Deep Dive: 80% of Hong Kong secondary school students report feeling uncertain about their life path

Nearly 80 per cent of Hong Kong secondary school students have expressed uncertainty about their life path in a new survey, while university researchers have said a fifth of the teenage respondents have a “lying flat” attitude toward their futures.

Academics at Hong Kong Shue Yan University’s sociology department said that those without a sense of self-identity were more likely to lead unmotivated lives, or what the researchers called “lying flat”.

Professor Cheung Yuet-wah, the head of the university’s sociology department and the paper’s lead researcher, said a person’s self-identity is affected by how they view themselves, including their education, career, hobbies, and role in society.

“We need to help youth establish their life goals and direction so they know what they need to do to achieve their targets,” he said.

The survey involved more than 1,100 students aged from 15 to 24 interviewed between November 2020 and May 2022, including 543 secondary school pupils, as part of research efforts to gauge young people’s self-identity and commitment to life goals.

According to the paper, 79.2 per cent of secondary pupils expressed uncertainty about their goals, and a quarter of these said they were not actively exploring a life direction. This group accounted for a fifth of all secondary school respondents.

The study also found that among the 20.8 per cent of secondary pupils who said they had direction in life, three-quarters discovered it through their parents or teachers.

An alarming number of Hong Kong youth have mental health issues, but what is the government doing to help?

“Those with [a sense of] self-identity have greater life satisfaction, take more initiative to solve problems, have better relationships with their families and actively participate in social activities,” Cheung said. “They are also more proactive in planning for their career.”

Researchers also interviewed 559 tertiary education students for the study, finding that nearly 35 per cent had a sense of self-identity. Cheung attributed the difference to young people maturing and becoming open to various possibilities throughout their tertiary education.

Cheung said more could be done to help young Hongkongers find a sense of direction earlier in their lives.

“We hope the government and social services can promote more life-planning activities to strengthen [young people’s] self-identity, increase their self-esteem and make them more proactive in thinking about what they want out of their lives,” he said.

Staff writer

Question prompts

1. According to researchers, which students are most likely to lack motivation and direction in life?

A. Those with low self-confidence
B. Those who cannot find a job
C. Those with a poor sense of self-identity
D. Those who do not have family support

2. According to Cheung, what could help young people find direction in life?

3. Using News and your own knowledge, list TWO ways that having a sense of self-identity can benefit young people.

Question prompts

1. What is the man in this illustration choosing between? What are the benefits and challenges of each of these options?

2. Based on News and your own knowledge, why might youth in Hong Kong relate to the dilemma presented in this illustration?

• City’s housing crisis, scarce job opportunities and limited chances for upwards mobility among reasons cited for lying flat

• Trend involves opting out of the competitive job market and doing only what you need to get by

A 2022 survey found that nearly one in four young Hongkongers from low-income families have taken to “lying flat”, with some saying they feel hopeless about the future.

The poll, conducted by the NGO and human rights advocacy group Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), found that 23 per cent of 100 young Hongkongers interviewed opted to lie flat, preferring to earn only enough to cover their basic needs. The interviewees, aged between 15 and 25, came from low-income families.

University student Kacey Choi, 21, said she had no option but to lie flat, given the city’s soaring home prices. Choi, who lives in public rental housing with her family, said she worked during her free time to help support the household but still could not save enough to buy a home or rent a place on her own.

“Young people like me are forced to accept the reality,” she said. “I feel helpless about the future. I can only resort to lying flat.”

Is Hong Kong doing enough to help low-income children?

However, nearly three in five respondents said they would not lie flat, with some adding that striving for improvement and working hard could bring hope.

“Although the public has assumed that many young people [have chosen] to lie flat, many from low-income families are actually working hard,” said Sze Lai-shan, SoCO’s deputy director.

“Despite their efforts, they still find it hard to break out of poverty. They feel helpless,” she said, adding some must work for years after graduation to pay off their educational expenses.

Most of those polled said the city’s housing problem, including skyrocketing rents and long waiting times for affordable homes, caused young people to opt to lie flat. Other reasons cited included limited job opportunities and few chances for upwards mobility, huge educational expenses and an absence of ways to participate in public policy.

Respondents suggested that the government increase the supply of homes for young people, offer affordable housing, and provide free tertiary education to tackle the issue.

Sze called on the government to provide rent allowances for those waiting for public housing and offer more hostels and transitional housing units for young people. Sze also urged the government to boost job opportunities for young Hongkongers and offer educational subsidies.

Hong Kong’s underprivileged are feeling the effects of low but festering inflation as life becomes more difficult for this group of residents battling price rises on a range of goods, from food to electricity to looming increases in transport fares.

According to Census and Statistics Department data, the proportion of people aged 15 and above with a postsecondary education increased from 15.2 per cent of the total population in 1996 to 35 per cent in 2021.

Although university graduates have more than doubled, salaries have not seen massive increases, especially when considering inflation. In 1996, the median monthly income of those aged 15-24 from their main form of employment was HK$7,500. Twenty-five years later, between May and June 2021, young people’s median monthly income was HK$13,700.

Staff writer

Question prompts

1. What did Choi mean when she said, “young people like me are forced to accept the reality”?

A. She cannot afford Hong Kong’s skyrocketing property prices
B. It is hard for her to settle her university debts
C. She has a poor sense of self-esteem
D. She finds it challenging to land her ideal job

2. According to the survey cited in Issue, identify TWO reasons why young people lie flat. Compare these to the reasons Cheung provided in News. To what extent do you agree that lying flat is related to a lack of self-identity?

3. Based on News, Issue and your own knowledge, what are TWO initiatives the government can take to address the problem of young Hongkongers lying flat?

Could AI-powered mental health apps and platforms help Hongkongers?

Question prompts

1. Using Glossary and Issue, explain what this graphic depicts about inflation.

2. Using your own knowledge, why might inflation cause some young Hongkongers to lie flat?

lying flat: a term used to describe a phenomenon that has swept Hong Kong and mainland China in recent years as some young people reject a career-oriented lifestyle in favour of a low-desire, low-pressure life. It means doing the bare minimum to get by and striving for nothing more than what is absolutely essential for survival.

proactive: creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.

public rental housing: government-subsidised housing provided to low-income families at an affordable rental price.

upwards mobility: the ability to improve one’s social or economic status, usually by moving to a higher position or income bracket.

inflation: the increase in the price of goods and services over a certain period of time, usually a year. It may be difficult for lower-paid workers to keep up with.

News

1. C
2. The government and social services can promote life-planning activities to strengthen young people’s self-identity and make them more proactive in thinking about the future.
3. Youth with a good sense of self-identity have better academic performance, interpersonal relationships, and social skills. If young people are more sure of who they are, they will be more confident and driven in their studies as well as in making new friends and pursuing healthy relationships. (accept all reasonable answers)

Illustration

1. The man in the illustration has to choose between accepting a highly paid job or adopting a lying flat attitude. The job could provide financial stability but would mean a lot of stress and pressure, whereas lying flat might not provide success but could help you be more relaxed.
2. Many of the young people who responded to the survey might struggle to find direction in life because of the pressure they face to secure a high-paying job. Hong Kong’s education system is known for putting stress on students, so they might be tempted to “lie flat” because it seems like the best way to preserve their mental well-being.

Issue

1. A
2. According to the survey cited in Issue, young people in Hong Kong are lying flat because of the long wait time for affordable homes / limited job opportunities / lack of upwards mobility / huge educational expenses / inability to take part in public policy (any two). I somewhat disagree with Cheung’s analysis in News because the survey from Issue shows that self-identity is not a primary factor in lying flat. Instead, for many low-income youth, lying flat is related to how helpless they feel in their economic situations. (accept other reasonable answers)
3. The government should offer young people affordable housing and free tertiary education. This will encourage them and help them feel like their hard work will pay off and eventually, allow them to have a more comfortable life. (accept other reasonable answers)

Graphic

1. Inflation is depicted as a heavy boulder in the Illustration, which signifies the increasing pressure on Hong Kong youth to cope with the high cost of living.
2. The city’s high cost of living is among the reasons young people cited for lying flat. As inflation soars, the same amount of money buys fewer goods. Many Hongkongers’ salaries cannot keep up with rising prices. They must work even harder to buy a home, pay for education, or manage their everyday expenses. Many young people might resort to lying flat because working hard still won’t be enough to bring financial stability.