What do you think about this stigma?
Does the description match your self-identity or -realization? If not, offer a counter claim.
I think this kind of stigma has many reasons behind it. Around 1980, since our economy development is stable, most of parents pay more attention to their children than elder generation. These parents mostly don’t receive so much protection when they are young. In old times, many families have more than one child. That is, these children in old times tend to be independent. However, once they become parents, many of them regard their offspring as all their hope. As a result, they might give their children too much protection. These protections always present as over material supply. For common example, parents work too hard out side to have enough time staying with their children. Their children who only have sufficient money instead of care are gradually become lazy, selfish, weak “strawberry generation”. In my opinion, this stigma results not only from e-generation themselves but old generation.
As to myself, I think I have some qualities on the provided paragraph like well-dressed certificate but inability, selfishness and laziness. I admit that I am a spoiled child. On regular basis, I over rely on my parents and teachers rather than solving problems on my own. To be frank, I feel my life change dramatically after I come to CCU. Before days in CCU, I don’t know how hard to live independently. I hope in CCU, I can get out of those bad qualities and present some good identities of strawberry generation.
Every generation has its typical characteristics due to the times and environment it is involved. Take my generation for instance, which is called “guava generation” in Taiwan. “Guava” represents some features of our characters formed in the certain times and the certain environment when and where we grew up. We are regarded as “diligent”, “responsible”, “hard-working”, “persevering” and “never giving up”.
回覆刪除When I was born, people’s living standard in Taiwan was still low. We didn’t have much to eat or to wear. My father should work day and night to support the whole family. My mother, as a housewife, should try hard to make the two ends meet to raise the sex children. Because of all these limitation in materials, the hardship to survive, we six children had learned to feel content easily, share everything with each other and help our parents to lower their burden such as taking care of the little siblings and doing the household chores by turns. Besides, we were taught to elevate our living standard by education. Therefore, we studied hard for a promising future, dreaming of a better-off life.
In contrast, the “e-generation” grew up in a wealthy society with abundant materials satisfying them, with fewer or no siblings sharing resources with them, with loving and caring parents taking good care of them. It is said that some youngsters need not do housework, but study hard, go to cram school and keep good grades. Consequently, they don’t know how to wash their socks, clean their dishes, make their beds or how to eat a watermelon. No wonder they have no ability to take care of themselves, let alone benefiting other people. They live under the care and love and the great expectations of their parents or even their relatives. They are treated like princes or princesses. No wonder they can’t stand a bit of frustration or pressure. As a result, they have strong ego but they are not aware of their true selves. They are only loyal to themselves, only care about their own welfare. Who built up this generation? It’s their families, the schools, the whole society. That is,WE are responsible for what they are today.
As we mentioned above, this stigma is made by numerous factors. But I have to say that each generation has their own pros and cons. The strawberry generation can be creative, have remarkable informative ability, and have distinctive ideas. Besides, I can’t help but wondering if the mass media is responsible for this stigma. Take a news I read recently for example, a research from NTNU shows that teachers cannot be ranked into top five people who understand children. I doubt extremely that why these years, news presents a fact that our education is a big mistake and our teachers are useless. Apparently, families should have more significant educative function than schools since children grow up in their family and have inseparable relationship with their family members. In my opinion, instead of complaining about how bad our educational system is, we must correct this stigma or phenomenon from the root—family. I think faults of strawberry generation sometimes are magnified by press. And the most important is that some family functions should not be replaced by any other one.
回覆刪除Dear Tina,
回覆刪除Since couples are unwilling to raise children due to the economic recession, once they decide to have one, they strive to satisfy his or her needs at any cost. I am pessimistic about the function of family. Instead, I personally think schools can make a difference by training students to be independent in thoughts and daily life through course design just like effect you have mentioned previously CCU has on you.
Faith