The McKinsey 2017 China Consumer Report studied behaviors of Post-90s consumers. They have categorized them into five groups. The biggest is happiness seekers, taking up 39 percent. The next biggest group is success seekers, accounting for 27 percent. These are followed by laid back (16 percent), spendthrifts (10 percent) and homebirds (8 percent).
CGTN's The Point held a discussion on the topic. Zou Yun, a reporter at CGTN, commented first with a comparison to their parents' generation. She says today’s younger generation is not faced with the pressure of material poverty, and they are living in an era of many possibilities and opportunities so their priorities are more diverse ? something which is different from the majority of their parents’ generation who regard success as a priority.
Nurali Abliz, author and commentator and an online celebrity, echoed Zou’s view. He appreciated that more people are focusing on their happiness rather than simply getting successful. “It’s a symbol of development of the country,” Abliz said.
Albiz also suggested that people can have both, “happiness and (be) success seekers.” He gave the example that his friend is a professional gamer; something that was not possible in his parents' generation, but now playing games can be a successful career.
“I do think that nowadays Chinese youth have this concept of the Chinese dream that I can be whatever I want to be, I can do whatever job I want to do, and I can still make money on it... There is a strong sense of confidence and will for achieving their dreams,” said Abliz.
Anastasia Sukhoretskaya, a Russian student of International Journalism and a writer at people.cn, shared a motto expressing the attitude of the young generation from China as well as the rest of the world: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” She believes the current generation chooses their job without even caring too much about their salary. They care more about the experience.
Liu Xin, the host of the CGTN's The Point, shared a poem attributed to Shakespeare to conclude the discussion about the young generation. “Crabbed age and youth cannot live together: Youth is full of pleasance; age is full of care. Youth like summer morn, age like winter weather; Youth like summer brave, age like winter bare... Age, I do abhor thee; youth, I do adore thee.”
