Buying Public Welfare Lottery tickets has become a national fad in Taiwan. Almost everyone is doing it. The jackpot winners are the central topics of everyday chat. When announcing lotto-related news, TV anchors often add a finishing touch by saying, "With just one ticket, you have infinite hope."
Some psychiatrists and psychologists have warned that many people may become addicted to the lottery and develop pathological tendencies. Since lottery fever began to sweep the nation, however, most of the discussion has focused on individual psychology. But from the point of view of social psychology, the lottery craze is not a good one.
The "Ta chiah lo" (
In relation to the nation's overall social structure, the economy peaked more than 10 years ago. It seemed that there was money to be made everywhere because the economy was so successful. Everyone felt that they could succeed as long as they worked hard. This seemed to be a positive phenomenon.
However, Taiwan's housing and land were expensive. For a long time, housing costs remained very high. White-collar workers had to take out housing loans that would take years to repay, while blue-collar workers took on loans with which they will be saddled for the rest of their lives. Many people wondered how some seemed capable of making fortunes overnight while they sweated to make ends meet on a NT$30,000-a-month salary.
The social psyche, influenced by the dream of becoming rich and the gap between rich and poor, led many people to turn to the "Ta chiah lo" and the stock market. Moreover, the government was incompetent and had no desire to bridge the social divide. Ever since, social values have become twisted and the public has become transfixed on the notion of becoming rich overnight.
Now, as we find ourselves witnessing a repeat performance 10 years on, the problems remain the same: the gap between rich and poor has not narrowed much and housing prices remain exorbitant. What has worsened is the unemployment rate. University graduates are running around all over the place looking for jobs. A strong educational background does not guarantee success like it used to. In other words, the normal track for social mobility -- climbing the social ladder through higher education -- has become unreliable. So how can we make money? How can we succeed?
Over the past decade or so, social welfare for disadvantaged groups has improved little, and social welfare policies remain inadequate. In such a social environment -- where education does not guarantee jobs, local industries are moving out and the stock market is at rock bottom -- many young people start to hanker for money and take shortcuts in their pursuit of it. In reality, Taiwan's social structure has remained unchanged over the last 10 years.
"Why not buy a lottery ticket? I might become a wealthy man," many people think. The current lottery fever is therefore far from accidental, but reflects a social phenomenon and the state of mind of the people of Taiwan.
How ironic that the lottery is being run in the name of public welfare.
Iao Ching-tang is a counselor with Chiayi City Lifeline.
Translated by Jackie Lin
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