My Take | Our angry young people have a message we should listen to
They may use bad language or spout silly, shallow arguments, but they speak for a section of society that has grievances that need addressing
Some Hong Kong people are such prudes, and we have a media that just feeds on puerile taste.
Speaking at a forum and later elaborating on Facebook this week, localist leader Yau Wai-ching used the Cantonese slang for sexual intercourse. Horror of horrors! So many people, including famous writer and columnist Chip Tsao, have feigned outrage and shock.
By now, everyone has heard the story. Even Time magazine ran an online report. Perhaps its middle-aged expatriate editors get a kick out of hearing dirty words coming out of the mouth of a cute young Chinese person, who also advocates Hong Kong’s independence and, at 25, is the second-youngest lawmaker in the new legislature.
The funny thing is, Yau wasn’t even talking about sex, and her complaint about young people having no place for sexual intimacy was just an aside.
What she was getting at was the hardships that young people face today. So much for the brouhaha.
A fresh university graduate earns about HK$12,000 a month, she wrote. Most of it ends up being used to repay student loans and cover the high costs of renting a home. Forget owning a property or starting a family. You won’t be able to afford them for at least 10 years, that is, until you pay off your debt, move up the career ladder and earn enough.