Lazy, unmotivated and ‘lying flat’? Young Hongkongers’ different life choices don’t mean they lack drive or creativity, experts say
- Some opt for laid-back lifestyle, preferring to avoid rat race, chasing highly paid jobs, status
- Schools told to teach ‘diligence’, but experts say parents ought to shape children’s attitudes
Hong Kong student Tang Tsz-wa*, 22, stays at home a lot. He avoids seeing people, no longer plays squash with friends, and is uninterested in dating.
He travels from home to classes at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), where he is a fourth-year history student. Then he returns home and retreats to his room to work on assignments or read.
Unbothered by what life might hold after he graduates, Tang said: “I won’t look for a job with a high salary or high status. As long as I don’t starve or work too hard because of the job, I’ll be OK with it.”
Living with his parents and twin sister, he found during the Covid-19 pandemic that HK$1,000 (US$128) a month was sufficient to cover his travel and food needs.
“My parents are fine with my lifestyle,” he said. “I don’t really care what other people think of me.”