Survey: Consumerism Hits Campus

Survey: Consumerism Hits Campus

When Chinese parents send money to their student offspring in colleges or universities, they think most of it will be spent on the necessities of life, such as food. But the evidence suggests youngsters have other priorities. Take for example Zhang Chuan, a student at the Shandong Economics Institute, who reveals some of the many other things she and her friends love to buy. Each month, 21-year-old Zhang, who is studying international trade, receives 400 yuan (nearly US$50) from her parents. But, she says, this only covers the cost of her food and anything leftover goes on books. However, mobile phone fees, weekend travel, her friends' birthday parties, hair dye, fashionable clothes and keeping up with the latest pop music and films have all become "must haves" for her. And to keep pace with her spending needs, Zhang has found two part-time jobs as a tutor outside college, which she says give her enough money to cover her extra expenses. "Society is developing and our life is so varied and colorful," Zhang says. "I feel that if I don't have all these things, I might not keep up with the development trends of society." A survey involving 3,000 students at five universities in east China's Shandong Province showed that the spending habits of college students are changing. According to the survey, conducted by the Sociology Department of the prestigious Shandong University recently, students spending on food and basic clothing currently accounts for only around 60 per cent of their total expenditure, down about 20 per cent on 2001. The decrease is balanced by students spending on communication charges of telephones and mobile phones, books and magazines, computers, movies, travel and gymnasiums. Many college students have taken on part-time jobs, like Zhang, to cover these rising expenses, says Ni Anru, an associate professor of sociology at Shandong University. Over 25.7 per cent of college students from needy families take part-time jobs, mostly as tutors, cleaners, salespeople and typists. Another 35 per cent from hard-up families have to make do with the money they get from scholarships and any outside earnings they can find, the survey shows.