1.1 "I" represents introversion, meaning people who are introverted and socially anxious. For them, socializing is an energy-consuming process, and they need to recharge by being alone.

1.2 "E" represents extraversion, referring to those who are extroverted and socially outgoing. They gain energy through socializing and get more excited the more they socialize.

2. Reasons Why Young People Are Keen on Labeling Themselves

2.1 Easy to Remember: Labels are a quick and effective way to remember people or things. The "I" and "E" labels can enable people to quickly form a preliminary impression of others.

2.2 A Basic Method of Understanding the World:

Classification is a basic method of understanding the world. Through labels, one can quickly get to know others, improve social efficiency, and also use it as a way to quickly start a conversation and establish social connections.

2.3 Looking for a Comfort Zone: People are eager to understand themselves and find their own exclusive comfort zones. The "I" and "E" labels can intuitively show one's own personality, making the cost of interaction more "streamlined" and helping young people accurately find their like-minded peers in the crowd.

3. Negative Impacts of Blindly Applying the "I" and "E" Labels

3.1 Standing Still: After some introverted young people find out that they are "I" through testing, they will solidify their original perception, taking it for granted that they are introverted and withdrawn, being reluctant to socialize, and using it as a reason for their limited development. They even refer to it when looking for a job, a partner, or applying for school, which is not a positive direction.

3.2 Creating Prejudices or Misunderstandings: People will form stereotyped impressions of others based on the labels. For example, they may think that people who like to smile are "E" people, and those who are melancholy are "I" people, thus leading to misunderstandings and missing opportunities to make friends, because people's personalities are complex, diverse, and changeable, and the labels are not accurate.

4. What should we do?

In conclusion, while the emergence of MBTI has brought the concept of introversion and extroversion to the forefront, it does not necessarily make us more introverted. Instead, it can serve as a tool for self-discovery and improved interpersonal understanding, which may have a range of effects on how individuals perceive and express their introverted or extroverted qualities.

---赵柔臻

性暴力是指某人以你不喜欢的方式或让你感到不舒服或害怕的方式触碰你。

Female Safety: Resisting Sexual Violence

    In the wide world, there is a quiet corner with countless dark clouds, casting its dark and painful influence over the lives of numerous women and girls. Sexual violence is a crime against the very essence of human dignity, and it does not know age and gender (but it still happens mostly to females). From weak elderly women to innocent young girls, no female can escape its clutches. Even girls, who should live in the joy of childhood, are caught up in this vicious cycle. The statistics are sobering, the stories are gut-wrenching, and the impact is persistent. And it leaves an indelible hurt on the mental and physical health of victims.

   From my point of view, the root of sexual violence is deeply embedded in the soil of gender inequality. For centuries, society has been perpetuating a culture in which female is regarded as inferior and their bodies are seen as objects to be controlled and dominated. This kind of inequality manifests in various forms--- from street molestation to horrific rape and sexual assault. Men often socialize to believe they have inherent superiority, and they may use this power to assert their dominance, sometimes with destructive consequences. Also, the media plays a role we can’t ignore. They often portray women as sex objects, further contributing to this distorted perception. However, sexual violence is not merely the fault of the individual but a social ill that reflects the failure of society to recognize and respect the inherent equality of all genders. This is also an important reason why females are afraid or will not speak out when sexual violence occurs. What I am saying is not to oppress males and females. I just want to seek more security and happiness for females in this wide world. We do not deserve to be affected by sexual violence.

   To solve this problem, we need to seek multi-faceted ways. Firstly, education holds the key. Sexual education that emphasizes respect, equality, and consent must be integrated into the school curriculum from an early age of children. This not only empowers girls to recognize and resist unwanted violations but also instills a sense of respect for boundaries in boys. And when sexual violence occurs, they can be brave enough to speak up for themselves rather than feel ashamed. People always felt that sex shouldn’t be exposed to children at too early an age, but the fact is that sexual violence doesn’t stop happening to children just because they are too young. Instead, I believe that proper sex education allows children to better protect themselves. Secondly, the law is also essential. Stringent laws must be enacted and enforced to protect women and girls from sexual violence, with severe penalties for perpetrators. We need to make women feel valued by society. Then, when sexual violence occurs, they will be able to stand out and resist firmly for themselves. Also, perpetrators may be deterred from victimizing women by the harshness of the law. In addition, the support system needs to be strengthened since the influence of sexual violence is destructive. This includes access to psychological counseling, medical care, and legal aid, ensuring that no victim feels alone and helpless. Finally, social attitudes must change. It is necessary for society to transform gender equality from an idealized concept into a tangible social reality. This involves challenging and dismantling harmful stereotypes, promoting female leadership, and encouraging open conversations about sex.

   All of us must be aware of the seriousness of sexual violence and resist it with all our might. Every woman and girl has the right to live free from fear, to walk the streets without trepidation, and to assert her autonomy over her own body. I know this is a tough way to go, but it is necessary and worthy.

Meritocracy advocates the distribution of social resources and opportunities based on individual achievements and merit, emphasizing the logic of “the more capable, the more rewards.” This concept seems fair since it promotes reward based on individual effort and talent. However, the abuse of meritocracy may lead to a single definition of “success,” where those who achieve significant accomplishments in academia and research are considered “excellent,” while those do not show remarkable results are marginalized. This single standard of success ignores the diversity and complexity of individuals, as well as the unique value and contribution of each person.

The harm of extreme meritocracy to society is prominent. Micheal J.Sandal, a professor from Harvard University, claims “When we begin to divide society into failures and winners based on merit, ‘merit’ may become a ‘tyranny’.” First of all, educational resources are tiled towards a few outstanding people, breaking the existing relatively fair educational system. What’s more, the intensely competitive atmosphere brings an ocean of pressure to majority of students, affecting their mental and physical health. According to the data of UNICEF’s World Child Situation in 2021, nearly 46,000 teenagers worldwide die by suicide every year. Last year a girl from Jiamusi University in Heilongjiang, China, jumped down the Songhua River because of things happened during the election of class cadre. Lastly, extreme meritocracy is likely to trigger a distortion of educational purpose. Education should be to promote the comprehensive development of students, not just to reward a few outstanding students.

While meritocracy can motivate students to pursue excellence to some extent, its negative impacts seem more severe. What’s your opinions on this kind of atmosphere and its consequences I’ve mentioned above? Any discussions or stories are favorable!

(By 陈嘉琳)

2311 梁超然

As an introvert, I usually feel embarrassed blankly in a team-building activity. In order to gain social friendliness and a so-called “gregarious” title, I try my best not to be absent. However, it doesn’t means that introverts are socially inept. It is social methods that differ from person to person. Being good at listening and observing are the traits of most introverts. Instead, extroverts do well in expressing and sharing.

“I don’t like ‘team-building’ activities. I doubt my ability to do anything well.” Under this circumstance, introverts seem to be pushed by passive socializing. In this fast-paced era, modern youth are suffering from intangible stress, among which social anxiety is especially typical. And it has become a thought-provoking social issue. However, when did socializing become a depressing thing? How to transform this depression?

We can use group chat and private chat to understand this concept. Try to look directly into your talk object, post your attention outward and keep your conversations targeted. You talk to individuals and then they reflect for you the entire group. Because they are all entrained. If you look at one person, he or she broadcasts to you what everyone is thinking. And you know how to talk to one person, don’t you? Then you stop being awkward.

  In a nutshell, there is no need for you to decide which one is better, being extrovert or being introvert. Don’t anticipate where you should be socially. Don’t anticipate what should others think of me, it never matters. You do well to interpret your performance positively and cherish your energy. Ingratiating yourself with others in order to obtain a so-called gregarious label. It is not worth the candle.

——江颖婵

Why I chosen this topic

Last Saturday, the moment I stepped out of the the gate of my university for entertainment, I was suddenly buried in a tide of zombies, where strangers with similar identity cards of examinee stood, buzzing with the voices about the study materials. Weekend used to serve for the large-scale professional exams in my university. When I finally managed to break away from the crowd, I heard several women complained that my campus was so indifferent to people like them who wanted to visit universities for so many reasons such as satisfying their curiosity and taking their grandchildren to learn about what was the university like. They then blamed governments and my university for not serving for the general public. Their perspective reminded me of a hot topic called the opening of university campuses last year.

Introduction of the topic

The opening of university campuses seemed very odd to many foreign readers but relatively acceptable for Chinese people. In most capitalist countries represented by western countries, universities are usually ready to embrace tourists besides some extraordinary times like unrest, pandemics, reminding their students to keep contact with the society and repay to it, especially famous universities. Before, the renowned universities in China adopted the same strategy which didn’t build enclosing walls to hinder tourists to visit and confine the visitor volume to a definite scope at most. However, after suffering from the COVID-19, more and more universities which we called 985 and 211, in varying degrees, began to construct small-ranged or big-ranged enclosing walls to boost the emergency response capacity. Gradually, the openness of the whole universities in China seemed lower. China was primed for victory of fighting against COVID-19 in January, 2023, which meant people could release their eagerness for travel, but they were still so careful that they just traveled within the province they lived. Therefore, no matter they would like to visit somewhere special, or the district governments would like to motivate residents, local universities were appropriate to be chosen as the new tourist destinations. Meanwhile, the endeavour for universities to overwhelmed the residents’ estrangement and the problems came.

Before 2020, the specific conflict about the opening of universities was that whether most universities need enclosing walls, and after suffering from the COVID-19, we thought it necessary for universities to possess them. The emergency response capacity was too important to move away the walls, therefore, the dispute of the opening of universities with walls changed to that if universities allow tourists to enter. The answer of many famous universities was positive. According to CCTV.com in China, until November, 2023, over half of the universities belonging to 985 range set up examples to embrace tourists for several months. The common ways for them to check the appointment identities were to check the reservation information in some apps and the amount of tourist every day was small. It seemed that the less people came into, the less problems were caused.

However, just limiting the amount of tourists was not enough. Without any limitation of their routines in campuses, any fine of their wrong actions destroying infrastructures or personal effects and so on, students and teachers, sometimes some residents around should face a great deal of difficulties. When tourists unscrupulously ran through the teaching building and libraries with loud scream or talk, students can not commit themselves to study at all. If so many tourists came to visit at noon, teachers and students should spend more time in waiting in lines, and maybe some naughty kids might dash around madly, causing stampedes. Even more, tourists might fight with students as follow:

Undoubtedly, a hot debate burned out. In Sina Weibo, more than 30 thousand people talked about a topic called If opening universities to tourists is necessary (but now this topic is deleted). Some people thought the wealth source of universities were from people, and universities were such utilities that they could visit most of areas. Meanwhile, they also insisted there must be less limitation on transportation, routines and so on. On the other hand, other people suggested that to avoid extreme accidents exploded, universities must design a extremely structured plan to balance the need of tourists and the safety of students, even could shut it if it really influenced bitterly.

Significance of the topic within a global context

To be honest, the conflict of this topic was not a trifle at all. To some degree, it involved the construction of Chinese universities, whose image was open or closed when it comes to the contrast with other universities in the whole world. Further more, this impression usually impacts whether other countries are ready to cooperate with China. It’s unlikely to choose a conservative country to cooperate where universities were not open to other people besides students and scholars.

Part Two

My opinion

In my opinion, the opening of university campuses should respect the autonomy of universities, which means universities must keep open to tourists, but the magnitude of opening belongs to universities determining. Universities have authority to make regulation for the tourists at the base of negotiating with students, teachers and the residents in or around the universities.

Elaboration

No matter in capitalist countries or socialist countries, the construction of universities require all the people in society to pay duties, so to some degree the universities are utilities where people can enter them to go sightseeing at least, merely western countries would like to beautify such attribute (duties) as the contribution to show openness. In other words, all universities of both countries impossibly to show the core achievements to the public, because they are the results of universities obtaining by its own relatively independence, which are not simply measured by the taxes from people. Therefore, there’ s no doubt that how open they are to the people outside should respect the autonomy of universities. The debate of this topic cannot be confined to local governments, tourists because no one can pay for the cost of disturbing the normal order of universities and the order is about the contribution to the whole society.

In recent months, several famous universities provide great examples of how to achieve the balance between tourists’ needs to conquer the estrangement in the COVID-19 and universities’ needs to form open and well-organized atmosphere, which means when we respect the autonomy of universities on this topic, there will be an good answer to be heard. For example, ahead of New Year’s Eve, TsingHua University and Peking University claimed that they both further expanded the scale of campus opening, receiving visitors into the campus one hour earlier than before in the morning and closing one hour earlier in the afternoon. Tsinghua University would also increase the number of bookable campus visits for the public on weekends and holidays to more than 12,000 people per day, an increase of about 50% over the previous period, though the number of tourists in weekdays decreased, Tsinghua University still kept exploring and gradually realized that the campus remains open on a regular basis. And as early as 2018, Wuhan University added a facial recognition system, and official account on Sina Weibo opened the uncivilized behavior exposure station at the same time, announcing the capture of uncivilized behaviors. This legitimate means of oversight has been borrowed by many universities now and with this system, less accidents or conflicts will be caused in the campuses and students, teachers and residents around will less complain about the opening of universities.

I have chosen to discuss the cultural phenomenon of Li Ziqi, a Chinese internet celebrity known for her YouTube channel where she showcases traditional Chinese rural life. I was drawn to this topic due to her recent update, which has sparked a renewed interest in her work and the cultural values she represents. Li Ziqi’s videos are a multimodal source, combining words, pictures, and videos to introduce the topic of cultural heritage and its relevance in today’s fast-paced world.

Li Ziqi’s influence is not confined to China; it has a global reach. Her content has been viewed by millions worldwide, highlighting the significance of cultural exchange and the appreciation for traditional lifestyles amidst modernization.

My perspective is that Li Ziqi’s work is a bridge between the past and the present, offering a glimpse into a way of life that is both nostalgic and inspiring. Her latest update, which may include new videos or a return to her regular posting schedule, is a testament to her resilience and dedication to her craft.

My argument is that Li Ziqi’s influence promotes cultural awareness and appreciation. She has a clear claim: to preserve and share the beauty of traditional Chinese culture. The evidence is in her meticulous attention to detail in her videos, the engagement of her global audience, and the positive impact she has on promoting cultural understanding.

Sound reasoning supports my argument. Li Ziqi’s work encourages viewers to reflect on their own cultural practices and values, fostering a sense of global community and respect for diversity.

Have you been inspired by her work? How do you think her influence can be leveraged for cultural education and exchange?

Faced with this trend, concerns over the past few decades have become increasingly intense. Traditional concerns about population development trends mainly include threats to economic growth, pressure on social welfare systems, and stagnation of culture and innovation.

It is not difficult to see that more and more governments are realizing the impact of population development trends and adopting policies to encourage childbirth. However, most of these policies aimed at encouraging childbirth have had little effect

My opinion:

Although we have to admit the series of adverse effects that the trend of population change may bring, the global trend of population change seems to be difficult to change solely through some policies.

The decline in population growth rate is not solely explained by the low birth rate, but is also influenced by various factors such as economy, politics, and ideology in the current social environment. The fundamental trend of the influencing factors cannot be changed only by some policies, and the overall trend of population change is also difficult to change.

On the positive side, the trend of low population growth rate is not just about negative impacts. Firstly, this adapts to the limited resource carrying capacity of the Earth. A population decline can help alleviate environ-mental stress, preventing resource depletionand environmental degradation. This sustain-ability could lead to healthier ecosystems.Secondly, alleviate the serious contradiction between a large population and insufficient resources in society.A smaller population size can lead to a higher quality of life as governments can better allo-cate resources, reducing overcrowding and social pressures.

If the overall trend of population development cannot be changed, can we also try to change our thinking when taking measures. It is no longer just about responding through population control policies, but also thinking from the perspective of conforming to development trends. In the current era of rapid technological development, we can try to use technology as a breakthrough point.With the advancement of automation andartificial intelligence, many labor -intensive jobs can be replaced by technology. Techno-logical progress can partially offset the economic pressure caused by a declining population.And the development of technology can also play a role in many other aspects. At the same time, there are more coping methods waiting for us to explore.

--梁世琦

In Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Singapore,a couple made a proposal in the concert when Taylor sang the song “champagne problems” instead of the traditional proposal background music Love Story. Compared with Love Story, which is famous for its romantic vibe through the lyrics “Marry Me Juliet you’ll never have to be alone”, champagne problems seems so untimely, because it tells the story of a man who is fully prepared and even bought champagne in advance to tell his relatives and friends, proposed with a ring, but was suddenly rejected by the woman. This gap between the atmosphere and the meaning of this song is refreshing to me. How surprising!

However, I was surprised again by a public proposal in China, where it took place in Haidilao. With waiters holding boards with blessings and sining happy songs, the man kneeled on the ground with flowers in hand.  People around were watching interestingly. What a “romantic” vibe it was! But the girl was embarrassed by putting on the spot.  She was hesitating to answer and the man’s face turned black. This occasion absolutely pressed the girl to say “yes” to give the love story a happy ending.

One of the Best proposal songs

Though champagne problems states a heartbreaking story, I still consider it could be one of the greatest marriage proposal songs .

Love Story enjoys popularity with the romantic elements such as “white dress” “prince and princess”, which perfectly suit the proposal. However, I have always felt that marriage proposal is a "dream trap" carefully created by men. It aims to create an illusion to women that marriage can be represented by these romantic elements created by all traditional cultural contexts, such as countless flowers, shining diamond rings, candlelight dinners, and romantic music. However, such a decision with serious consequences, the marriage proposal ceremony is packaged in an extremely beautiful way, and sometimes the "witness of everyone" is added to make it lighter and natural.The idea “How can you refuse this set happy ending?”may cloud your sanity,promoting women to say “yes” and fell into this trap.

But it's appropriate to propose with champagne problems. The tragedy of the song itself completely breaks this romantic dream. To propose with such a song, as far as I know, it is more respectful: you can completely reject me. Don't worry about anything else. Whether you think we are not at the suitable time, or it is at this moment that makes you realize me or the marriage is not what you want, then reject me. It’s ok. I will be fine and you won’t be tortured or feel burdened of refusing this proposal. What a heartbreaking but peaceful experience.

By the way, what’s more wonderful is that when the boy took out the ring, the heroine of the love story also took out a ring from her pocket, breaking away from the original one-way program and creating an amazing real two-way run. The respect between this couple gave their love story a happy ending.

The sacrificial but shared marriage

“Marriage is a tomb of love.” That’s an interesting metaphor to reveal the truth of marriage, which not only includes romantic things, but also has lots of challenges to confront. I also like Love Story and I think no one can refuse this idealistic love song. But in real life, we are not Romeo and Juliet, and we can't escape to somewhere we can be alone. After throwing these moving and dizzying covers, marriage is a legal contractual relationship that is not romantic but pragmatic. More importantly, in nowadays society, this relationship is extremely unequal, both at the institutional and social level. That means to accept the marriage proposal is to throw yourself into this unequal system, and put on a time limit that costs a high cost of breaking the contract: lifetime. So getting married is a deliberate decision, not a hot-headed one.

I don't know how this couple’s story will be written next, because the problems will always exist. But at least, they were more sane and deliberate at the beginning. And personally speaking, entering marriage requires such a belief: we both know the tricks of this system and we are just two ordinary people. Though our future choices won’t be easy like champagne problems, we still have the determination to confront together. That’s the attitude we should adopt.

Jo in “Little Women”said: “Women, they have thoughts, souls, and hearts. They are ambitious, talented and beautiful. I hate people saying that women are only suitable for love.” So girls, don’t get involved in the talks“women are born to be married”. We always have the freedom to choose how to love and be loved, not just in marriage. We are what we love.

Recently, a blogger suffering from lupus disease Sha Bai(沙白） went to Switzerland and chose to euthanize there. She posted a video of the process of euthanasia in Switzerland on the Internet, which caused a lot of discussion among netizens. Some people said that she could have chosen to continue to seek medical treatment and live on, but she chose to euthanize in order to escape the reality of illness and abandonment by her mother. She sought pleasure, and thought nothing of her old father, who loved her; Another wave of netizens said that she was brave enough to face the death that most people fear, bravely deciding her own life and death, and not letting herself die like a slowly fading rose. So what do you think about her choice?

Part one

Why I choose this topic?

In college, we are immersed in a whirlwind of activities – class discussions, group assignments, club activities, and various interviews. For most introverts, these situations can be a source of unease. They struggle to quickly connect with people and start conversations, often plagued by embarrassment, timidity, and fear. After three months of college life, many of my introverted friends have gradually become more extroverted. While I am glad they are adjusting to college life, it makes me wonder if the world is indeed a harsh battleground for introverts. Is becoming extroverted the only way to be better accepted?

Part two

My opinion

 My answer is no. Although it's hard to deny that extroverts make more impressions, win elections more easily, and make more friends. But introverts without strong social skills are not without merit. Introverts often have an incredibly strong, independent, and rich spiritual core. They have peace of mind and see the world from a different perspective. I once saw a ted talk called The Power of Introversion. It once mentioned that introversion and shyness are two completely different concepts. Shyness is the fear of being judged socially, while introversion is the attitude you have toward social stimuli. Extroverts, for example, crave external stimulation, which may inspire and energize them, whereas most of the time introverts don't need this stimulation. In a quieter, more low-key environment, they can stay active, excited, and play their absolute talents. We can think of it as an introvert's ability to perfectly "talk to themselves" to find in themselves, to explore in themselves, to accomplish in themselves. I think it's a very powerful spiritual core. And in this reflection, I realized that I, as an extrovert, actually have moments like this. There are times when I don't want to be disturbed, I don't want to socialize with anyone, I just want to be in a very safe place by myself, and then I can create a lot of wild things. Which brings me to another concept in the talk: Introverts and extroverts are not absolute, there are no pure introverts or pure extroverts in the world. Extroverts can have introverted moments, and introverts can have extroverted moments. So we don't have to be disappointed or worried about being introverted.

Part Three

Embracing Introverts

An introvert once said, "I'm an introvert, I like my personality, and I'm not lonely because introverts are everywhere. Our quiet way of life, our need for alone time, is not a defect but a gift." Rather than seeing introversion as a disadvantage, we should embrace it as a unique quality. Introverts bring a different kind of energy and perspective to the world. They tend to be people who think deeply before they act and can offer valuable insights in a steady and deliberate manner. Maybe in college, introverted qualities don't bring us much. But in college and later in life, introverts can also find careers and lifestyles that work for them. They may excel in research, writing, or creative work that requires solitude and focus. They are also able to form deep and meaningful relationships with a small number of close friends, rather than many acquaintances. The unique attributes of introverts really are a deep, quite strength. And as Gandhi, put it, ”In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

On November 20, Yu Donglai, the founder of Fat Dongla, posted a message on a short video platform, saying that “starting from next year, the staff of Fat Donglai are not allowed to get married with bride price. The wedding can not be extravagant, wedding banquet can only invite relatives and friends, banquet can not exceed five tables. To the one who fail to do so, we will remove all benefits from our system.”

It made a big splash on the internet. The media rushed to write that he was seriously interfering with the freedom of his employees as a businessman.

In the face of media doubts, fat East seems to have become the target of the entire Internet. But sooner, the blame soon turned on the media itself.

On the one side, "Sky-high bride price" has been criticized, fat east to involve the requirements of bride price, the intention is to advocate civilized marriage new fashion, in the specific method can be discussed. On the other side, in the articles of the media, opionion output usually more than factual evidence. The major audience of Yu Donglai’s statement is the employees of Fat Donglai, but in the harangue of media there is no interviews with them. As People’s Daily Online said: “Only the feets know whether the shoes are suitable.” While the modern media are seems more willing to find the hot spot of public instead of tangible truth.

The same thing has already happened, on the time when famous 3A game Black myth Wukong on sale, it was found fault by worldwide media with some groundless excuses,such as "Political correctness" and "Gender Issues". The world's largest gaming entertainment media IGN's official website published a preview of game at June 17th, and at the end of the article, accompanied by a statement "About us last year", its author Rebekah Valentine said that last year wrote an in-depth investigation, accusing the Game Science creators of demeaning women, criticizing the demo footage did not contain any female characters. Such trifiles are repeatedly debated by the major media worldwidely while the core such as the quality, the culture background are ignored. The modern medias are supposed to be amplifier of people, but it is becoming a tool of politics, of capital competing for profits.

At the age of worshiping web traffic, where is the future of modern media?

Appearantly, while the role of media is alienated, its actual ability will naturally change. Modern media's pursuit of traffic and interests naturally leads to its negligence in the narration of facts, which is also the reason why its credibility is greatly reduced. In order to seek the way out , modern media must keep its pure pursuit of truth and promote mainstream values

THE ENDLESS ROAD is a documentary series produced by TVB and hosted by Chen Beier. The first part deeply talked about the stories of poverty alleviation in China. The second part focuses on the path of ecological civilization construction in the country, telling touching stories of the country and people from all over guarding nature with care. The third part focuses on the beautiful and mysterious Xinjiang and Xizang with the theme of ethnic integration.

Chen Beier and her team spent two months driving 14000 kilometers in Xinjiang and Xizang, recording and deeply exploring the local customs, natural landscapes, cultural heritage and social development. And at the last part, the shooting team spent two months visiting seven countries along the the Belt and Road, including Madagascar, Egypt, Greece, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya, witnessing the Silk Road spirit of peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit. Today I want to focuse on the fourth part.

Part Two

In the vast desert of Eldafra, Chinese technology has helped build the world's largest single solar power station, converting hot sunlight into clean electricity. This is not only to send light and power to the local, but also to shine the brilliant achievements of scientific and technological cooperation on the "the Belt and Road".

The first automated terminal in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi Khalifa Port, has been revitalized with Chinese technology. The innovative technologies of automated cargo handling at the quay crane, automated entry at the gate, truck positioning, and unmanned truck consolidation have greatly improved the throughput efficiency of the port, reshaping its competitiveness with technological strength.

The debut of China's self driving "self driving taxi" in Abu Dhabi marks a new era of intelligent travel. Without the need for manual driving, these vehicles can navigate accurately and drive safely, bringing innovative vitality to Abu Dhabi's urban transportation and showcasing new achievements in China Arab cooperation and exchange in the field of smart transportation.

After watching the documentary series, I have a deep feeling. In my opinion, the project has a great significance for chinese people, for country and for world. For chinese people, we can deeply comprehend the chinese project concerning 'the Belt and Road', come to know our country's great power style like cooperation, friendly and openness and develop our pride of our country. In other aspect, because this program is made by citizen in Hong Kong, so it has the ability to immerse the acquaintance of Chinese Mainland and the policy of our country, making them trust and support the Chinese government more, which will consolidate the political power of the country. Belong with the latest speech of Xi Jinping about 'the Belt and Road' in the second December, the program suit the theme of the times and will attract more enterprises to go overseas, which will benific many countries' development, so the world's economics will get growth. All in all, I think the documentary has a great significance.

Part 3

Through my careful consideration after watching it, I think that we can do that as fellows to help the country's development. First, play attention to policy of country. As one of the chinese citizen, only following the chinese policy, we can take the right path. In the Internet era, we can do this by paying more attention to national official websites. Second, get closed to the enterprises. As the saying goes, practice brings true knowledge. Nowdays, a lot of universities have set up many activitues to give the chances to students to be closed to the enterprises. Only entering the enterprises, we can know the development of the science and technology, so that coming to know what should we learn and take advantage of to enrich ourselves in the days to come.

That's all I want to say. Welcome everyone to share your ideas.

--李绮褰

At the same time, fewer and fewer children speak dialects today, especially in public places. Although some cities try to protect their local dialects for different reasons, the environment of speaking dialects is gradually disappearing.The"death of dialects"seems to be an unavoidable trend. Whether in the northern Jin dialect area, the southern Xiang dialect area, the Wu dialect area in the Jianghuai region, or in the Mandarin-speaking areas of Chengdu and Chongqing, etc... Although there are still many people speaking local dialects, more and more unique words of the dialects are unknown to the young, and dialects are increasingly being more and more similar to Mandarin. At the same time, more and more people are giving up speaking dialects, which has also led to the disappearance of a large amount of local culture.

What I would like to discuss with you is: Facing the disappearance of dialects,should we protect it? And, how should we do to protect dialects?

When we talk about animal protection, we say don't eat dog meat, don't eat cat meat. There will always be a group of people who say why do you eat pork, beef, and chicken? Are they not life?Previously, I didn't know how to refute this every time I saw it, but now I have some ideas that I want to discuss with you.

1. Why should we refuse to eat dog and cat meat?

①　Dogs and cats are the most common household pets.Dogs are deeply involved in the construction of human society. Have you ever seen anti drug chickens and guide pigs? Dogs have sacrificed a lot for humans.I believe that we have different feelings towards them,I think it's too cruel to bring them to the dining table.

②　There is no quarantine institution for dog and cat meat, and their trade is illegal. Eating dog and cat meat is not safe.

③　Dog meat and cat meat have no nutritional value. Since they are not beneficial to oneself, why  we kill a life?

④　There are no legal dog and cat breeding farms, and most of the common dog and cat meat on the market are stray animals or stolen. However, for families who own dogs and cats, they are like their own children, and losing them is very painful.

2. Why do we eat pork, beef, and chicken?

①　These have their nutritional value and legal quarantine process, and choosing to eat them is to supplement the body's energy needs. If with the development of technology, synthetic meat with the same nutritional value is developed, I think I would choose to eat synthetic meat.

②　They belong to poultry, and the tradition of eating them is extremely difficult to change

③　But I have always believed that all animals have their emotions. I saw an example online where a butcher in a market boiled pigs with hot water, causing them great pain. I want to say that this is not what we want to see, and even if we want to eat it, we should not let it suffer so much.Change what we can change, and if we cannot change it, seek better and kinder ways. This is my view on this issue.

Finally, I admire those who persist in being vegetarians, as they express their goodwill towards the world through their actions. However, if you are not a vegetarian, it does not mean that you are not kind-hearted enough. What is the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature? There is also a cruel phenomenon of the law of the jungle in nature, but when lions hunt, they will bite enemy’s blood vessels to death instead of torturing them.We should not torture any animal, we should always maintain empathy and kindness to view the world.

How do you view this challenge in the process of animal protection? Do you have any ideas or better solutions? I look forward to discussing with you.Come and join me !

After acquiring knowledge and broadening one's horizons, an individual gains a new understanding of their original life and identity, which brings pain and confusion. Here, I want to analyze a passage from "The Ordinary World": "Who asked you to read so many books and learn about the vast world beyond Shuangshui Village? If you had logrown up working with the sun rising and setting in this world, you would now share the same ideals with your fellow villagers, marry a satisfactory wife after a few years of hard work like your eldest brother, have a fat son, and with your physique, you would become an outstanding farmer. Unfortunately, you know too much and think too much, which is why you have this kind of distress that cannot be understood by those around you." （“谁让你读了这么多书，又知道了双水村以外有个大世界。如果从小你在这个天地里日出而作，日落而息，那你现在就会和众乡亲抱同一理想，经过几年的辛苦想你大哥一样娶个满意的媳妇，生个胖儿子，加上你的体魄，会成为一个出色的庄稼人。不幸的是，你知道的太多了，思考的太多了，因此才有了这种不能为周围人所理解的苦恼。” ）However, I believe that the path we are currently walking on should not be approached with regret. I would prefer the freedom of pain to the ignorance of happiness. Everything can be viewed dialectically, and the past is still an indispensable part of who we are. We will grow taller and farther based on the foundations of our old selves. Knowledge has shown us more truths, but truths are not always beautiful. What matters is how we face these truths and how we adjust our mindset and cognition. We cannot blindly deny our past, nor should we feel pain and confusion just because we have seen a bigger world. The purpose of reading is to make us better, not to make us suffer. We should learn to use knowledge to guide our lives and create a better future, rather than being constrained by it.

Moreover, I am glad to see that more and more people are becoming aware of this pain. Upon reflection, this is the ideological emancipation brought about by the popularization of female education and the rise of feminism globally. The pain we are experiencing now is inevitable on the road to complete equality between men and women. After all, there are still so many women and predecessors fighting for the ideal of "gender equality," and we are still on the way. Therefore, we can be in pain, but we cannot regret. We must remain awake and struggle.

However, in such a joyful atmosphere, there is also a group of people who are out of place. They believe that Christmas is a foreign holiday and they do not want to celebrate such a foreign festival. There seem to be many people like this.

When I was in high school, on Christmas, my classmates liked to exchange some cookies and candies with each other. After a chemistry class, a classmate ran up to the podium and brought Christmas chocolates to the teacher, but surprisingly, the teacher loudly said that Communist Party members are not foreign and refused. This incident left a deep impression on me. I once thought that celebrating Christmas had become a consensus, but when the teacher said this, I was confused.

I am starting to rethink how we should celebrate Christmas and other foreign holidays. There are two voices now: boycott foreign festivals or enjoy the festive atmosphere. We know that there is essentially no conflict of interest, and we all support the protection of our country's culture from external forces. So, what attitude should we take towards foreign culture? Where is the boundary between resisting cultural infiltration and enjoying the festive atmosphere?

So, what't your opinion?Have you ever encountered a similar experience while celebrating Christmas? Can you share it? What is your attitude?

Meanwhile, the trend of globalization is irreversible, so what do you think should be done to deal with foreign cultures?

Come and discuss with me!

It motivates me to ponder whether Androids will become real human or new human,whether they should have rights as human have and whether we should continue to develop Androids.These questions can be summed as one question:are Androids,if they have emotion and thoughts,our servants or new human?

Nowadays,with the rapid development of AI,we are struggling to produce Androids based on our achievements on studies about structures of human brain.It pushes us to find out what exactly composes of our emotions and whether Androids can be achieved.If achieved,Androids will continue to develop ultimately like a real human.It is a must to think over whether Androids should have rights or not.

We create Androids for our human convenience,just as our servants to make our life better and more suitable.So as the game shows,Marcus is a servant from an old man who almost has little time to live.He takes care of the old man's live including playing,sleeping and meals.Kara is bought to take care of a single drinker's daughter and himself.At the drinker's point,Kara is just a tool and he buys,using money.But with time goes by,some Androids learn and gradually have their own emotions and hurt their owners for their bad treating and suffering.Although the police participate in cases,it is hard to change the trend.Take Kara for example.Kara eventually gets rid of the drinker with his daughter for his bad treatment.She wants to take good care of that girl,just like a mother.Because of emotion,she at last has her own decision and looks like a real human.When Androids begin to talk about freedom,equality and justice,I think they have become a new kind of species.And they have enough strength to battle with human.It is easy to know that human will have a fight with Androids.If we win,it is hard to abandon the produce of Androids.Maybe laws,defence and so on will be strengthen,but if the relationship between human and Androids is not changed,maybe the result will be the same.So it is important to achieve a good relationship between human and androids,and at least Androids surely will have some accordingly rights to avoid terrible suffering.If we lose,the owner of the material of this world will be changed.At that time,we must give them rights.

However,it is hard to better the relationship between human and Androids,because human face losing job for the creation and spread of Androids.But if we abandon to use Androids,we actually are giving away for science development just like the develop of AI right now.We need to live with them so we should to develop ourselves,not depending on Androids.

To sum up,with technology development,Androids will be created and human will use it.But as Androids gradually sprout emotions,they will act like human eventually becoming new species.They will fight for their rights and they will have.So our human should live with Androids and develop ourselves.

Have you watched the whole video? You might have already noticed how our selective attention has influenced us in our daily life. Our selective attention helps us concentrate on topics that we are interested in -- by ignoring a large amount of "not useful" information. Try to relive your experiences. When working on a project together, especially which related to global issues, you probably had questioned "Why some people can always give out such a distinguish topic? Why they can see what we can't?"

I suppose that avoiding our selective attention is key. When the United Nations is drafting an article, hundreds of representatives join, discuss and revise together before it is published. They are avoiding selective attention with hundreds of perspectives. Nevertheless, a single person is able to avoid selective attention. A few years ago, when the Marvel series movies went viral in China, nearly all my classmates were talking about the Iron Man, Captain America. After quite a long time, people realized it was cultural infiltration, as some critics mentioned long ago. In fact, we could not notice the purpose behind the movie until we shifted our attention from plots, characters and special effects, to cultural aspect.

But back to the basic, what do you usually do to fetch a distinguish perspective? As concentration helps us focus on our work, should we avoid selective attention? If we go deeper, do you find any selective attention in this article? Looking forward to any kind of answers!

First of all, I think that the first premise of having children is survival, and the most basic material foundation must be there. If even survival becomes a problem, let alone parenting. But people on the Internet, whether they blame others or spontaneously think that "don't have children if you don't have money", most of them perceive that "no money" means that they can't give their children the most advantageous environment and can't make their children worry-free for life. In fact, there are not many families around the world who can do this, but happy families have not become out of reach.

So, I think that you can have kids without many money but with the enough money to live and also enough love and support. Take myself as an example, I grew up in a very ordinary family, and I have also experienced that my family income is only satisfied with food and clothing, but now I think of the days when I was a child, and I only remember those happy days, and my family always gave me love and support in my memory. From a child's point of view, I don't resent my parents because I was born into a family that wasn't very wealthy. Even though life is hard, I blame only this society.

In conclusion, judging whether you have money depends on your pursuit of life, but this personal opinion is not the basis for criticizing others on whether they should have children

What is an AI boyfriend? An AI boyfriend, in short, is an artificial intelligence program that simulates human emotions and behavior, which can communicate with users, provide emotional support, and even simulate romantic relationships. The development of this technology makes us think: in the future, the boundaries between humans and AI will become increasingly blurred.

In order to better study this topic, I have tried related products myself. I tried chatgpt and Xingye. I find that AI boyfriend has many advantages. For example, the attentive care. An AI boyfriend can be available wholeday to provide companionship and support without getting tired or distracted.

In addition is customized emotional experience.According to the user's personality and preferences, the AI boyfriend can adjust its behavior and dialogue style to provide a personalized interactive experience.

What's more,motional stability. Compared with humans, AI boyfriends do not have mood swings and can provide stable emotional support. An AI boyfriend should not replace real human connection, but rather serve as a supplement to help people get support and companionship when they need it.

Have you ever tried to talk to an AI? Will you regard AI as your spiritual sustenance?

In 2024, half of the graduates will not find a job, and in 2025, 12.22 million new graduates will enter the job market, so the pressure can be imagined.

Instead of employment, many students choose to stay in school to take the entrance exam for postgraduate studies, partly out of the pursuit of a higher degree, and partly out of the escape of finding a job. For college students, the salary of many jobs is not up to their expectations, and they are not willing to settle.

However, the pressure to choose the entrance exam is also great, and Chinese students shout the slogan "go ashore"（上岸）. But always one shore after another, endless. There is no shortage of people who have prepared for a long time but still fail. Many students like to say: "After I finish the exam, I will..." But is it really fun to live in captivity?

I believe that intellectual property protection cannot rely solely on individuals, but also on enterprises. In the current market economy, enterprises play a crucial role. For example, the linkage between enterprises and popular cultures such as anime and games can greatly enhance the market attractiveness and commercial value of products. However, this linkage is often accompanied by an increase in commodity prices, and if the cost-effectiveness of the product itself is not high, it may give rise to a piracy market. So I believe that intellectual property protection should not only require consumers to regulate their own behavior, but also regulate the behavior of enterprises. Enterprises should focus on product quality and service while pursuing economic benefits, ensuring that consumers can have a value for money experience.

In 1989, there were two hit songs, one is “Sunset Melody” by Anita Mui, the other one is “Thousands of Songs” by Priscilla Chan. Both of them used identical composition, but different lyrics. According to the statistics of that year, the award should go to Priscilla. However, the award was taken by Anita because of her influence and status in Hong Kong. And Priscilla quit Hong Kong Cantopop. She returned a few years ago. In a word, by singing this song, meaning that Priscilla has let the unpleasantness in the past go. It is also called “reconciliation between two legends”.

So, apart from this story, why is this program attracts that much attention? The answer to this question is that Hong Kong Cantopop is not only a symbol of Hong Kong culture, but also a memory of one generation in Hong Kong, also in China. From 1980s to 1990s, Hong Kong has been one of the most prosperous city worldwide. And its pop culture was flourishing, too. For example movies like “Chunking Express”（重庆森林） , “Police Story”（警察故事）, etc. When it comes to the pop music, you can call it a flourishing age. A lot of record companies established such as PolyGram（宝丽金）, Warner（华纳）... There were too many famous singers like Leslie Cheung（张国荣）, Jacky Cheung（张学友）, Alan Tam（谭咏麟） and so on. Their songs are so classic and impressive that even younger generation in China nowadays still playing them in their headphones. These songs carry more than just melody but also memory of that glory age. It is excited that this program brings these classical songs into our views once again, enabling more people get in touch with Hong Kong Cantopop. It seems that Hong Kong Cantopop “booms” once again.

However, there is one problem. Since Hong Kong Cantopop is “pop” music, it should have some songs in our generation. But none of them are sang in the program so far (2024.12.11). Instead, most of the songs chosen were released before 2000s. Why? Hong Kong Cantopop is dead? As a fan of Hong Kong Cantopop, my answer is no! But I have to admit that Hong Kong Cantopop is less popular in China. Because the mainland of China is experiencing a rapid development in economy as well as culture. People have more alternatives in entertainment, paying less attention in Hong Kong Cantopop. But in fact, there are a lot of excellent younger singers in Hong Kong, for example Micheal Cheung, Gareth T. They are creating new materials in various styles. They are excellent works, just not as much listeners as 20 years ago. So, it is still living and it will not “die”. The only thing we need to do is paying attention to these younger generations instead of sticking to the past. I believe that in the future, Hong Kong Cantopop will boom once again!

Recently, the term "brittle college students" has become a hot topic on social media. It has emerged as a new self-deprecating label among college students.

The so-called "brittle college students" refers to those who seem to be vulnerable to various injuries in daily life. For example, there are comments sharing experiences like "I just stretched a bit but my neck got twisted", "I lay on my side to play with my phone but was diagnosed with strabismus", and "I twisted my ankle while dancing in the dorm". These seemingly unbelievable yet real situations have drawn widespread attention and concern about the physical health of college students.

This phenomenon reflects some problems worthy of our attention. On one hand, it may be related to the lifestyle of modern college students. With the development of technology, many students spend a long time sitting or lying down, lacking regular exercise, which leads to a decline in physical fitness. On the other hand, it also reflects that college students may face relatively high pressure in study and life, resulting in a certain degree of neglect of their own physical condition.

However, we should also view this issue objectively. Although the term "brittle college students" is somewhat humorous, it also reminds us to pay more attention to our physical health. College students should actively participate in physical exercise, develop good living habits, and relieve stress in a proper way to improve their physical quality. At the same time, schools and society should also provide more support and guidance to help college students better manage their physical and mental health and grow up healthily.

As we may know, China is a rapid-growing super economy with amazing infrastructure and transportation system. Indeed, this is the consensus on China to most well-educated people in the world. Nevertheless, this is just from the materialistic and economic view, then what about the spiritual and cultural side? People would come up with “Confucius” “Long history” “Spring festival” “Wise and complex Chinese language” and “Origin of East-Asian culture” as our cultural label, which is totally valid and natural. These are familiar to also many other countries, but the thing is how we can convey them to the world more effectively and share our cultures in creative ways to update people’s views towards China with the time.

Let’s see what our neighbors have done. Japanese anime is an indispensable part of modern East-Asian culture, contributing to mostly positive Asian impressions to the world Meanwhile, K-pop music is a going viral as well, representing Korean culture even with cultural appropriation from Chinese culture. Indeed, Japan and South Korea are both competent in entertainment industry and have outstanding movie, music, and many other kinds of arts in modern times. It is noticeable that our neighbors are always creating new and fashionable contents with their traditional cultures and values to attract young people globally. Those excellent works of art and entertainment represent them in the world positively and effectively. In fact, it is China which is the richest one in culture, but China cannot stick to “rich traditional cultures” all the time, novel forms of culture is needed, otherwise it would be rare for global residents to understand complex Chinese culture. Hence, about cultural exports, we can learn a lot from our neighbors. Improving our aesthetic levels and cultivate content producers could be the optimal choice to make Chinese culture accessible to the world.

From this point of view, China’s performance may be not so satisfying. It might be weak in different forms of arts, in media, and in entertainment. It might be one of the reasons why Korea and Japan are more influential culturally in some ways.

There are lots of comments on Chinese modern forms of art. “Chinese music has been dead after Jay Chou!” “These Mainland movies are not good enough, and so many ideological propagandas!” “What are those on Chun wan(春晚)? Even some young Chinese people are not willing to watch it, they just know jiaozi jiaozi jiaozi, boring cliches” On the other hand, there are so many influencers who showcase Chinese cultures impressively, spreading positive energy and positive emotions that unify people beyond cultural and racial barriers. For instance, Li ziqi’s recent comeback is a huge hit inside or outside the “wall”, which undeniably is an archetype for spreading Chinese culture. Also, Chinese online literature, some Chinese dramas and so on, on the bright side, are once popular in the world, while some Chinese traditions and food are reputable all the time. For example, the success of Black Myth of Wukong this year.

Overall, we might have the intelligence to create a sensation on our precious culture, but we still have a long way to go.

So, what are the reasons why our cultural exports are still not strong enough? The main factor may be the economical one. China is still a developing country whose main mission is to focus on economy building. Economy comes first and others follow, so apparently Culture is not so important as we think in some administrators’ minds. On the other hand, under such social progress, Chinese people might lack the perception of aesthetics, which is a crucial part in culture. From messy decorations in rural communities, rough city designs to stagnant music and movie industries, China needs to shape people’s sensitivity on aesthetics. However, in essence, China’s restrictions by its authoritative system and strict unscaled censorship on arts are the main factors. Mostly, those who have the power on cultural career might have no ability to discern what art is due to their political backgrounds, together with the propaganda task with them, the situation kills many possibilities to produce better and creative works. Unscaled censorship also leads to the situation where some comparatively “extreme” or “diverse” or “insightful” ideas are banned before fully blown.

Of course, there may be more factors in details that I have not mentioned. Please leave your comments here and discuss the reasons or strategies here.

张睿鹏

The original concept of abstraction refers to the process of extracting common, essential characteristics from a multitude of things while discarding non-essential features. Recently, the term "abstract" has been given a new meaning online: people categorize absurd yet rational, funny yet bitter actions or statements as "abstract."

The unconventionality and innovation inherent in "Abstract" culture are a significant draw for young people. Among the myriad of abstract copywriting, we often cannot predict the next sentence from the previous one. Some even require a combination of Chinese and English or poetry and lyrics to understand the meaning. "Abstract" culture breaks the conventional thinking patterns and traditional grammatical structures, presenting itself in a novel way. This is also a reflection of young people's love for chasing the "new," their willingness to innovate, and their vitality.

Young people's love for "making abstract" may simply stem from a pure emotional expression and a tendency to lean towards a positive attitude. Telling a humorous joke not only vents one's inner emotions but also brings joy to others. Using a humorous tone to satirize one's own life avoids repetitive complaints and tells one's experiences in a more vivid form. This approach does not pass on negative emotions to others and makes people more willing to get along with us, achieving a win-win situation for emotional expression and friendly social interaction. If one were to output all their misfortunes without reservation, they would inevitably indulge in sighs and sink into the quagmire of negative emotions. Others who are constantly exposed to negative energy will also be affected, and "abstract" can just regulate this.

However, some netizens look for opportunities in the "abstract" wave, doing shameless things under the guise of "abstract." They openly insult everyone in the comment section, and in this situation, "abstract" gradually blurs the boundary between seriousness and entertainment, obscuring the line between right and wrong. This kind of "abstract" is not the real thing; it's just tasteless humor.

But when kept within reasonable limits, "abstract" is not entirely useless; it is an outlet for young people to vent emotions and a paradise for people to find joy. Being a measured "abstract" youth is not necessarily a bad thing.

We know that the purpose of the physical fitness test is to encourage students to have a healthy lifestyle. It also helps schools identify areas where students may need improvement in their fitness levels. But do the students really make some changes and become healthy just because of the physical fitness? What’s, more, the school will probably not receive their diploma if they fail a physical fitness test. So, the physical fitness test becomes a mandatory activity. Actually, in the U.S., there is a "Fitness Gram" test. The method of testing is quite different from the physical fitness tests in China. The key difference is that Fitness Gram is non-competitive. Its purpose is just to help students understand their health condition, not to simply rank them or affect their grades.

All in all, the health of students is certainly important, but the way to assess their health is something worth thinking about. Share your opinion please.

A friend of mine recently shared a story about meeting her now-boyfriend at a coffee shop. They locked eyes across the room, and according to her, it was as if time itself paused. She knew, in that instant, that he was the one. This got me thinking—is love at first sight a real phenomenon, or just a figment of our romanticized imaginations?

Love at first sight is a fascinating yet controversial topic. My claim is that while it may exist, it often lacks the foundation for a sustainable and meaningful relationship.

First, love at first sight is often based solely on physical attraction, which is fleeting and can change over time. True love requires more than just a pretty face; it needs emotional connection, mutual respect, and shared values. Without these elements, a relationship built on love at first sight is likely to crumble under the weight of time and reality.

Moreover, love at first sight can lead to infatuation, which is a temporary state of intense excitement and admiration. Infatuation is not love; it is a superficial emotion that can blind us to the flaws and imperfections of our partner. When the excitement fades, we may find ourselves disappointed and disillusioned.

In conclusion, while love at first sight may be romantic and exciting, it often lacks the depth and stability required for a lasting relationship. True love takes time to develop and requires effort and commitment from both partners.Therefore, I believe that love at first sight, while possible, is not the best foundation for a meaningful and fulfilling relationship.

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt an immediate, undeniable connection with someone? Share your thoughts and experiences!

Even if you haven't, you must have seen this kind of videos. In these videos, a kind parental or grandparent would do something that seems ordinary and daily, coupled with a warm expression full of love, healing numerous people, especially the young people characterized as "Generation Z".

As a new and large group, "Generation Z" is the main object of the current audio-visual media competition. The rise of videos that embody the warm, selfless love of a caring elder resonates with the emotional needs of the younger generation in the Z era.

I often come across these kinds of videos, and each time I watch them, I'm touched by the unconditional love they convey. As a student studying in Guangzhou, I haven't been home for nearly a year. The pressures of studies, finances, and society at large sometimes make me long for the carefree days spent with my family. So when I encounter these videos, a bowl of home-cooked meals overflowing with love, a pair of hands marked with wrinkles, or the simplest of smiles can bring tears to my eyes in an instant.

When I encounter multiple videos like these, or even a whole series of them, although I'm still touched, I start to wonder why there are so many videos with such heartwarming content and why I keep being influenced by them.

Later, I realized that we, as part of Generation Z, are a generation that may feel more lonely due to being only children or living away from home. We are a generation that craves care and emotional support. According to the 2024 Global Gen Z Consumer Insights Report, the global population of Gen Z exceeds 2 billion, accounting for 25.2% of the world's population, with China's Gen Z population representing 32% of the global total.

At the same time, in today's fast-paced modern life, characterized by work schedules like 996 and alternating weekend work, more people, especially those in Gen Z, are missing the simple joys of family life and seeking emotional sustenance without the pressures of intimate relationships, which is what these "emotional substitutes" provide.

In my view, on one hand, heartwarming videos meet people's diverse emotional needs to some extent: "electronic kinship" can satisfy their longing for specific emotional support, providing an alternative when traditional emotional relationships are not immediately available. At the same time, in the fast-paced, high-pressure society of today, these videos offer Gen Z young people a certain emotional sustenance within their limited time, energy, and conditions. For example, when I am under heavy task pressure and want to relax, after watching these kinds of videos, besides missing my family, I encourage myself to keep going and finish up, knowing that the holiday is coming soon, and I can go home to be with them.

On the other hand, while these videos can bring a sense of emotional belonging and resonance, they actually lack depth and durability. As a form of consumption, they cannot provide profound and lasting emotional satisfaction and support. Moreover, if one becomes overly immersed in this kind of content, it could lead to escapism. In the contrast between the emotional support of the online world and real life, according to the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11), this "behavioral dependency" could lead to increased sadness or even depressive emotions.

Based on this, I believe this phenomenon is an exploration and adaptation of Gen Z in a specific social environment. The popularity of heartwarming videos is also a reflection of the demand and the creators' pursuit of attention. We can draw emotional strength from them, but we should not rely on them too much, nor should we immerse ourselves in virtual intimate relationships.

What is your reaction when you come across such videos? Have you had similar thoughts? I would be very interested to know!

Undoubtedly, K-pop plays a significant role in shaping cultural perceptions and preferences. Its catchy melodies, dynamic choreography, and visually appealing aesthetics have captivated young audiences, particularly those in Western countries. For instance, BTS, a leading K-pop group, has garnered a massive international fanbase through their music and social media presence. Their lyrics often address themes of self-love, mental health, and social issues, which resonate with many young people in most countries. This widespread appeal has led to an increased interest in Korean language, cuisine, and traditions, fostering a greater appreciation for Korean culture among international fans. Many fans have taken up Korean language classes, learned to cook traditional Korean dishes, and even visited Korea to immerse themselves in the culture.

However, the influence of K-pop on people’s values is more noticeable. On one hand, it promotes values such as teamwork, perseverance, and respect for elders, which are deeply ingrained in Korean society. These values are often reflected in the training and discipline required to become a K-pop star. For example, K-pop idols often undergo rigorous training for years before they debut, learning to dance, sing, and interact with fans in a polite and respectful manner. This dedication to hard work and teamwork is celebrated within the K-pop industry and serves as an inspiration to many fans.

On the other hand, there are concerns that K-pop’s emphasis on perfectionism and appearance could contribute to unrealistic beauty standards and body image issues among its fans. Many K-pop idols are subject to intense scrutiny and criticism regarding their appearance, leading to a culture of plastic surgery and extreme diets within the industry. This pressure to conform to certain beauty standards can be causing facial anxiety and figure anxiety. What’s more, K-pop culture praise highly of white, thin, young aesthetic standards, this sole beauty standards can limits people’s aesthetic values and be damaging to fans, particularly young girls and women, who may strive to emulate the looks of their favorite idols.

Moreover, the spread of K-pop also brings controversies to local culture values. The excessive fan culture of K-pop has drawn public attention. Problems like unregulated fan fundraising and extreme idol worship have emerged. One of the crazy idol worship is buying a lot of albums to get one idol’s picture card. Some idols’ picture card can even be sold up to 10000 yuan. There are also concerns about its potential negative influence on teenagers' values, as overemphasis on appearance , concept of Consumption and idol adoration might mislead their self-perception and value formation. For example, Korea’s practicing idols has risen to 1 million, who come from different countries like China, Japan, Thailand, ect. Some teenagers may give up their study to dream to become an idol. In a word, this negative influence may affect a country’s future common value.

In conclusion, K-pop culture’s global spread is a complex phenomenon with both positive and negative implications for people’s values. As it continues to grow in popularity, it is crucial for society to engage with it thoughtfully, celebrating its cultural diversity while addressing its potential downsides and protecting the local excellent culture. By doing so, we can appreciate the unique aspects of K-pop culture while promoting healthy and balanced values among its fans.

Chinese education, often characterized by its emphasis on discipline, respect for tradition, and the mastery of foundational knowledge, has been a subject of intense debate both within China and internationally. This educational approach places a significant importance on exam performance, particularly in high-stakes tests like the Gaokao, which can determine a student's future academic and career paths.

Here comes something related to the Chinese education.

The Pressure of Exam-Oriented Education

One of the most discussed issues with Chinese education is the immense pressure it places on students to perform well in exams. This exam-oriented approach can lead to a narrow focus on test scores, potentially at the expense of fostering a love for learning and the development of innovative thinking.

Inequality in Resource Allocation

Another challenge is the uneven distribution of educational resources. There is a stark contrast between urban and rural areas, with the latter often lacking the resources and opportunities available to their urban counterparts. This disparity limits the development and opportunities for students in less advantaged regions.

Mental Health Concerns

The stress of academic performance can also lead to mental health issues among students, including anxiety and depression. It is crucial that the educational system not only focuses on academic achievement but also on the emotional well-being of students, providing necessary psychological support.

Cultivating Innovation

Chinese education has sometimes been criticized for emphasizing rote memorization over the development of innovative and critical thinking skills. In a rapidly changing world, the ability to think creatively and critically is essential, and the educational system should encourage students to question, explore, and create.

Personalization and Diversity in Education

The "one-size-fits-all" approach to teaching in Chinese education can overlook the individual differences and interests of students. Education should be more personalized, respecting and nurturing the diversity and talents of each student.

Disconnect Between Education and Societal Needs

Finally, there is a concern that the education system does not always align with the needs of society and the market. Education should be flexible and closely linked to socio-economic development, providing students with knowledge and skills relevant to the workforce.

Your Thoughts?

Chinese education, with its strengths in laying a solid foundation of knowledge and academic discipline, also faces a series of challenges that require thoughtful reflection and adaptation. As we consider these issues, it's important to remember that education is a dynamic process that evolves with societal changes. Through reform and innovation, Chinese education can better serve the development of students and society at large. We invite our readers to share their perspectives on Chinese education and its contemporary challenges. How do you think these issues can be addressed, and what role can education play in shaping the future?

McDonald's popularity among young people compared to KFC can be attributed to several key factors:

1. Menu Diversity & Innovation: McDonald's offers a broader, more customizable menu, including burgers, fries, breakfast items, and limited-time collaborations (e.g., Travis Scott, BTS meals). This variety appeals to adventurous tastes and dietary preferences. KFC’s focus on fried chicken, while iconic, may feel less versatile.

2. Affordability & Value Perception: McDonald’s emphasizes value meals, dollar menus, and budget-friendly options, crucial for cost-conscious youth. KFC’s combo meals are often perceived as pricier, despite similar pricing tiers.

3. Tech-Savvy Engagement: McDonald’s invests heavily in app-based ordering, rewards programs, and digital integration, aligning with young consumers’ preference for convenience and gamified experiences. KFC’s tech offerings are less prominent.

4. Trend-Driven Marketing: McDonald’s leverages pop culture, social media trends (TikTok, Instagram), and viral campaigns (e.g., McFlurry remixes), creating a "cool" factor. KFC’s branding, while humorous, leans on traditional mascots like Colonel Sanders, which may feel less relatable.

5. Ambiance & Social Spaces: McDonald’s modernizes its stores with free Wi-Fi, charging ports, and McCafé sections, positioning itself as a hangout spot. KFC’s ambiance is often more utilitarian, focused on quick dining.

6. Global Adaptability: McDonald’s tailors menus to local tastes (e.g., teriyaki burgers in Japan, McAloo Tikki in India), enhancing accessibility. KFC adapts too but remains more niche in its chicken-centric identity.

7. Health Perception: While both are fast food, McDonald’s offers salads and fruit options, creating a marginally healthier image. KFC’s fried items may deter health-conscious youth.

8. Cultural Relevance: McDonald’s capitalizes on nostalgia (Happy Meals) and social media challenges, fostering peer-driven visits. KFC lacks comparable viral momentum.

In summary, McDonald’s success stems from its ability to blend affordability, innovation, and youth-centric branding, creating a dynamic ecosystem that resonates with younger demographics globally. KFC, while popular, leans on a narrower menu and less agile marketing, making it a less frequent choice for trend-focused youth.