Taiwan Today

Taiwan's twentysomethings stand out from the generations before them. Literally. They even look different. With better nutrition, the younger generation has grown sig­nificantly taller and bigger than their elders. Meanwhile, an increasingly prosperous and internationalized society has given them access to imported designer clothing and trendy haircuts.

They speak differently too. Their grandparents are comfortable with Japanese and their parents speak regional dialects such as Taiwanese and Hakka, but Mandarin-especially in Taipei-is the language of choice among twentysomethings. And most have a basic handle on English. All studied three years of it in junior high; the two-thirds who went on to high school studied another three years.

Most importantly, they think differ­ently. Their lifestyles, priorities, and goals are vastly different from those of their elders. While their grandparents knew Taiwan as a poor Japanese colony and their parents knew the island as an agricultural backwater, those born between 1963 and 1973 know Taiwan as an island booming with industrial growth. The twenty-year-olds grew up in a place with American fast food, movies from Hong Kong, and video games from Japan. While those who began working in 1963 entered a work force with an average per capita income of US$166 per year, those who began working in 1992 joined a society with roughly a US$9,000 average per capita income and an unemployment rate of less than 2 percent.

Much of the generation gap stems from today's twentysomethings being better off financially than their elders ever thought possible. Consider 20-year-old Michael Wu, a part-time salesclerk in a men's clothing boutique in Taichung. Wu (not his real name) gets US$600 a month in pocket money from his parents. Most of this money, as well as the US$400 he earns at his job each month, goes toward new clothes, entertainment, and eating out. He sees little point in saving money since his parents have provided well for him. "My parents have many houses," Wu says. "They'll belong to me and my younger brother someday."

Or listen to Wang Jo-hua (王若華), a 29-year-old travel agent in Taipei who spends much of her earnings on traveling abroad. Wang took her first overseas vacation-to Thailand-at age twenty-two; now she makes four shopping trips to Hong Kong each year and vacations in Europe every eighteen months. Usually she travels alone or with a few friends. It is something that her parents never considered doing at her age. "It was impossible for my parents to travel," Wang says. "They didn't have the money. They worked very hard to raise four kids."

Wang plans to marry, eventually, but hopes not to change her lifestyle. When asked to describe an ideal spouse, financial stability ranks high. "Naturally the wealthier, the better," she says. "It would be wonderful if I didn't have to work after I got married."

Stories like these make Taiwans' older generations fear that the young people are losing the traditional values of frugality, diligence, and self-sacrifice. Is this Taiwan's equivalent to America's yuppie generation? Chan Hou-sheng (詹火生), chair of National Taiwan University's Department and Graduate Insti­tute of Sociology, believes that today's young adults are simply a product of a changed society. He points to several major changes that took place during the twenty somethings' formative years. "Taiwan's economy began to progress rapidly and the per capita income really started climbing in the 1960s," Chan says. "Parents who had been through the financially tough period after the government moved to Taiwan in 1949 were eager to give their children the best material life they could."

The changing role of women has also had an impact on young people. Women began joining the work force in substan­tial numbers in the late 1960s. In 1968, 32 percent of women over age 15 were working; by 1990, 47 percent had jobs outside the home. To compensate for spending less time with their children, modern parents often spent money on them instead.

Families also started having fewer children during the 1960s. Many of to­day's twenty-year-olds grew up with one or no siblings. "These children tended to become self-centered because they didn't learn to share with others while growing up," Chan says. "They are less concerned about society and have less compassion for others. They also care less about family ties because they were trained from an early age to be independent."

The result? Young people have gained a reputation for being self­centered, materialistic, and disinterested in social issues. "To find out how concerned young people are about national and international affairs, simply ask how many college students start with the front page when reading a newspaper," says Sabastian Hsien-hao Liao (廖咸浩), assistant professor of English literature at National Taiwan University. "The answer is very few."

There are several noteworthy exceptions to this criticism. In protest of the Tienanmen massacre in 1989, thousands of local young people joined in massive demonstrations in Taipei. Many donated money and blood, and attempted to send newspaper reports of the violence to the mainland. In 1990, ten thousand students from around the island took part in a seven-day sit-in demonstration in Taipei to push the government to retire the senior national assemblymen voted into office in 1947. And last April, about 4,000 students joined a demonstration calling for direct elections of the president.

Even so, young people are largely seen as apathetic and materialistic. Says Chang Chin-li (張錦麗), an executive secretary for the Taipei Modem Women's Foundation, "They are still at the stage where their major concern is 'me.'" Chang has a difficult time attracting volunteers in their twenties. "They might be enthusiastic about helping, but they don't want to do dirty work such as handing out fliers on the streets," she says. "Personal image is very important to them."

In addition, some analysts worry about young people's lack of interest in preserving Chinese culture. "People in Taiwan are losing their cultural identity, especially young people," says sociologist Chan Hou­-sheng. "It is the older generation's fault. We failed to provide them with an environment in which they could learn about their own culture. I often say: Chinese culture exists in the National Palace Museum. You don't see it in our daily lives except that we eat Chinese food with chopsticks. Without a cultural identity, a country's very survival is in danger."

Perhaps most shocking to the older population is young people's changing at­titudes toward filial duty. Today, some twenty-year-olds are not continuing the centuries-old custom of caring for one's parents-financially and physically-in old age. Wang Liang-i (王量一), a 25-year­-old real-estate agent in Taipei, for example, doesn't plan on supporting his parents in old age because he simply won't be able to afford it. "I'd love to if I had the money," he says. "But its going to be very hard with living expenses so high in Taiwan."

Such attitudes are not unusual today. In a recent National Taiwan University study on elderly parents and adult chil­dren, 80 percent of the parents questioned said they were willing to live with their children, but only 67 percent of children questioned were willing to house their parents. "Apparently the age-old concept is changing among the youth," says Chan Hou-sheng. "They don't consider it to be an inescapable obligation any more."

This change is due in part to the in­creasing cost of living in Taiwan. Although young people are making more money than their parents did, they face a rapidly rising cost of living and greater pressure to achieve material success. Taipei now rivals Tokyo as Asia's most expensive city. As Wang Liang-i puts it, "You have to take care of yourself before you can help someone else, right?"

Many young people simply want independence-a concept that was unheard of among older generations. In the past, children were allowed to move out of their parent's home only when married. Today, it is becoming accepted, even cool, for young people to live alone. Those who do marry are marrying late­64 percent of the 3.8 million local people in their twenties are unmarried-and some of them are putting off marriage altogether. Tsai Yao-tuan (蔡瑤顓), a su­pervisor at Yumaowu Japanese super­market chain in Taichung, explains her view on marriage: "If the right person doesn't come along, I guess I will be a single noble," says the 27-year-old. She is referring to the new class of single people identified in the best-selling book Single Nobles, by Huang Ming-chien. Published in 1989, the book celebrated Huang's own experiences as a single woman. The term 'single nobles' was quickly adopted by unmarried young adults.

A 1992 Ministry of Interior (MOI) survey on lifestyles shows how views on marriage are changing. Only 8.5 percent of the 1,400 young people interviewed felt that marriage is a must. The rest either disagreed or had no opinion. Concerning cohabitation, 22 percent of 20-year-olds said it is an acceptable option, while 15 percent of 30-year-olds and 8 percent of 50-year-olds agreed.

Breaking another cultural taboo, young people who do marry are delaying or foregoing having children. Radio deejay Chang Yen-tien (張硯田), 29, plans to marry this year and is struggling with the question of children. "The only thing I am afraid of," he says, "is that I wouldn't have children to visit me when I am old."

Divorce is another former no-no that is gaining acceptance, especially among the younger population. While 4,500 couples were divorced in 1961, the number rose to 28,000 by 1991. According to the MOI survey, 60 percent of twentysomethings accept the concept of divorce, while only 25 percent of fortysomethings do.

"With love, the young generation has an easy come, easy go attitude," says Mike Chow (鄒光華), managing director of Viewpoint Research and Consulting, a market research firm in Taipei. He jokingly refers to them as the "fast-food" generation. "They are simply more pragmatic. Once they decide a relationship is not going to work out, they want out. Staying together is a waste of their time and energy."

Such independent attitudes are evident at work as well. Liao Han-tai (廖翰代), a 33-year-old senior nurse at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei, looks at the younger nurses with mixed feelings. "They are not afraid to speak their mind," she says. "At the same time, they get in­dignant easily when asked to do things. When I was their age, I did everything I was asked to do. You took orders. You didn't question."

Mike Chow adds that the family-like relationship that used to exist between many employers and employees has been lost. "Many younger employees approach work with this attitude: Let me see what you have to offer first. Then I'll see what I can do in exchange," Chow says. "There is little human kindness between the two sides anymore."

But the twentysomethings are bring­ing new skills to the work place as well. They are better educated than any gen­eration before them. The MOI estimates that 99.8 percent of those aged 20 to 30 are literate, compared with 84 percent among those aged 50 to 60. In addition to receiving a more extensive compulsory education and more chances to continue to high school and college, today's twenty-year-olds have more opportunities to study abroad. And students are now specializing in subjects totally alien to the older generations. For example, many of the most popular majors at National Tai­wan University-such as computer sci­ence and biochemistry-were virtually unknown to students two decades ago.

Anne Tseng (曾瑞枝), corporate communications director for Acer Sertek Inc., Taiwan's largest computer company, points out that young people have unique strengths as employees. Compared with older staff members, twentysomethings tend to be more creative, more willing to take risks, and more open to new ideas. "Another thing: they are very good at interpersonal communications since they are generally very outgoing," Tseng continues. "They know how to network and best use their contacts-something the same age-­group didn't learn ten years ago."

The downside to hiring young employees, according to Tseng, is that if they feel that their career is advancing too slowly, they will quit to find something better. High turnover among young employees has become a major concern for many local companies.

"They cannot wait to get the old guy's position," Mike Chow jokes. In general, he views the ambitious nature of the young people on his staff as "healthy" for the company. But he asks, "What's their hurry? Once they learn something, they think they know everything and they want to be their own boss."

Kuo Hung-ming (郭宏明), 29, is one such fast-mover. At twenty-six, he left his job at a Taipei advertising company to open his own toy shop. He explains that this was the only way he could meet his goal of making NT$10 million (US$400,000) before turning forty. "Then I want to travel around the world," Kuo says. Using money loaned by his father, he opened a store in Taipei in 1989, then opened a second in Taichung last year. "I would never be able to reach my goal if I had continued to work for someone else," he says.

Professor Chan Hou-sheng believes the twentysomethings' drive to make quick money is in part a product of the casino-like atmosphere that has taken hold in Taiwan with the recent boom in popu­larity of lotteries and stock-market in­vesting. Chan says, "They ask, 'If someone can get rich overnight, why should I wait for ten or twenty years?'"

Liu Te-i (劉德一), 25, a computer engineer at Tai-ding Development and Management Inc. in Taichung, recalls making money hand-over-fist by writing computer programs for the illegal ta-chia­-le lottery while studying at Tunghai University. "I made the most money in my life," says Liu. "With the money, I bought my car, stereo, VCR, television, refrigera­tor, and furniture."

The most distinctive, and most criticized, characteristic of the young generation is their penchant for spending money. For a growing number of young profession­als, it is common to set aside one-third of their salary for clothing and entertain­ment. Twenty-nine-year-old Jacqueline Chang, a secretary for a U.S.-based trad­ing company in Taipei, is one such power shopper. During recent buying spree, Chang dropped NT$17,500 (US$700) on five pairs of Italian-made shoes-more than half of her monthly salary of NT$30,000 (US$1,200). "Everyone is do­ing this," Chang explains. "If I didn't buy those shoes, I would have been upset. I wouldn't have been able to sleep."

"Spending helps to balance their work pressure," Mike Chow says. "And don't forget that they grew up with TV. They are easily influenced by TV adver­tising." The majority of Taiwan's televi­sion ads are targeted at people under thirty. Chow points to a phrase from a TV drink commercial that has become a slogan of sorts for the young generation: "If I like it, why not?"

Toy-store owner Kuo Hung-ming points out that many young people buy as a reaction to peer pressure. "People look up to people with money regardless of where the money came from," he says, adding that looks are very important in Taiwan. "People judge a person's wealth by what they wear." In addition, cellular phones have become such a popular status symbol that local movie theaters have had to put up signs asking audience members to turn their phones off during a show.

Where do young people get their money? "They know how to spend, but they also know how to make money," explains Mike Chow. Although the aver­age monthly income of people between 20 and 24 in Taiwan is around US$860, the actual figure is higher for the people who moonlight at second and third jobs, some of which are not taxed. Driving a taxi, or working in discos, karaoke bars, or night clubs are popular extra jobs for young people.

Perhaps the most significant factor affecting spending habits is the fast-rising cost of buying a home. Until recently, having a home of one's own was a major mark of success and therefore a primary goal for young adults. But today, home prices have risen so fast and become so high that many people have given up on saving for one.

Those who are saving for a home must take drastic action. Steve Juang (莊鴻俊), a 29-year-old investment ana­lyst at Aetna Life Insurance Co. in Taipei, puts half of his monthly earnings into buying stocks or into the coffee shop that he and several friends now own. He fig­ures his only hope for buying a home is by making big returns on these investments. Meanwhile, Taipei car-wash attendant Chow Shi-Chung (周世崇), 29, washes about 400 cars a day, and tucks away nearly two-thirds of the NT$80,000 (US$3,200) he earns monthly in the hopes of owning a place of his own.

Even with such drastic measures, many young people doubt that they can afford a home. Local newspapers report that it will take an average working person thirty-one years of saving in order to buy a new, average-priced apartment in Taipei. Real-estate prices have been soaring in Taiwan since the mid-1980s, rising as much as 500 percent in some parts of Taipei. The lack of affordable housing has become one of the biggest social difficul­ties facing Taiwan residents. Thousands of young people have joined a protest group nicknamed "Snails Without Shells," to demonstrate against rising prices.

In many ways, breaking the long­ standing tradition of scrimping and saving for a home illustrates the new values and priorities that many of Taiwan's young people have adopted. After all, Taiwan has come a long way from the struggles their parents went through and those in their twenties want to enjoy the fruits of the is­land's economic successes. If owning an apartment has become impossible, why not rent one and spend your money on a car or a trip to Europe? Wang Liang-i sums up the feelings of many of his fellow twentysomethings when he says, "If I can't ever own a place of my own, why not just enjoy the money I have? Life is too short."

Samuel Wang, 27.
Marital status: single.
Education:college graduate.
Occupation: account executive, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising (Taiwan) Co.
Location: Taipei.

How do you define "living the good life," and what are the biggest obstacles to achieving this in Taiwan?

In my ideal life, I would be in full control of my environment and my time. In terms of living environment, I hope to have my own house and car. In terms of time, I want to have enough time for work, family, and leisure activities. I work long hours now because I am just starting in my career. I am a family-oriented person. In the future, I hope to spend half of my time with my family.

I hope to have decent pay, a good job, and my own family. In pursuing an ideal life, I am confident that as long as I work hard, I can make it. Maybe I am luckier than other young people because my par­ents have already bought me an apartment. I don't have to struggle for one. With today's sky-high real-estate prices, buying an apartment is an impossible dream for the young generation. Now, speculation in the stock market is ram­pant. Also, the mass media makes a big deal about business tycoons and overnight millionaires. This may mislead and depress most people. The public reads only about the success of these people, not about their struggles. As a result, many are never satisfied with their own salary. This is really a bad influence on society. I have been affected to some degree by this as well.

Wang Pei-ling, 28.
Marital status: married, one child.
Education: M.A. degree.
Occupation: lecturer, Kaohsiung Junior College of Technology.
Location: Kaohsiung.

What does "living the good life" mean to you?

An ideal life would include moving to a bigger house which could accommodate our two cars. I just want a house large enough for us to live comfortably. The most important thing is to have fresh air.

In terms of a spiritual life, my hopes are that my husband won't have an affair, my kids will grow up to be charming, and that I can further my education. To achieve the last wish, the most important thing is, of course, money. Basically, my husband is not opposed to me furthering my studies. If I study again, I want to get a doctorate in teaching English as a second language. Recently, the college re­cruited more than thirty professors with Ph.D. degrees. The school no longer re­cruits those with only an M.A. degree. I feel strong pressure to continue my education.

What are the biggest obstacles to a high quality of life in Taiwan?

Air pollution and other problems. I really admire the way the houses are ar­ranged in the United States. There are gardens and garages, and spaces between houses. It will be difficult to reduce crowding in Taiwan because space is limited. Air pollution may improve­ aren't there some pollution restrictions? We live close to heavy industries such as petrochemical plants; they create a pol­luted environment. Of course we are concerned about the health of our kids.

Cheng Shuang-li, 28.
Marital status: single.
Education: high-school graduate.
Occupation: manager of a family-owned convenience store.
Location: Nantou, central Taiwan.

Are you better off than your parents were at your age?

Yes. I can afford most of the things I want. For instance, when my parents were young, they couldn't afford imported U.S. apples. When I was young, my parents could buy a few apples, but they were quite expensive and were saved for the children. The five kids in my family had to share one apple. Now I can buy as many apples as I like. I can even throw them out when they go soft.

My parents have spent their whole lives working and taking care of children. They didn't have the time or energy to fur­ther their education. Now my younger brother and I work long hours in the store, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week. We earn around NT$50,000 [US$2,000] a month. But I travel abroad once a year as a kind of reward and educa­tional investment. I have been to Indonesia, Hawaii, and the U.S. mainland. I like to meet different people and see new things. I consider this a way to enrich my life.

Huang Chi-ke, 26.
Marital status: single.
Education: vocational high-school graduate.
Occupation: warehouse worker for a computer manufacturer; part-owner of a computer accessories retail shop.
Location: Chungli, central Taiwan.

Are you better off than your parents were at your age?

Generally speaking, the living stan­dard in Taiwan is much better than it was thirty years ago. I earn NT$25,000 [US$1,000] a month. I give it all to my parents, and they give me the pocket money I need. I am quite satisfied with my present situation. The company I work for is a good one. It's growing steadily and offers good benefits and a pension plan. I have dreamed of having a town house in the future. But houses are so expensive in Taiwan, my dream may not come true. Anyway, at least my par­ents have a house and I can live with them.

What's your definition of "the good life"? What do you consider the biggest obstacles to achieving this in Taiwan?

The thing that bothers me most is that my parents are pushing me to get married as soon as possible because I'm the only son and they can't wait to have grandsons. My girlfriend is only 21, and she doesn't want to get married so young.

I've only planned my life a few years ahead. I hope to have the opportunity to take some English and computer classes. My boss once told me that if my English was good enough, he would send me to Germany to work in our branch office". At the moment, my main task is to increase my knowledge.

He Ming-wei, 25.
Marital status: single.
Education: vocational high-school graduate.
Occupation: owner of a make-up and facial massage shop.
Location: Taipei.

What does "living the good life" mean for you? I enjoy my life now. Besides work, I go to restaurants, night clubs, and KTV, [karoake bars] on weekends.

My parents still work in the fruit orchard back in my home town. They have devoted all their lives to work. They don't know how to arrange their lives. I go back to visit them once in a while, but I am not used to life in the countryside. I don't know what to do there. Although the traffic in Taipei is bad, I am used to traf­fic jams and high-rises. I like life in Taipei. Being alone, I have freedom. I don't have to report to anyone when I go out. I don't like to be controlled. I am responsi­ble for my own behavior.

What are the obstacles to a good quality of life in Taiwan? Do you expect these to get better or worse in the next ten to twenty years?

I don't have a clear picture about what my life will be like in ten or twenty years. I think money is important. The older I get, the more I value money. Life is cruel, isn't it? No plan can be realized without money. With money in hand, you can go anywhere; without it, you can go nowhere. I hope that twenty years from now I'll be financially independent. To reach this goal, I may have to expand my business. I am going to employ several people. The best scenario would be that I marry a rich man. Then I could work just for interest, not money.

Lin Han-kun, 30.
Marital status: married with three kids.
Education: vocational high-school graduate.
Occupation: skilled laborer, China Steel Corp.
Location: Kaohsiung.

What is the biggest obstacle to en­joying a high quality of life?

In the evening, after the kids get home from school, we sometimes go out for dinner. We expect to have a pleasant evening. But once we leave the house, it's all traffic jams and parking problems.

People should be more considerate. For example, they shouldn't just park wherever they want to-and, if possible, not drive at all when running small errands. People are becoming more selfish.

Of course, quality of life consists of other elements, too. For example after work I want to go home, rest, and listen to music, but the motorcycles outside always make a racket. Also, there are too few places for recreation. Now that traffic is worsening and social order is deterio­rating, the government should do something to reduce our anxiety. I feel strongly that to have a high-quality life, not only should we be able to meet our material needs, but all sectors of society should understand the importance of upgrading the living environment.

Do you expect these problems to get better or worse in the next decade?

If people would realize their respon­sibility to maintain social order and not create unnecessary problems, then the situation would surely improve. The government has to do something to strengthen social order and improve transportation.

Tsai Wei-ting, 27.
Marital status: married.
Education: M.A. degree.
Occupation: researcher, Department of Horticulture, Taiwan Sugar Research Institute.
Location: Tainan.

How do you define living "the good life" in Taiwan?

The first thing I think of is a happy family, well-behaved children, and an average financial status. Concerning the living environment, we can't demand much in a place like Taiwan. Of course we hope that air quality and traffic con­ditions will improve, but this is not something we can control. The best we can achieve here is getting a place of our own.

What are the biggest obstacles to a good quality of life?

Traffic jams and soaring real-estate prices. We do not hope to live in a big town house; we just want our own place, but we can't afford one. Sometimes I feel helpless. This is why people speculate. If they don't speculate, they have no hope at all. This also results in social problems such as robbery.

Will these problems be more or less difficult to overcome in ten or twenty years?

Frankly, I am not optimistic about these problems. A lot of children are spoiled now. You can imagine how they will behave in ten or twenty years. They are allowed to squander money. Taiwan's current success is the result of our parents' hard work. Even I didn't go through diffi­cult times. I don't know how the younger generation will end up, having been raised in such a comfortable environment.