Teen’s death spurs parenting debate in China
- Video of a student jumping off a bridge in Shanghai after an argument with his mother prompts reflection online of intergenerational conflict
Footage of a 17-year-old boy jumping to his death from a high bridge in Shanghai last week has sparked heated debate among internet users, with many criticising the standard of Chinese parenting.
The boy jumped from the Lupu Bridge, which crosses the Huangpu River, on Wednesday evening.
Before he jumped, he had been in the back seat of a white car being driven by his mother, who suddenly stopped the vehicle on the bridge. The video shows the mother standing next to the car, apparently talking to her son inside.
After the mother returned to the driver’s seat, the boy got out of the car and ran towards the side of the bridge. His mother chased him, but the boy jumped off the bridge, China News Service reported.
The mother, who was not named in the report, said she had criticised her son, a student at a technical school in the city, over a conflict with his classmates before he committed suicide.
Footage of the incident posted on the internet has attracted tens of thousands of comments on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblogging site.
Many denounced Chinese parenting, with some recalling their own experiences.