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OpinionLetters

Letters to the Editor, July 6, 2017

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A group of university students hold a discussion on campus. To say that all young people are lazy does a disservice to the many who are committed to their studies. Photo: Dickson Lee
Letters

All millennials with helpers are not lazy

As a 20-year-old who was taken care of for more than 15 years by a domestic helper, I share some sympathy with Peter Kam­merer’s argument that certain young people, me included, have been spoilt and over­indulged at times (“Having a helper leaves Hong Kong youth lazy and spoilt”, July 4).

However, I totally disagree with the sweeping characterisation that all millennials are lazy, entitled, and spoilt.

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On the contrary, I think Hong Kong’s youth face a very tough road ahead. With an extremely competitive education system and a daunting job market, many students are focused on working hard for their entire lives just to afford a flat.

To say that all young people are lazy does a disservice to the many of us who are committed to our studies, hoping to have a better life for ourselves, our ­parents, and the next generation. Yes, we might have had a leg-up in terms of resources that the last generation did not enjoy, but consider this: what was the ­percentage of the population that went to university three decades ago? Were they able to secure a job with relative ease a decade ago?

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I wish Kammerer would spend more time ­condemning unpaid ­internships.

Instead of generalising and joining the “blame millennials” bandwagon, a more productive conversation that we should have is how we prepare millennials for the future, given rising home prices and a ­constantly evolving job market.

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