Zhang Yiwu, director of Center for Cultural Resources Research in the Peking University, has warned more attention needs to be paid to the cultural choices of people born after 1990 in an opinion piece for the Party-run tabloid the Global Times.
The penetration of the internet and the development of new social media has widened communication gaps between different groups. New cultures and forms of entertainment and consumption brought by the internet have also facilitated intergenerational differentiation. The younger generation will get more in-depth and diverse communication within their own groups and they have more methods to meet with people who share their values.
Those born after 1990 were born into a much better economic environment and their spending power is much higher than that of their parents' generation. They have more choices in consumption and lifestyle.
This has a positive side. They share a more positive and open attitude towards mainstream culture. Various cultural forms produced within these groups, in turn, enrich society.
However, there are also concerns, Zhang claims. The younger generation has benefited less from the benefits of intergenerational communication. Their values and cultural choices need to be understood. The young generation needs more ways to communicate with other generations.
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