“Kong Yiji Literature” has sprung up in the online community. Chinese young people imitate Lu Xun’s writings of Kong Yiji’s quotations, mocking themselves and mocking themselves for studying hard for many years but not being able to find a good job. (Getty Images)
[TheEpochTimesMarch192023](Epoch Times reporters Yi Ru and Li Yun interviewed and reported) Chinese young people have experienced introversion and lying down, and recently “Kong Yiji Literature” has risen in the online community. They imitated the quotations of Kong Yiji written by Lu Xun, mocked themselves and ridiculed themselves for studying hard for many years but might not find a good job, expressing their dissatisfaction with the status quo. Comments indicated that young people are now awakening to reality and are no longer being fooled by the authorities’ propaganda.
“If I hadn’t gone to college, then I would have felt at ease (going to the factory) to drive screws, but there is no if.”
“When I was in school, I thought Kong Yiji was ridiculous, but I didn’t expect that Kong Yiji, who can’t take off his long gown, is actually me.”
“Education is a high platform that I can’t get down from, and it’s a gown that Kong Yiji can’t take off.”
“A young man doesn’t understand Kong Yiji, but he is already a man of books if he understands it.”
Kong Yiji was a poor scholar described by the writer Lu Xun in the last century. Wearing a long gown, he was full of words, but he was not admitted as a scholar. Although his life was poor, he still had the nobility of a literati, which made him unable to let go of his figure. He is The only person in the Xianheng Hotel who was drinking while standing and wearing a long gown.
Kong Yiji’s situation resonated with many young people today. The resulting “Kong Yiji Literature” has sprung up in Chinese online communities, and has recently been on the hot search list.
Li Yuanhua, a historian in Australia and a former associate professor at the School of Educational Sciences of Capital Normal University, told The Epoch Times that the upsurge in Kong Yiji’s literature reflects the helplessness of young people towards the status quo.
“Because in the education from childhood to adulthood, what we get from society, family, and school is “If you study hard, you will have a good future in the end.” Now everyone studies hard, but a good future is invisible. But I can’t let go of my figure. So it’s actually a kind of helpless state of mind from society, family, and personal expectations to reality.”
Some netizens lamented that 20 years ago, a graduate of Peking University caused an uproar in China by selling pork. Now, following failing to start a business, a Peking University student may have to deliver food, deliver express delivery, or work as a cleaner in a hot pot restaurant. The reality is worse than the other.
Recently, a female college student in Hunan Province sent a video to lament, “What’s the point of me going to college” following being unsuccessful in more than 30 interviews.
Mr. Lin, who graduated from university and is looking for a job in Guangzhou, told The Epoch Times that it is really difficult to find a job that suits him now. “I don’t want to work in a factory as an assembly line. I yearn for a job with more freedom.” Mr. Lin has yet to find a job. .”
Mr. Bai, who is currently working in a law firm in Beijing, told The Epoch Times that he was lucky. He found a job soon following graduating from university two years ago. “Because I majored in law, it was easier to find a job.”
But he said that due to the current economic downturn and the overall situation of the employment environment is not good, it is difficult for postgraduates to find a job. The overall trend is that young people are lying flat.
“College students don’t want to take off the “Kong Yiji gown”. I think it’s normal. Now there are many civil servants in China. Why do you want to take the civil servant test? Compared with everyone, it’s better to be a civil servant. (But) I think it’s more difficult. It may take several years to pass the exam. If you fail the exam, stay at home.”
Mr. Bai also said that the fact that college students cannot find jobs following graduation has something to do with the increasing number of college graduates every year.
Factors contributing to the current situation of young people
Since 2015, the number of college graduates in China has continued to hit new highs. The mainland media have reported on each year with eye-catching headlines such as “the most graduates in history”, “the most difficult graduation season” and “the most difficult year to find a job”. Statistics show that the number of college graduates will reach 10.76 million in 2022.
However, most college graduates have never been told regarding the annual changes in the employment situation throughout their student careers. Students only care regarding the employment situation in society when they choose their majors in the college entrance examination.
“Actually, the real situation of young people is also related to the CCP’s education system.” Li Yuanhua said that the CCP’s blind expansion of enrollment in the process of large-scale education industrialization has caused many cities to use loans to build university towns, and university loans to run some so-called popular majors.
“However, the school does not really meet the needs of the society in cultivating talents, but pursues some hot spots, just like industries. As long as someone pays the tuition fee, then I will do whatever major. The final future of the students has nothing to do with me.” Li Yuanhua said, This is a contradiction caused by the unbalanced development of the educational system and the entire higher education and the unbalanced social needs.
“Moreover, the CCP’s zero-clearing policy for more than three years caused the economy to decline in an all-round way, and the entire economy and industry collapsed. Therefore, employment is more severe than ever. People who have received higher education, including those who have expectations for their own future, should be a In society, there is a huge gap with this reality, which is why this situation has been created.”
Officials Sing Red and White Face to Promote Party Media Values
“Kong Yiji Literature” reflects the general dissatisfaction of young people with the status quo, which has aroused the vigilance of the CCP authorities. The official media CCTV published a commentary on the 16th, calling for the anxiety behind “Kong Yiji’s literature” to be faced up to. Comments frankly admit that it is difficult to find jobs and incomes are declining; laments for young people do not need to be criticized online. At the same time, he said that the whole society will not stand by and watch the plight of young people.
However, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League directly criticizes “Kong Yiji Literature” as an “unnecessary insult” to young people who keep their own lives and study hard. The comment stated that if there is an “inexhaustible long gown” in mind, it may miss the way out of full employment.
Huang Jinqiu, a senior media person from mainland China, told The Epoch Times that the government must promote the values of the party media to young people who are underappreciated or even unwilling to put in too much effort to find low-level jobs and who think of themselves as Kong Yi.
“I saw a very funny notice. Didi sent a notice to car drivers, saying that there are few orders now, and many of you can’t get jobs. You can go to our contracted cooperative units-Midea, Gree and other electrical factories to drive screws.”
“Dong Mingzhu, the boss of Gree, made it clear that college students can come to me to make screws. In other words, the current trend of public opinion in this society and the direction of the party media are encouraging young people, college students, and high-achieving students to go to the factory to make screws, or even work in the factory. The work of cleaners. Because the overall economic environment is not good, and the society cannot provide you with jobs, the government cannot solve this problem now.”
Li Yuanhua said that behind the government’s desire for college students to put down their figure, there is actually a problem. “If the figure is too much, and some children are still borrowing money to study, then the family also hopes that he can have a good job following graduation. Go and pay back the money owed.”
Li Yuanhua said that no matter how the authorities push the problem on young people, the reality of the society as a whole is that young people, regardless of their educational background, have no jobs at all, and society does not have this demand.
“This is not simply a question of whether to let go of his figure, but whether he can survive and whether he can fulfill the family’s expectations of him, or complete the repayment of the family’s debts, complete the changes of the entire family, and the changes in the situation. his expectations.”
The rhetoric of the official media kept turning over in the comment section. Many young people commented on the official account of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and Weibo that instead of accusing young people of being unable to put down their bodies to find a job, it is better to first implement the labor law and protect workers’ rights. “I would like to ask the official media, since there is no high or low level of work, why are there different levels of work remuneration, pensions, and social benefits?”
Due to too many negative comments, CCTV.com opened selected comments under the article and only showed positive comments. The WeChat official account of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League closed the comment function for this comment.
Huang Jinqiu said, “If a college student with dozens or hundreds of cleaners applies for a job, he won’t be able to get the job of a cleaner. If she pays her salary, it’s okay for her parents to pay her if they have a salary, and give him a little money, so what if the parents don’t have a salary?”
Li Yuanhua said that today’s young people will not follow the trend because of the government’s propaganda or a guide, because the reality is cruel, and it cannot be changed by following the trend.
“When a young man faces the reality, he will not be swayed by these lies and this deceit. He will really think regarding the problems in life he is facing and how to live.”
Responsible editor: Fang Xiao#
