A 2-minute video titled "Post-80s college students burn their diplomas" once went viral on the Internet. The protagonist of the video, Xiao Zheng, graduated from a college in Hubei with a major in English education in 2005. After five years of job hunting, he was repeatedly frustrated. In a rage, he burned his university diploma on fire, filmed the process with his mobile phone, and uploaded it to On the Internet, it caused quite a shock among netizens. There were many comments on this incident.
According to Xiao Zheng’s self-introduction, he is 28 years old and a native of Huadian, Jilin Province. His ideal is to be a teacher. After graduating in 2005, he worked as a substitute teacher in Guangdong, with a monthly salary of about 1,000 yuan. He was fired in 2008. Later, he returned to his hometown, looking for tutoring students during the day, and setting up a stall and selling barbecue in front of the school at night, "earning a few pocket money and barely surviving."
“It’s too difficult to find a job now. I don’t have a background, my family is in trouble, and I’m not a graduate of a prestigious university, so all my resumes come to nothing.” Xiao Zheng said that in the past five years, he had submitted resumes countless times but was rejected. Outside the door, these experiences wiped away all the beautiful ambitions and dreams he had when he was young. He wanted to start his own business, but financial conditions did not allow it. His parents were laid off and lost their jobs. He spent all his family savings on going to college. All the money he earned from work was sent home to pay off debts, and "if he wanted to get a loan, there was no way."
"It's useless to ask for a diploma. Many places don't even give you a chance to interview. My college studies have been in vain these past few years." Explaining the reason for burning the diploma, Xiao Zheng said that he didn't want to It's just a show, and I don't want to be sympathized with. I just want to vent my depression and helplessness, and at the same time, I want to draw society's attention to unemployed college students.
After the video of "Burning Graduation Certificates" was posted online, it immediately circulated on major websites, and a discussion ensued. Renren also launched a discussion among netizens. In Xiao Zheng's hometown of Jilin Province, this incident also attracted the attention and reflection of many college students and became a hot topic on campus.
“It may seem like a crazy move, but it is an alternative performance art that reflects the sadness and helplessness of some contemporary college students.” Xiaoguan, a student at Changchun University, expressed his understanding of Xiao Zheng’s behavior. He said: "You have to study hard for 16 years to get a college diploma, which should be cherished. But these days, with master's and doctorates everywhere, what are undergraduates? Except for famous universities, most diplomas from other universities are not valuable. It is a stepping stone. It is difficult to find a job after completing college. This kind of psychological pressure and poverty are unbearable for ordinary college students."
Xiao Guo, a classmate from Jilin University, believes: "The graduation certificate is originally a sign of college academic ability. A proof of this. But the current situation is that on the one hand, it is difficult for college students to find jobs, and on the other hand, recruiting units complain that they cannot recruit talents. They describe the current universities as being like crash courses, the quality of higher education is declining, and the courses are out of touch with social needs. Some college students have an impetuous mentality while studying; some spend a lot of time online every day, clubbing, making friends and falling in love. Four years have passed. Apart from a diploma, how much real ability and effort do college students have? To find a place in the job market, instead of burning your diploma, it is better to work harder now.”
“Actually, for us junior college students, the graduation certificate does not mean much, it is what we rely on to find a job. Ability." Xiao Lu, a student at Jilin Technology and Business College, said that a diploma is a recognized certificate obtained after more than 10 years of hard work. Burning it is a very irrational approach. What's more, in today's fiercely competitive environment, college diplomas have long been It is no longer a talisman for employment. You cannot rely on this piece of paper to get a job. The key to being recognized and accepted by society lies in improving your own abilities.
After Xiao Zheng burned his graduation certificate, he was praised by some netizens as "the most awesome college student in history in 2010" and "personality". In this regard, Zhao Hongyi, associate professor at the School of Education of Northeast Normal University, pointed out that this special case is an overreaction caused by the long-term failure of young people's ideals and wishes to be realized. After a period of calm, they will naturally return to normal.
“A burning diploma illuminates many practical problems, but in the process of reflection, the responsibility cannot be completely passed on to universities and society.” Zhao Hongyi believes that employment involves issues such as personal abilities and social needs. Young people should look at problems based on internal and external factors, learn lessons from events, and spur their own development to adapt to future job demands.