I just thought of something quite interesting. Why do the 00 generation seem to be more alert and knowledgeable than previous generations? The media constantly praises the 00 generation for how they manage their workplaces or oppose PUA, but in reality, that’s just a form of praise.

But I think the real reason isn’t because the 00 generation has become smarter or more transparent. It’s simply because they are living in a relatively stable and somewhat stagnant society. Based on my twenty years of experience, they can make life decisions without falling into traps.

For example, knowing that they cannot buy a house in major cities, the 00 generation no longer sees homeownership as the meaning of life. Or knowing that the era of sharing dividends through work is over, they gradually feel proud when lying down and ashamed when struggling. The marriage rate will also continue to decline because the 00 generation realizes that marriage offers limited benefits but carries significant risks.

But what’s important is that these beliefs are not because the 00 generation has matured, but because the ship of the era has slowed down. The concepts they form in their youth will stay with them for life, from youth to old age.

In contrast, the generation born in 1980 is different. They have gone through countless processes of trust, doubt, collapse, and redefinition. When their parents were born, the urbanization rate hadn’t exceeded 30%. When they were in school, it was a time of upheaval, with the iron rice bowl shattered, and people within the system going to the sea to make money. These continuous changes kept slapping them in the face, forcing them to rethink from scratch.

The first half of the 1980s generation was a process of constant slap in the face. They went through phases of confusion and hesitation, as yesterday’s experience no longer applied today, and today’s way of living would be a dead end tomorrow. Therefore, in the eyes of others, they seem more confused and less worldly-wise.

But in fact, those born in the 1970s and 1980s experienced dramatic changes across three types of society: agricultural, industrial, and information. Meanwhile, the 00 generation, from the time they can remember, has seen how the world was and how it would be as they grew up. High housing prices, intense labor, atomization, singlehood, stagnant wages, low birth rates—these issues are unlikely to change much in the next twenty years.

This also means that the 00 generation hasn’t gone through many reshaping processes of their worldview like their parents did. The beliefs formed in youth will stay with them for life.

But I also see this as a sadness. Because chaos means change, and change also means opportunity. In an environment of many changes, people won’t awaken but only feel bewildered. However, many born in 2000 believe they are alert and transparent.

Behind the act of lying down and staying calm is stubbornness and narrow-mindedness, losing sensitivity and the desire to explore real life. This isn’t insight, just a mental victory method over helplessness.