Expert view/From French student movement to Indian cockroach movement, why are the youth angry?

A wave of student protests, rare in decades, erupted in France recently. It began in a high school in the suburbs of Paris and quickly spread across the country, affecting more than a thousand schools. Students protested against inadequate teachers, overcrowded classrooms, old school buildings and the pressure of the admissions system. On 17 October, millions of people took to the streets and clashes broke out between police and civilians in some areas. What was originally a purely educational protest has gradually transformed into widespread dissatisfaction with government policies.

India There is also a “cockroach movement”. The reason for this was that senior judicial officers had described unemployed youth as cockroaches, which aroused anger among the youth. He simply founded the “Cockroach People’s Party”, which expanded from protesting leaked test questions and unfair education to questioning the electoral system and government governance. India’s economy continues to grow, but many college graduates cannot find jobs, and young people are gradually losing trust in the government.

In the past, society told young people that as long as they worked hard and studied, they could improve their lives. Now this formula is gradually failing. The popularization of academic qualifications has led to the devaluation of diplomas. Housing prices have increased much faster than wage increases. Finding stable jobs has become difficult. Artificial intelligence has begun to threaten white-collar jobs that were originally considered secure.

Even more disappointing is the wealth gap between generations. The previous generation bought homes and accumulated wealth when the economy was booming. Young people may not be able to buy a home even with higher education and better technical capabilities. When the appreciation rate of assets far exceeds the growth of labor income, the importance of family background gradually outweighs that of individual effort.

Taiwan’s stock market has performed well due to the AI ​​craze, and its exports and corporate profits have performed well. However, the fruits of economic growth have not been distributed equally. The income gap between high-paid talents in the technology industry and workers in the general service industry and traditional industries continues to grow. Young people see news reports every day that the stock market is rising, but their salaries do not keep up with their rent and living expenses. They inevitably wonder what economic prosperity has to do with them.

High housing prices are a particularly serious problem. Even though the government has launched the new Qianyuan loan, the down payment is still a difficult threshold for young people who lack family support. Extending the loan tenure also means longer liabilities. Some people choose not to buy a house, not marry, or not have children. On the surface, this is a personal choice, but there are often heavy economic considerations behind it.

The education system also deserves review. Domestic university admission rates have increased, but the relationship between academic qualifications and the job market has not simultaneously improved. Some college graduates work in jobs unrelated to their studies, and companies complain that they cannot find talent. The government has vigorously promoted AI education, but how many schools actually teach students how to use AI to solve problems? How many youth have the capacity to face industrial change?

Taiwan’s ruling and opposition parties are eager to compete for youth votes, but their policies are often limited to handouts, subsidies and short-term concessions. During the election, he promised housing justice, higher wages and better education. After the election, he engaged in political attack and defense. The long-term institutional reforms that young people need are often sidelined in the absence of immediate vote-getting impact.

What is even more worrying is that Taiwan is rapidly entering a super-aging society. As the elderly population grows, long-term care, medical and retirement expenses will continue to increase. These expenditures are necessary, but if the government lacks a complete fiscal plan, the future burden will ultimately fall on the younger working generation.

French students took to the streets and Indian youth wore cockroach masks, reminding governments that discontent among young people can grow over time until something inexplicable explodes. Violent behavior during protests should be prohibited by law, but if the government is busy only condemning protesters and ignores the structural difficulties behind them, conflict could resurface.

Taiwan needs to re-examine the relationship between education and employment, housing policies, wage growth and financial distribution between generations. In particular, for the economic dividends brought by AI, more resources should be used to develop the capabilities of young people and assist industrial transformation, so that economic growth can truly be transformed into opportunities to improve lives.

The youth’s apathy towards politics does not mean that they are satisfied with the status quo, but it could also mean that they have lost hope in the existing political parties. When efforts fail to yield results and polling fails to see change, skepticism and anger arise in society.

France and India have issued warnings. Taiwan’s politicians should think seriously about how much opportunity, how much debt, and what kind of future they should leave to the next generation? If we only care about immediate political interests, by the time the youth take to the streets it will be too late.