Chao News Client Special Commentator Qiu Meng
Source: Visual China
The Spring Festival is approaching, and tourists are eagerly looking forward to returning home for reunion. However, behind the expectations, many young people are anxious about a new round of "marriage rush". Recently, the topic of "being forced to marry and have children" has become popular again on social platforms. Many netizens said that they already feel the pressure to get married before they return home. Previously, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in an interview with the media that it is difficult to ask for help from relatives and friends to raise a baby. These remarks once again triggered criticism that "experts' advice is unreliable."
Nowadays, it is common for young people to marry later and have children later. It is true that my country's population is aging at an accelerated pace, the fertility rate is declining, and the proportion of the working-age population is declining. These changes have had a lot of impact on social and economic development, labor market and family structure. In this regard, it is certainly in line with economic logic to encourage young people to get married and have children, and the government's introduction of measures to reduce the cost of marriage and childbirth is even more popular. However, when parents excessively push their children to get married and neglect the cultivation of emotions, and when society is eager to increase the fertility rate but ignores the value pursuit and practical pressure of young people, marriage and childbirth, which originally promoted social development and achieved family happiness, may become counterproductive. motivation, with negative consequences for individuals, families and society as a whole.
For example, some places were eager to increase the fertility rate and hastily issued maternity subsidies. However, when things came to a close, the local people discovered that the government had only drawn a "big pie", and the supporting policies were far from being in place, and the people could not enjoy the actual subsidies at all. Another example is that some grassroots units, communities, villages and towns are "eager" to relieve society's worries. They are eager to "match up" young people when they return to their hometowns for the New Year, and overly interfere in the space of individual citizens' choices. These phenomena damage the government's credibility and infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of individuals. They deserve vigilance.
Under the phenomenon of urging marriage, new social problems may also arise. Some young people may be forced to reduce the time and space for choosing a partner and cultivating relationships, and have a hasty marriage, resulting in a weak marriage foundation. After the flash marriage, they faced the "nurturing" mountain again. Or let your parents arrange a marriage and relinquish your right to choose your own happiness in life. In order to avoid the craze for marriage, many young people find excuses not to go home when the holidays are approaching. What's more, they use methods such as renting a partner, sharing a boyfriend, or asking for support to cope with inquiries and urgings from relatives, which may even lead to disputes and conflicts.
understands society’s anxiety about the current situation of population aging weakening the driving force of economic development, but we should also prevent ourselves from falling into abnormal utilitarianism in promoting marriage and childbirth. After all, people are the purpose of development rather than a tool, and development is ultimately for people rather than for development itself. When marriage and love are highly simplified into tasks that must be completed as soon as possible, when happiness is imprisoned by procedures and forced to accelerate on the life track, we cannot help but need to reflect: Is it appropriate to excessively urge marriage and childbirth?
In today's society, there are inherent differences in concepts between the younger generation and their elders in many aspects. Now, we must not let marriage and childbearing become a new "sensitive topic" and encourage intergenerational estrangement. Contemporary young people often pursue a higher quality of married life, and the enlightened era also provides them with many opportunities to start their own businesses, making them more courageous to plan their careers. In many cases, delaying marriage and childbearing is not a deliberate rebellion by young people, but a careful choice after they have set their plate and clarified the path. It is a way to use responsibility and rationality to enhance the potential for social development. Society also needs to have more understanding of this.
"A wise man never falls in love" is one of the popular Internet memes commonly used by young people. It is not only a way for them to ridicule themselves, but also an interesting expression of their views on love. Allowing wise people to fall in love late is the country's encouragement for young people to develop a healthy view of marriage and childbirth, and it is also society's tolerance for diverse lifestyles. I believe that after stopping, reflecting and waiting at the right time, contemporary young people can choose more rationally when to fall in love, allowing love to become a force that promotes life growth, and allowing a healthy view of marriage and childbearing to further protect social development.
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