Jiaolu - Anxiety and Consumption in China. Brain Waves: The field of neurotechnology, the focus of this blog, encompasses advances in brain science (neurons), information technology (bits) and bioengineering (genes). Up for discussion and analysis: the political, economic, ethical, and social forces that will shape the future of what will be one of the most important and fascinating stories of the coming decades.

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Zack Lynch is author of The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science Is Changing Our World (St. Martin's Press, July 2009).
He is the founder and executive director of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO) and co-founder of NeuroInsights. He serves on the advisory boards of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, the Center for Neuroeconomic Studies, Science Progress, and SocialText, a social software company. Please send newsworthy items or feedback - to Zack Lynch.
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July 12, 2005

Jiaolu - Anxiety and Consumption in China

Posted by Zack Lynch

The L.A. Times reports on a devistating mental health trend in China, "Across Chinese society, signs of stress and restless energy are everywhere. Jiaolu, or anxiety, a new buzzword, produces nearly a million hits on Google China. A recent survey by the newspaper China Youth Daily found that 66% of young people considered themselves under heavy pressure and fewer than 1% felt stress-free." "The young have things their parents only dreamed of. But there's a lot of hand-wringing. They want wealth, and they want it now."

The growing mental health care crisis in China continues unabated resulting in some of the highest suicide rates worldwide.

Our modern social ecology presents humanity with a new set of threats and the need to develop new tools for survival. Emotional strength and stamina have surpassed physical strength and will soon overtake cognitive processing of information as the key determinant to survive and prosper.

Comments (1) + TrackBacks (0) | Category: Mental Health Issues

COMMENTS

1. Henry Classe on July 17, 2005 12:50 PM writes...

In 1999 I traved to China under the direction of my employer, Whitney Design, (I have been since laid off); to troubleshoot some production problems we were having with a supplier.

Whitney Design was the second largest manufacture of ironing boards.

The supplier was Since Hardware, Guangzhow Huada City, China.

There I observed China's youth working six and seven days a week in an effor to get ahead.

I met recent college graduates, government and business leaders that were making every effort to satisy the Amercian demand for products that would meet their needs.

The Chinese know they have an economic opportunity at their feet and are working to meet the demand and arise to the challenge of getting ahead.

This is stressful and can be expected.

I hope this information helps.

Sincerely,

Henry Classe, PE

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