The relationship between an aging population and declining birth rates is a fundamental demographic issue. As the proportion of elderly individuals rises, societies increasingly recognize the challenges associated with an aging demographic. This realization often prompts efforts to counteract declining birth rates. Even so, aging and declining birth rates frequently occur concurrently, as observed in countries such as China, Russia, and Japan, among others.
Declining birth rate also results in the immaturization of the population, where the full extent of the associated crisis is often underestimated where its potential impacts on societal stability could be significant.
Recently, during the World Cup qualifiers, the Chinese football team suffered a staggering 0-7 defeat to Japan, causing a national uproar. Xu Liang, a former player and current coach, remarked, "Today's players barely train and are extremely averse to hardship. They complain even about two sessions a day, whereas the Chinese table tennis team trains four times a day to achieve success". Similarly, the once-glorious volleyball teams have faced challenges; renowned coach Lang Ping once expressed frustration, stating that Chinese players need to be persuaded by coaches to train, whereas foreign players are willing to pay coaches to train with them.
When individuals fail to mature, their understanding of societal matters often remains naïve and based on assumptions. They harbor numerous dreams that frequently shift and evolve, yet they rarely invest significant effort or dedication into realizing these dreams. Instead, they are quick to abandon one aspiration for another。
Individuals who remain immature are often deeply attached to their "toys", with smartphones serving as the contemporary equivalent for recent generations experiencing declining birth rates. The justification for the pervasive use of these "toys" is remarkably simplistic: "Everyone is using them". The situation has reached such an extreme that smartphones have essentially become an extension of the human body that is perpetually present and inextricable.
Marriage, on the other hand, is dismissed as a trivial matter. In contemporary society, individuals are increasingly self-centered, either choosing not to marry or treating marriage as a mere game. The consequences of this attitude can be severe; there has been a notable increase in cases of violence related to marital disputes. This trend reflects the inability of those who remain immature to handle serious commitments, resulting in violent outbursts when faced with the pressures of such relationships.
Knowledge and learning have been reduced to a narrowly utilitarian concept: a means to pass exams. As such, books are treated as mere tools to handle exams. This examination-centric approach has constrained multiple generations, confining their intellectual engagement to the limits of academic assessments. As a result, they lack an appreciation for the broader scope of knowledge and the importance of critical thinking, objectivity, and neutrality, leading to stunted intellectual growth. Hence, such individuals remain imprisoned within the limitations imposed by their narrow scope of knowledge.
Similarly, the notions of war and conflict are frequently trivialized and treated as if they were mere games, which diminishes the profound seriousness of war. Consequently, there is a misplaced belief in assured survival, reminiscent of the confidence found within virtual gaming contexts, which fails to grasp the true gravity and complexities of real-world conflict.
When it comes to working life, it is often perceived as an obligatory burden. For many, the ideal is to accumulate substantial wealth without engaging in employment, just like the inheritance stories they heard in childhood. The concept of building success from the ground up is viewed as a narrative for others, not a reality they embrace. Their focus is on avoiding overtime and minimizing effort while expecting substantial financial rewards. They remain skeptical of the notion that Americans, despite the perception of Europeans, are among the hardest-working individuals globally. They are also inclined to believe in the idealized narratives of "leisure" and "casual work" promoted by companies like Google, overlooking the reality that mainstream American businesses often operate under a highly competitive and demanding ethos.
These younger generations are deeply shaped by films and fictional narratives, rendering them highly vulnerable to various forms of deception. Their perspectives on issues ranging from financial management and passive lifestyles to their love of luxury goods, are all influenced by these childhood stories. As a result, their cognitive frameworks have become simplistic and pliable, lacking in complexity and depth, and easily manipulated by others.
As a result, they often fail to grasp processes, timelines, historical contexts, and the broader societal systems. They perceive the world in binary terms, seeing it as either black or white, left or right. This tendency leads them to oscillate between extremes and makes them susceptible to adopting or admiring radical figures and ideologies, such as Hamas or Che Guevara.
The immaturized young people from declining birthrate demographics often exhibit a propensity for entitlement rather than contribution, as they perceive the latter as the domain of "adults" with whom they feel they have not yet identified. A prevalent concern among these individuals is the question of why others have resources or advantages that they do not. This query is frequently voiced, such as why economy-class passengers must queue while first-class passengers do not, or why financial institutions hold substantial wealth while they personally do not.
The societal impact of immaturization due to declining birth rates is considerable. The rebellious tendencies often observed in these individuals do not necessarily diminish with age. Instead, they may persist or even intensify due to collective social influences, resulting in grave consequences. They frequently respond to perceived injustices through collective action. For example, if a school enforces a ban on mobile phones, affected individuals may engage in coordinated protests, operating under the assumption that such collective efforts will address their concerns and accomplish their goals.
The idea of raising children primarily to secure support in old age is increasingly seen as unrealistic in contemporary and future China. This is because younger generations not only find it challenging to provide for the elderly but also require ongoing support themselves.
The profound impact of immaturization due to declining birth rates will undoubtedly alter the world. This is a genuine concern as the world will inevitably evolve across generations, influenced by these demographic shifts. The changes will reflect the preferences of the younger generations. Accustomed to gaming, they may reshape the world to mirror the dynamics of gaming environments. For example, they might advocate replacing traditional car dashboards with digital displays, overlooking potential safety risks and traffic regulations. Their preference for mobile phones could lead to the predominance of mobile payment systems, despite practical challenges such as power outages. Such issues are often perceived as the concern of "adults," rather than their own.
The issue of immaturization caused by declining birth rates spans multiple generations and cannot be neatly divided by temporal periods but rather identified through specific characteristics. It is important to note that individuals exhibiting such traits do not constitute a homogeneous group within any given generation. Rather, they represent a significant proportion. Despite being a proportion of the population, this demographic still forms a distinct group with the potential to profoundly impact the future of society. Conversely, individuals within the same generation who do not exhibit these traits are likely to be considered elite members of society.
Final analysis conclusion:
The phenomenon of immaturization, when affecting only a singular individual, may be considered tolerable and manageable. However, when it constitutes a significant proportion across multiple generations, it becomes a fundamental basis for a societal crisis, as it clearly threatens social stability. Over a decade ago, we recognized and warned of such a crisis, and it is now evident that this has become irreversible. Looking to the future, it is anticipated that various alarming incidents will continue to emerge, with the situation of declining birth rates in China likely to intensify further.
