In China’s online communities, there has been a recent trend of using phrases like “young seniors” and “elderly youths”. This change in internet slang reflects the changing demographics and economics of the country.
The expression “young seniors” was highlighted by Ma Jiantang, former party secretary of the Development Research Center of the State Council, during a forum where he suggested that 60 – 70 years old should be referred to as “young seniors”, because they are still healthy and willing to work. This comment set off discussions about China’s ageing population. According to experts, it is an indication that “China’s demographic landscape is out of balance,” because the country has such low fertility rates and increasing numbers of elderly persons who are putting pressure on state pension scheme.
On the other hand, ‘‘elderly youths’’ refers young adults who are at least 35 years old and above that face challenges in getting jobs. For instance during the rapid growth of Chinese internet in 2017 many companies laid off this group arguing they lack innovative spirit besides demanding higher pay. The covid-19 pandemic worsened this situation leading to more job dismissals as well as rejections for employment among individuals aged above 35 years. In addition, according to SCMP report via Sina Weibo had nearly 80 million views reflecting frustration over employment opportunities.
Another current trend involves digital nomads who are essentially people who earn money remotely from any location they choose to visit. The remote work phenomenon caused by Covid-19 has driven up this lifestyle with approximately 70-100 million digital nomads in China. These individuals include bloggers, illustrators, programmers and translators who mostly opt for cheap destinations within the country
Moreover some young people prefer what is called partial retirement whereby one lives on savings while working part time as a way of sustaining themselves economically but also maintaining some form of attachment to the labour market. However small amount such as 30 yuan ($4) in interest is enough to do this.
Finally, the idea of “full-time children” has arisen, which refers to young adults who are jobless and live with their parents. It is a temporary solution for children in a tough jobs market that offers few positions, low salaries and long hours. In April, the youth unemployment rate for those aged 16-24 was 14.7%, while the same figure for those aged between 25 and 29 was 7.1%.
These new phrases and trends show how Chinese Internet users creatively deal with and ridicule some of the challenges they face in modern life especially as it touches on an ever changing job market and demographics.
