He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah:40:29-31

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Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.Isaiah:55:2

Li Nian is among many Chinese students taking unconventional graduation photos, which often show them slumped or on the ground.Courtesy Li Nian

By Jessie Yeung and CNN’s Beijing bureau

Published 7:38 PM EDT, Fri June 23, 2023Hong KongCNN — 

One photo shows the young woman sprawled facedown on the ground in a graduation gown, her tasseled cap discarded to the side. Others show her slumped over a chair, collapsed against a wall, and hanging listlessly over a staircase banister.

But in vain are men’s dreams of progress, in vain all efforts for the uplifting of humanity, if they neglect the one Source of hope and help for the fallen race. “Every good gift and every perfect gift” (James 1:17) is from God. There is no true excellence of character apart from Him. And the only way to God is Christ. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6. SC 21.1

Steps to Christ by Ellen G White

But the woman in these images hasn’t been harmed – at least, not physically. These are graduation photos, and their theme is “being more dead than alive,” according to the accompanying caption.

The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviour’s life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings,—all are enlisted in behalf of man’s redemption.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Isaiah:55:2

Oh, let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that has been made for us! Let us try to appreciate the labor and energy that Heaven is expending to reclaim the lost, and bring them back to the Father’s house. Motives stronger, and agencies more powerful, could never be brought into operation; the exceeding rewards for right-doing, the enjoyment of heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and love of God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages—are these not mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to give the heart’s loving service to our Creator and Redeemer? SC 21.2 – SC 21.3

Steps to Christ by Ellen G White

In recent weeks, Chinese social media has become awash with tongue-in-cheek images like these, posted by fresh graduates who have chosen to eschew the typical polished portraits in favor of shots they say offer a truer reflection of the tough reality they face.

A record 11.6 million college students are expected to enter the job market this summer, but their prospects look bleak. Urban youth unemployment is at record levels, reaching 20.8% in May, and an influx of new job seekers will only increase the competition.

Students at Wuhan University, China, during a graduation ceremony on June 20, 2023.Ren Yong/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Hope of Peace and Prosperity

At the same time, the job market they will be competing in is under stress – posing a risk to the government, which has so far been unable to reverse a trend partially of its own making. The slowing economy has been battered by the government’s now-abandoned strict zero-Covid policy and a regulatory crackdown across the private sector, which accounts for 80% of jobs nationwide.

The work of salvation in both the Old and the New Testament dispensation is the same. Christ was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. The types and shadows under which the Jews worshipped all pointed forward to the world’s Redeemer. It was by faith in a coming Saviour that sinners were saved then. It is through faith in Christ that they are justified today. BEcho February 8, 1897, par. 2

Ellen G White

Among the industries hardest hit are tech and education, two sectors that would normally attract large graduate intakes.

All this makes for a depressing picture for students, many of whom already feel exhausted and discouraged after navigating China’s notoriously competitive education system to reach this point – with little to show for it.

The Bible was held as the foundation of faith, the source of wisdom, and the charter of liberty. Its principles were diligently taught in the home, in the school, and in the church, and its fruits were manifest in thrift, intelligence, purity, and temperance. One might be for years a dweller in the Puritan settlement, “and not see a drunkard, or hear an oath, or meet a beggar.”—Bancroft, pt. 1, ch. 19, par. 25. It was demonstrated that the principles of the Bible are the surest safeguards of national greatness. The feeble and isolated colonies grew to a confederation of powerful states, and the world marked with wonder the peace and prosperity of “a church without a pope, and a state without a king.”
But continually increasing numbers were attracted to the shores of America, actuated by motives widely different from those of the first Pilgrims. Though the primitive faith and purity exerted a widespread and molding power, yet its influence became less and less as the numbers increased of those who sought only worldly advantage. GC 296.3 – GC 296.4

The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan by Ellen G White

“Fratelli Tutti and Laudato Si Masters Degree Challenges ” Bible” in the Countries and The Churches”

“This master’s degree…is finally…finished,” one student wrote on the Chinese app Xiaohongshu, next to a photo of herself on the ground, barely clinging to her graduation cap and thesis packet. In another picture, she pretends to throw her thesis into a recycling bin.

In the comments, some younger students anxiously debate whether it’s worth applying for graduate school, while older peers commiserate. One remarked: “Great post, it perfectly reflects the mental state of graduate students.”

Resumes in the trash: China The Model of Common Good Throwing away Bibles and Rewriting Scriptures

China’s youth are now the most educated in decades, with record numbers graduating from colleges and vocational schools.

Thousands deify nature while they deny the God of nature. Though in a different form, idolatry exists in the Christian world today as verily as it existed among ancient Israel in the days of Elijah. The god of many professedly wise men, of philosophers, poets, politicians, journalists—the god of polished fashionable circles, of many colleges and universities, even of some theological institutions—is little better than Baal, the sun-god of Phoenicia. GC 583.1

But this has led to a mismatch between their skills and expectations, and the available opportunities. And with a record number of graduates entering the jobs market, some are concerned their degrees are becoming less valuable to employers.

This has pushed many to pursue postgraduate degrees in the hope of gaining an edge: more than 6.5 million master’s degrees have been granted in the past decade, and more than 600,000 doctorate degrees, according to China’s Ministry of Education.

People in China are so worried about the economy they’re asking for divine intervention

The pandemic made job hunting even harder – prompting the government to order universities to admit more master’s applicants in 2020, state media reported.

But even a master’s or PhD is no guarantee of a job.

Li Nian, a PhD student who graduated this past week, is among those to have posted “more dead than alive” style photos.

Thousands deify nature while they deny the God of nature. Though in a different form, idolatry exists in the Christian world today as verily as it existed among ancient Israel in the days of Elijah. The god of many professedly wise men, of philosophers, poets, politicians, journalists—the god of polished fashionable circles, of many colleges and universities, even of some theological institutions—is little better than Baal, the sun-god of Phoenicia. GC 583.1

The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan by Ellen G White

Li had originally planned to enter the workforce straight after graduating; she had entered her PhD program right after her undergraduate degree, and all those years of school were quite enough.

But despite submitting “countless resumes,” none of the recruiters or employers replied, she said.

She recalled going to a job fair at her school, and seeing recruiters throw “a thick pile of resumes into the trash when they wrapped up. Because they are not short of people.”

Now, she plans to go overseas for a post-doctoral program, hoping the international experience might boost her chances of finding a position back home.

Dark humor

Despite the graduates’ limited prospects, their “more dead than alive” photos highlight the dark humor found in the face of challenging odds.

After being inspired by examples online, Li took her own graduation photos, which are funny despite the tiredness depicted. “I thought I would remember such graduation photos for the rest of my life,” she told CNN.

In one, she droops over the back of a park bench in her graduation robes. Another shows her on the ground, folded in half like a puppet with its strings cut.

Li Nian graduated from her PhD program in Nanjing, China, in June 2023.Courtesy Li Nian

“I didn’t think about anything else but being happy,” she said, emphasizing that the point was to celebrate graduating after completing her arduous PhD program.

Another take on the trend shows grinning students Photoshopped in front of burning buildings, sometimes flashing an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Similarly, some graduates say the trend is just a fun twist on a longstanding student tradition – one user argued that “stereotypical” graduation photos with books and bouquets were “a lot less interesting.”

Still, as Li acknowledged, there is a reason so many people seem to resonate with the trend.

“I saw a comment saying they could empathize with (my photo),” she said. “Maybe everyone studying for a PhD is very depressed. There was a popular saying not long ago that anyone studying for a PhD is crazy.”

Compounding crises

China is not alone in suffering a high youth unemployment rate. As Goldman Sachs analysts pointed out in a recent report, European countries such as Spain and Italy have also been grappling with rates surpassing 20%.

But China’s unique demographics make the stakes particularly high, according to the analysts, who highlight “how important the youth population is to China’s economy.”

Young people are big spenders in rent, transportation, communication and culture, they point out, and an increasingly unemployed, moneyless youth could mean less consumer spending – and a weaker national economy.

The unemployment rate also threatens to compound several other overlapping problems.

With China’s population of around 1.4 billion aging rapidly and beginning to shrink, the economy badly needs more young workers so it can support the health and social needs of the fast-expanding elderly group. But many young people are delaying or deciding not to start families due to their mounting economic struggles – further compounding the problem.

One in 5 young people in Chinese cities are out of work. Beijing wants them to work in the fields

Joblessness is only part of the reason for the growing disillusionment and loss of trust in authorities many young people feel.

Stagnating wages, limited upward mobility, unaffordable housing and rising costs of living have added to their frustrations. The government’s Covid lockdowns and draconian measures further sowed resentment – even igniting nationwide protests in a rare and remarkable show of dissent last year.

As this disenchanted generation grows up, some have even vowed to be the “the last generation” in an act of protest – to the horror of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

One recent post on China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo summed up the darkening mood. “Why is everyone reluctant to have children? The reason is very simple,” they wrote. “You spend more than 20 years of energy, sweat, and a million yuan to raise a college student who can’t even find a job after graduation – or if they do, it’s with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan ($418). Every day you start work early, finish late, and take out loans to buy your child a house and car.”

More people than ever are taking China’s college entrance exam. But a dire job market awaits

At the end of the day, the poster concluded, not having children – who would in turn have to suffer the same way – might be the “kind thing to do.”

Chinese authorities, alarmed by the wave of pessimism, have tried to turn things around by offering financial incentives for childbirth, housing subsidies for young couples, and other initiatives with little effect.

But their attempts to create more positions for young people could have “relatively limited” use, warned the Goldman Sachs report.

Things are expected to get worse in the coming months, the report said. The flood of new graduates into the workforce means the unemployment rate could rise several percentage points by late summer before starting to decline at the end of the quarter.

While the skills mismatch issue might gradually ease with the right policies, it warned this was a “difficult” task that was “unlikely to yield significant improvement in the short run.”

Instead, China will likely see high youth unemployment continue “in the next few years,” it said.

And that spells trouble for millions of students across the country, who are preparing with growing dread to enter a workforce without enough space for them.

CNN and Candice Zhu are major contributor to this story

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