Growing up to uncertainty
When I stepped into the university job fair, I felt a mix of excitement and unease. The future is a blur. The COVID-19 pandemic, wars, economic crises and technological revolutions have shaped the world we live in; the idea of “becoming an adult” is intimidating and often overwhelming.
Over the past few years, many young people have lived under a constant cloud of uncertainty. The pandemic changed how we study and work, making remote learning and working the new normal, leaving many of us feeling disconnected.
Then came the war in Ukraine, rising inflation and energy shortages — everyday expenses kept climbing and so did our worries about financial security. Meanwhile, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence made the future of many traditional jobs increasingly unclear. Would what I have studied still be relevant a few years from now? Would my career be replaced by automation?
In Taiwan, many college graduates still earn about NT$30,000 a month, painfully inadequate compared with skyrocketing living and housing costs. The dream of financial independence, of moving out of our parents’ homes or buying an apartment, feels out of reach.
Some classmates are preparing for civil service exams in search of stability; others plan to study abroad or look for better opportunities overseas. With growing tensions across the Taiwan Strait and instability around the globe, the future seems filled with even more uncertainties. How can we find our place in a world that feels like it is constantly shifting?
Growing up in this era means that becoming an adult is not just about landing a stable job or starting a family — it is about having the courage to move forward even when anxious and unsure. We might not be able to control the future, but we can shape it little by little with each choice we make.
He Guo-zhen
Kaohsiung
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