Mindset

Changing identities

Personality

A better future

Chinese millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, number more than 350 million, or over 25 per cent of China’s population. While they share many characteristics with Western millennials, they are also very different. They were born in a period of exponential growth, a time of endless opportunities and optimism.

Like all Millennials, their focus is less on workplace hierarchy and more on individuality. The rise of technology and economic opportunity afforded them the ability to construct identities separated from social expectation and allows them to question the established status quo.

Personal choice is important to China’s ever-increasing youth. The young generation are more individualistic, strong-willed, and self-reliant. They value corporate responsibility, social justice, activism, and sustainability. Younger generations are more aware of environmental issues as a result of consumerism and are choosing to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle.

Chinese youth are exploring and developing self-identities through new and interesting life experiences. Diverse cultural influences are helping them to establish their values and lifestyles. Although restricted, they express themselves online and learn about topics society does not readily discuss.

Young Chinese internet users experience different senses of belonging in different social media spaces. They develop multiple identities, both online and offline, switching between roles, the new world and the old world. AI judges you and selects applicants for jobs. Identity management is important, how to look good in the eyes of AI?

They belong to multiple groups online, connecting offline is more difficult. Urbanization and the migration of working-age men and women from villages to cities have left older and younger generations isolated and lonely. Technology can help to connect but can also prevent people from meeting others in real life.

Identity management

Values

Belonging

Code-switching

Out of this world  by CLOT — Out of this world by CLOT

Humanoid robot Jiajia by the University of Science and Technology of China

Work

9-9-6

Asia is online and booming. Today it already accounts for half (2.2 billion) of the world’s internet users; China and India alone account for one-third.

Hard work and humility have always been part of Chinese culture. 9-9-6 is more common than western 9-5. It is an always-on, rapid speed economy. But change is on the horizon. People are starting to realize that productivity depends on employees’ health and quality of life. The workplace is a campus full of activity centers such as theater rooms, gyms and restaurants.

As China’s economy matures, low-skilled labour is rapidly being replaced by specialized services and smart manufacturing. Intelligent technologies are leading to the next wave of the industrial revolution in manufacturing. Creating a highly skilled labour force that can design, build, and program automation technologies is critical.

Smarter manufacturing fusing human knowledge with machine learning, faster decision making, and cost savings will all lead to better customer experiences.

Automation could displace up to a fifth of all manufacturing jobs, forcing nearly 100 million workers (12 per cent of the total labour force) to find new work, while it also brings with it the promise of new jobs.

Automation, artificial intelligence and digital platforms are transforming the essence of employment as we know it. The digital skills gap is widening fast. The difference between the rich and the poor and the rural and urban will divide the population.

The fourth industrial revolution is moving fast. Increased productivity, reduced equipment failures, better distribution and the introduction of enhanced products are but just a few of the perceived benefits of using machine learning in manufacturing.

Online

Quality of life

Automation

Divide

User generated content via live-streaming apps

Active

Lifestyle

Sports such as running, fitness, table tennis, basketball, but also winter sports and soccer are becoming more and more popular in China. Running is especially popular, among all age groups. Marathon fever has spread across China, with the Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing marathons placed among the most popular.

Over 15 million Chinese consumers have gym memberships while the country counts 10 million yoga practitioners. People want to eat and live healthier lives, prioritizing healthy consumption.

While the younger generation of Chinese consumers is increasingly adopting beauty and wellness practices from the West, their views and attitudes toward health are still fundamentally different. Traditional Chinese medicine have always played an integral part in the lifestyle of Chinese of all ages.

With local tourism becoming more popular, investments have been made to aid development in the country’s infrastructure, from speed trains to airports, hotels and to introduce tourism-friendly initiatives. These improvements inspire more Chinese travellers to consider local vacations such as visiting a local lake or going to places like Hai Nan.

Esports is a sporting phenomenon in China; it will soon overtake South Korea as the second-largest Esports market after the US. In 2019, the Chinese government officially recognized Esports professional and Esports operator as official job titles. Esports-related majors have been added to many of the country’s national colleges.

Running

Wellness

Gaming

Tourism

Spending

Individualism versus collectivism

Despite the reference to individualism, collectivism still remains fundamental to Chinese consumerism. Asian consumers are now starting to favour domestic brands over foreign brands. While in 2018, Chinese consumers made only 25 per cent of their purchases in China, this share is projected to increase to 50% by 2025.

Growing numbers of young Chinese living in cosmopolitan areas in China are buying into understatement, heritage and genuine quality. China’s middle class is developing a taste for high-quality design.

Thinking about the future also means reflecting on history, to a time when life felt safe and simple. Instead of luxury brands, they value brands and products with cultural meaning to redefine their social identities. Chinese millennials are leaning towards the currency of experience rather than material ownership.

The co-living concept is catching on in cities across Asia as rising property prices and a desire to connect with like-minded people lead Millennials to consider new accommodation models. The buildings also feature public spaces for social life, such as gyms, reading rooms and lounges.

WeChat launched in 2011, it is now used by over one billion Chinese people, with new functionality being added all the time. Its seamless payments service has created a cashless economy where even credit cards are viewed as anachronisms and where restaurants are booked, friends invited, food chosen and the bill split and paid for with just a few taps of your phone screen. Convenience is highly valued.