China’s 80′s Generation : Sexually Liberal, Traditionally Minded

Wednesday was China’s annual “Singles Day” (11/11 , 光棍节). Many bachelors announced their single’s declaration that is, “Single is simple, double is trouble, triangle is terrible, multiple is miracle!” on their QQ and XiaoNei (Renren) pages. It seems that many bachelors worry about their single lives, but many actually enjoy the life of a bachelor. Many could find a boyfriend, but instead choose not to. The 80′s Generation enjoy their single lives, because they’ve grown up in a single family household. They also prefer to share their feelings with a computer rather than with their friends.

But also because of this, when the 80′s Generation find true love, they enjoy the true love. But growing up in a single child household also means that independence is perpetual; love is hard to maintain and it often makes it difficult to live with others.

So what would happen if China’s first generation of single children live together? This is the premise of the popular TV show that goes by the name of i-Partment. i-Partment is an 80′s generation comedy about love that puts 7 single 80′s Generation guys into one apartment. In the show many humorous and heart-warming story-lines occur.

My friends like the show very much and often tell me to watch it. However, I feel the show is too idealized because we can’t find these situations in our real life. The show makes the 80′s generation look too exaggerated and free, when really their intrinsic characters are conservative and serious; not a realistic contradiction. They are looking for people with similar feelings who they can date, but they also want to find someone suitable to marry.

The 80′s Generation are longing for freedom, as well as owning a traditional mind. According to conversations with my friends as well as looking at many online conversations, It is understood that about 50% girls can’t accept premarital sex. About 30% of girls are dependent on the situation, and about 20% of girls are indifferent to premarital sex. But if you ask a member of the 80′s Generation if they care their friends are having sex, they probably don’t mind. This is partially due to the opening of Chinese society, as well as the internationalization of China. Thus, their minds are not locally limited and they understand today’s issues, like sex. However their core essence is of a traditional mind.

There have been many messages about 80′s marriage put online. Chinese media focuses on the fact that an 80′s Generation marriage only lasts for 2 months. This causes people to feel that the life of an 80′s Generation person is a debauchery. Of course the 80′s Generation doesn’t want to divorce so quickly, but if they’re not fit for each other, then what can they do? This means a divorce is inevitable. In fact, this also represents that they are really serious about their lives and their responsibilities for each other.

In conclusion, it’s my opinion that the 80′s Generation mindset is a combination of a 60′s Generation family background education with 21st Century surroundings; a dangerous mix. And Chinese society needn’t worry about their love and their marriage life. The 80′s Generation have thoughts and basic principles that do not deviate from traditional society. The only thing that Chinese society should do is give us  more space to breathe and let us make our own decisions.

(This opinionated article was written by our own 80′s Generation love guru, Sunnie Qin)