Love's labor's not lost on today's youths

A guideline on how to deal with youths' love affairs and marriages jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Young League, Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Health and Family Planning Commission has gone viral on the internet, as it tends to turn a private matter into a social issue.

The recently issued document seems to be an official response to some recent incidents involving youths' love affairs and marriages. Media outlets have reported some cases of fraud, even tragedies, related to such love affairs and marriages. Fearing that youths are falling prey to Mammon, as many demand a house and a car to get married, the document aims to help youths to inculcate the right values in their relationships to facilitate social stability and harmony.

The authorities' intention is good, and they should be praised for putting an important social problem in the spotlight. But first we should find out what the problem is and what the youths think about it.