Gen Y in China is uniquely defined by 5 characteristics: 1) Growing up as single children with doting families after the one-child policy 2) Women facing pressure to marry young or be labeled "leftover" 3) Youth culture immersed in internet and gaming 4) Struggle to gain urban residency permits for future opportunities 5) University entrance decided by high-stakes standardized testing

1. Defining China’s Gen Y
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In 5 Words

2. Gen Y – Uniquely Chinese
Commonly referred to as:!
⼋八零后- post 80s generation!
九零后- post 90s generation
© chungking - Fotolia.com
The 5 words that describe the
Generation Y of China are uniquely
Chinese.
!
!
Different from their Western
counterparts, Gen Y’s in China grew up
in a period of
!
1. Hyper-economic growth, going from
an agrarian society to
manufacturing, and now to services
2. Increasing household wealth
towards more consumption
3. Gradual social freedom, in-part
spurred by the proliferation of the
internet
4. Social norms continues to be
shaped by government policy
5. Going through a socio-economic
shift that is unprecedented in China

3. Pre - Post 70s
Post 80s Post 90s
!
Economic Boom
Urban
Great Leap Forward/
Cultural Revolution
!
!
Single Child
Rural
Agrarian
!
Private Enterprise
!
SOE
Internet
Global Outlook
!
Inward Outlook
1949 - Founding of the!
1976 - Ending of the!
1978 - Start of
1980 - Start of the
1998 - Reforms to
Current - Continues
People’s Republic of China
Cultural Revolution
Economic Reforms
One Child Policy
State Owned Enterprises
China Economic Growth
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© Angelika Bentin - fotolia.com
!

4. #1
Little Emperor
小皇帝
Xiao Huang Di
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5. •Born after 1980
•Economic growth
•Family with larger disposable income
•More cultural and social freedoms
!
!
•Center of attention
•Growing up alone, most without siblings
•Access to PC, Internet and mobile devices
http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=128&catid=4&subcatid=15

6. Growing up as a Single-Child
2
4
Parents
1
Child
Grandparents
0
Siblings
© www.ssbgzzs.com

7. #2
Left-Over Women
剩女
Sheng Nu
© http://news.163.com/10/0722/11/6C6NAVQD00014AED.html

8. “According to relevant regulations,
the first marriage of males aged 25
or older and females aged 23 or
older are considered ‘late
marriages.”

9. By the time a women
student graduates from
university:
!
Post 90’s - (around 23 yrs
old)
•
Target marriage age
!
Some rights reserved by gueber$nb87
!
Post 80’s (24 - 33 yrs old)
Most unwed female
above 30 years old is
considered “left-over”
•

10. Women are making choices for:
!
•
•
•
Career
•
Later marriages, child
rearing
Financial Stability
Broader Life Experience
!
©www.secretchina.com/news/12/06/04/454273.html

11. Youth Culture
#3
宅男/宅女
Zai Nan / Zai Nu
© http://www.pkusky.com/html/view_4421.htm

12. refer to a guy/girl who stays indoors
all the time, doesn’t like to go out
much and is usually obsessed with
manga, anime, computer and/or
video games.

13. Father Hires In-Game "Hitmen"
To Deter Son From Playing
!
http://game.people.com.cn/n/2012/1228/c48662-20041705.html
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14. Household
Registration
户口
Hu Kou
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#4

15. The hukou is essentially a household
registration permit, akin to an
internal passport.*
!
The system places control over
education, employment, social welfare
and retirement programs etc...
*Keith B. Richburg, Washington Post, August 15, 2010

16. Gaining a coveted
hukou in a toptier city means:
•
•
•
•
© http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2011-06/18/c_121551287.htm
Stability
Financial Security
Education
A Passport to the
Future

17. University
Entrance Exams
#5
#5
高考
Gao Kao
© http://wiki.china.org.cn/wiki/index.php/File:Gaokao.JPEG

18. The Gaokao is a prerequisite
for entrance into almost all
higher education institutions in
China. If a student fails at the
exam they will lose the chance
to attend university and fails
to move up the social ladder.

19. The gaokao is a key to social
mobility in China... Success and
failure on the test can mean the
difference between prosperity
and a life of drudgery.

20. China’s Gen Y in 5 Words Summary
Chinese
English
Gen Y Characteristics
Little Emperor
Growing up as a single child with doting parents,
and 2 sets of grandparents; all Gen Y were born
after one-child policy implementation
Left-over Women
Government policy on ideal marriage age; women
above 30 years are considered left-over - those
who were born after 1980s
Geeky Men /
Women
Youth culture hooked on the internet playing online
games, anime; this is basically youth who were
born in the age of the PC and internet
户⼝口*
Residence Permit*
Government policy on household registration;
gaining a Hukou in top cities means a secured
future; many college graduates flock to major
cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou
⾼高考*
National University
Entrance Exam*
China’s standardised exam for university entrance.
Graduation from a top university means a secure
social and economic future
⼩小皇帝
剩⼥女
宅男/宅⼥女
* Residency Permit and National University Entrance Exam are not topics specific to the Gen Y population; although it is something all youths in China confront