Episode Details

Suddenly, one sees a lot of young people all over the place. Either they are going around with their hair screaming pink or blue, or diving into waters, learning to drive or flying abroad on vacation. It is because an entire generation is sliding into adulthood.

突然，人们看到到处都是年轻人。他们要么把头发染成粉红色或蓝色，要么跳进水里，学习开车，或者在度假时飞到国外。这是因为整整一代人正在步入成年。

As the college entrance examination, gaokao, came to an end earlier this month, China's high school graduates didn't just heave a sigh of relief — they opened their wallets to unleash the now familiar "post-gaokao economy", offering a peek into how 18-year-olds view money and freedom.

随着高考在本月早些时候结束，中国的高中毕业生不仅松了一口气，他们还打开钱包，释放了现在熟悉的“高考后经济”，让人们一窥18岁的年轻人如何看待金钱和自由。

For today's youth, this phase is becoming like a rite of passage, a brief period in which to craft a new identity before starting university life. Data from online travel agency Trip.com show that travel bookings surged by 88 percent only days after the exam. For most of these new adults, the trip was one of the first decisions they were taking as adults.

对于今天的年轻人来说，这一阶段正变得像一个成人仪式，在开始大学生活之前，这是一个塑造新身份的短暂时期。在线旅行社Trip.com的数据显示，考试后几天，旅行预订量激增了88%。对于大多数新成年人来说，这次旅行是他们成年后的第一个决定之一。

Parents are footing the bill for what many call "reward consumption". Many electronics stores have reported a double-digit growth in sales of smartphones, laptops and tablets, gifts that have always been considered essential for campus life. Besides, the sale of smart wearable products has also surged. As the high school graduates gradually become independent decision-makers and key participants in the market, their preferences are steering consumer trends, driving both market upgrades and product innovation.

家长们正在为许多人所说的“奖励消费”买单。许多电子商店报告称，智能手机、笔记本电脑和平板电脑的销售额实现了两位数的增长，这些礼物一直被认为是校园生活中必不可少的。此外，智能可穿戴产品的销量也大幅增长。随着高中毕业生逐渐成为独立的决策者和市场的关键参与者，他们的偏好正在引导消费趋势，推动市场升级和产品创新。

Yet this consumption trend is not purely materialistic, most of these 18-year-olds are investing in themselves. Learning how to drive is one of the most popular choices for fresh high school graduates, while many young people are joining gyms and swimming clubs to sculpt the perfect figure before entering college. Even the surge in appointments for teeth whitening and double eyelid surgery shows how the young are conscious of their looks.

Listen Now