Strawberry generation

Strawberry generation (草莓族 [ [http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8D%89%E8%8E%93%E6%97%8F zh.wikipedia.org article] ] ) is a term coined in Taiwan to designate people born in the 1980s (between 1981 and 1991).

The general perception is that these people, having grown in a protected environment and with economic prosperity, are less able to withstand pressure or to do hard work. The term is linked to the fact that persons from this generation are generally supposed to have grown in a protected environment (e.g. being overprotected by their parents), just as strawberries are grown in greenhouses and command a high price compared to other fruits.

The term is starting to gain prominence in the East Asian press, as it could be a way to designate a rising demographic or psychographic (in terms of consumer behavior). The Strawberry Generation could be the Asian counterpart of the North American and Western European Generation Y.

References

* [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/09/12/2003271331 Taipei Times Article]
* [http://sex.ncu.edu.tw/members/Ho/pr/looking/strawberry/rachel.htm Student paper on the subject]
* [http://www.chinapost.com.tw/opinion/detail.asp?id=234 China Post article]