ‘lying flat’
Civil service examination started in ancient Imperial China. It was to select candidates for the state bureaucracy by merit rather than birth to ensure knowledge and literal qualifications to serve as state officials. It lasted until the late Qing dynasty in 1905 but such exam cultures still remain widely for college entrance exams in China, Korea, and Japan where students work very hard to be enrolled in good colleges or universities for future careers. So, by the time those college graduates start looking for their careers, many ambitious graduates have high hope for their jobs, careers, and future. However, in China, there are over nine million college graduates this year, many of who are envisioning getting a prestigious job. In South Korea, where most students earn college degrees, many of them are eager to settle in a large conglomerate for better compensations and job security. But the problem in major cities in those countries is that the housing costs have been rising faster than the disposable incomes. Also, raising a child or children is becoming so expensive that many women are giving up having a child or marriage because of the education expenditures. As for Japan, the economy has remained stagnant since its asset bubble burst in the early 1990s, and salaries haven’t been rising and aren’t expected to increase any time soon. Also, since most Japanese companies still keep a seniority-based salary and promotion system, there isn’t much incentive for young people to work harder. All in all, it doesn’t seem so surprising that many young people in these East Asian countries feel unmotivated to work harder for their future and start showing a lying flat attitude lately, not doing at their best but just minimum. What is their hope now? Aren’t they just indulging in what they can do with their smartphones?
Enjoy reading the article and learn about the social and generational problems in East Asia.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/28/economy/china-japan-korea-youth-intl-dst-hnk/index.html
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