The Mindset of Today’s Chinese Young People
Many have noticed that today’s Chinese young people are very different from those of previous generations. Those of us in campus ministry have seen rapidly shifting perspectives and priorities among students. Today’s Gen Z students differ greatly from Millennial students and even the Gen Z students of just 5 years ago.
These changes have challenged us to consider how we need to change our ways of doing ministry. What is the mindset of today’s Chinese young people? Do they feel welcome in our fellowships? This blog post seeks to start a conversation about this topic, considering two major influences: technology and traumatic events. We hope you can join in the conversation!
First, like Gen Z students around the world, today’s Chinese students have been deeply shaped through their use of technology.[1] They have never known a world without social media. Many of them are more accustomed to building relationships online than they are in person. Whether they are using social media apps or finding information that they need, today’s students navigate the world of technology with a fluency that boggles the mind of a Gen X person like me.
While Chinese young people can use technology to connect with hundreds or even thousands of friends online, they also experience deep loneliness and isolation. Issues of identity and mental health are on the forefront of their minds. Chinese students have a deep need for welcome, belonging, and community. And yet, venturing out to find a group where they can belong may lead to fear and anxiety.[2] How can our fellowships seek out these students and help them experience the welcome and belonging of our communities?
Second, Chinese students have been shaped by the traumatic events of our world. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the restrictive zero-Covid policies of the Chinese government had an enormous impact on the education and social lives of young people.[3] The sudden reversal in those policies in December 2022 led to widespread illness and many deaths.
Besides these pandemic-related traumas, the constant news of wars, natural disasters, gun violence, and other traumatic events around the world weigh heavily on young people. Many of them can despair and feel overwhelmed by the news that they see on their devices every day, leading to a loss of hope.
One phenomenon among many Chinese young people is the idea of “lying flat” (Chinese: 躺平, tangping). Instead of striving for higher goals of success in their careers and in other areas of their lives, these young people speak of being satisfied with smaller, more attainable goals.[4] This idea of “lying flat” seems to have stemmed from the pressure to keep up in China’s fast-paced economy. But as China’s economy slows down, and as young people respond to their sense of overwhelm in a chaotic world, this idea of “lying flat” still seems relevant. How can our fellowships bring hope to these Chinese young people who seek to “lie flat”?
We’d love to hear from you. What have you seen among today’s Chinese young people? Do you have thoughts or ideas around this topic? Please email steve@thrivingturtles.org to continue this conversation. May God help us learn how we can more effectively reach today’s Chinese young people with the Gospel.
当今中国年轻人的心态
许多人都注意到，当今的中国年轻人与前几代人截然不同。我们这些从事校园事工的人，在中国留学生身上看到了观念和优先事项的迅速转变。今天的 Z 世代学生与千禧一代学生，甚至与仅仅 5 年前的 Z 世代学生相比，都有很大的不同。
这些变化挑战着我们去思考：我们应该如何改变事工的方式？当今中国年轻人的心态究竟是怎样的？他们在我们的团契中是否感到受欢迎？本篇博客文章旨在引发关于这一主题的讨论，主要探讨两个重大影响因素：科技与创伤性事件。希望您也能参与到讨论中来！
首先，与世界各地的 Z 世代学生一样，当今的中国学生深受科技使用的塑造。 他们从出生起就生活在一个拥有社交媒体的世界。与面对面交流相比，他们中的许多人更习惯于在网上建立人际关系。无论是使用社交媒体软件，还是查找所需的信息，今天的学生在科技世界里的游刃有余，都让像我这样的 X 世代人感到惊叹。
虽然中国年轻人可以使用科技在网上与成百上千的朋友建立联系，但他们也体验着深层的孤独感和隔绝感。身份认同和心理健康问题是他们最关心的焦点。中国学生非常需要被接纳、归属感和群体生活。然而，踏出寻找归属群体的那一步，却可能带来恐惧和焦虑。我们的团契该如何主动寻找这些学生，并帮助他们体验到我们群体中的接纳与归属感？
其次，中国学生也受到了世界上各种创伤性事件的影响。 在新冠疫情期间，中国政府严格的零新冠政策对年轻人的教育和社交生活产生了巨大影响。2022 年 12 月该政策的突然转向，导致了广泛的疾病传播和许多人的死亡。
除了这些与疫情相关的创伤外，世界各地频繁报道的战争、自然灾害、枪支暴力以及其他创伤性事件，也沉重压在年轻人心头，对他们产生深刻的影响。他们中的许多人在每天通过电子设备看到这些新闻时，会感到绝望和无所适从，进而失去希望。
近年在许多中国年轻人中出现的一种现象是“躺平”。这些年轻人不再追求职业生涯或生活其他方面更高的成功目标，而是谈论满足于更小、更容易实现的目标。“躺平”的观念似乎源于在中国快节奏经济中跟上步伐的巨大压力。随着中国经济增速放缓，以及年轻人普遍对这个混乱的世界产生无力感，“躺平”的概念似乎更切合现状。我们的团契该如何向这些寻求“躺平”的中国年轻人带来希望？
我们非常期待听到您的声音。您在当今中国年轻人身上看到了什么？关于这个主题，您有什么想法或建议吗？请发送电子邮件至 steve@thrivingturtles.org 继续此对话。愿上帝帮助我们学会如何更有效地用福音服侍当今的中国年轻人。
[1] Joann Pittman, “Loving Gen Z with the Truth of the Gospel”, ChinaSource website, May 6, 2024. https://chinasource.org/articles/loving-gen-z-with-the-truth-of-the-gospel/
[2] Wang Yuanhao, “How Should the Church Respond to Needs of Gen Z?”, China Christian Daily website, November 10, 2024. https://www.chinachristiandaily.com/news/church-ministries/2024-11-11/how-should-the-church-respond-to-needs-of-gen-z–14660
[3] Fan Yiying and Chen Jiangyi, “After 3 Years of COVID, China’s Gen-Z Face a Tough New Reality”, Sixth Tone website, December 6, 2022. https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1011836
[4] Peng Chaoyang, “Meet China’s Gen Z”, ChinaSource website, September 13, 2021. https://chinasource.org/articles/meet-chinas-gen-z/