China’s Generation Y, born in the 1980s and 1990s, is an important cohort group in Chinese society. Based on a large-scale survey in Shanghai, China, this study delves into the characteristics of value confiscation and identification, indicating that Chinese Generation Y was born in a time of great change, high mobility and quick digitization, giving them a prolonged youth period, diverse trajectories, and multiple chances. The study shows that Generation Y has values different from western youth, where post-materialism coexist among them.

Leiping Bao, Research Professor in Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, focuses on Social Polices and Youth development.