Guard against money worship

Being different is a fashion for many of today's youth. But some of their "cool" remarks reflect twisted minds and values, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpts:

Some high school seniors in Henan province recently coined a saying that "girls who don't study end up strolling in food markets and shopping in flea markets" and "men who don't study can only afford to buy inferior goods".

Some netizens think it's "cool" and "interesting". Others smell "utilitarianism" in the saying. Our forefathers, too, tried to motivate people through sayings such as "nothing is nobler than reading" and "beauty and wealth can be accessed only through books".

The high school seniors may seem to have used a different set of words to motivate youngsters but their saying is also a reflection of moral degradation and money worship in society, especially among youngsters.

We have seen a university professor asking students to earn 40 million yuan ($6.3 million) before reaching the age 40 to be really successful and a female guest on a TV show saying that crying on the back seat of a BMW is better than riding a bicycle behind a boyfriend.

It's unfortunate to see many of today's youngsters professing that "money is everything", which is reflected in the high school seniors referring to food and flea markets as "inferior" places.

We should reflect why there is so much warmth in the way an old lady proudly introduces her son to her neighbors as the town's best carpenter in a foreign film. And we should know that is the true essence of human and social progress.

(China Daily 08/31/2012 page9)