1980s-born generation ready for the big chair

• Source: Global Times
• [19:35 July 13 2009]
• Comments

By Zhang Yuchen

The 1980s-born generation are marching onto the center stage of society, and their role has shifted from fresh youth to the main force in the country’s development, said Yang Xiong, head of the Institute of Youth and Juvenile Studies at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS) and a top expert in juvenile research.

Water Lin, a 27-year-old official who spends five weekdays working for the Ministry of Water Resources, said his generation must learn to accept a sense of duty.

He said his work had been helpful in giving him a clearer idea of his life’s dream and the best means to obtain personal fulfillment.

“I think frustration can help young people grow up and make them realize their duty and responsibility.

“Dreams should be established on the solid rock of a steady lifestyle.”

In his more rebellious days, Lin charged out into the world with an excess of confidence and ambition, going against his psychotherapist mother’s will by ignoring her suggestions, grasping at every chance to make his dream come true.

Three successive failures at establishing his own business had a sobering effect, Lin admitted. His mistakes have handed him a lesson which he feels many young people at his age would ignore until they mature.

“I was so eager and urgent to make my own business connected to my hobby of keeping dogs. All I wanted was to pursue my dream.

“I was convinced dogs can be best friends with autistic children, whom I wanted to help,” said Lin.

Lin turned down his mother’s invitation to take on a promising job as a psychotherapist, instead gathering friends to start his dream career. However, a lack of social experience led to misjudgments of the personality of his partners. Just for the reasons his mother had warned him, Lin failed.

“I can’t say if new opportunities arise, I will do a better job. But at present I really do feel I’m grown up,” he said.

After the first failure, Lin cooperated with his mother on finishing two books just “to win her approval.” The newly dutiful son chose the civil service as a steadier career.

Lin and his mother last year volunteered to offer psychological aid to quake-hit Wenchuan, a chance for members of his generation to demonstrate their strong responsibility toward society.

“In the eyes of many previous generations, my generation who seem to own everything are still seen as incapable of actually handling anything,” Lin said.
Given the chance, Lin said, he and his generation would prove all the doubters wrong.

Jesse Li had his chance and took it. Abandoning the mouthwatering offer to work as a designer for South Korean company LG, Li embarked on his own career in sales.

“I had a very clear idea of what I wanted.”