独生子女
释义 DEFINITION
独生子女指在计划生育政策下形成的没有兄弟姐妹的一代人。主要包含三层含义：
- 政策产物：特指1979-2015年间中国独生子女政策下出生的9000万人
- 代际特征：被贴上'小皇帝''小公主'标签，常与'自我中心''抗压能力弱'等社会评价关联
- 网络语境：现多用于自嘲或讨论养老压力，如'独生子女不敢死不敢穷'等热梗
当前网络使用主要集中在90后群体，用以表达赡养老人、职场竞争、婚恋压力等现实焦虑。
词源故事 ETYMOLOGY
这个词汇的演变堪称中国社会变迁的缩影。1980年代，《人民日报》首次使用'小皇帝'一词描述独生子女，当时社会普遍担忧这代人会变成'垮掉的一代'。2008年汶川地震后，'独生子女一代突然长大'的报道扭转了部分刻板印象。
2015年二胎政策放开后，'独生子女'完成从政策术语到身份标签的转化。知乎热帖《作为独生子女有多难》获得10万+点赞，揭露养老、育儿、职场三座大山的压力。B站UP主'焦虑的小王'用vlog记录带父母看病的经历，视频弹幕飘满'世另我（世界另一个我）'。
近年衍生出特定网络用语：
- '独苗养老'（形容独生子女赡养压力）
- '421家庭结构'（4老人+2父母+1孩子）
- '失独风险'（担心自己意外死亡导致父母老无所依）
例句：'80后独生子女，上有四老下有二胎，每天睁开眼睛就是六张嘴等着养——这就是我的福报吗？'
DEFINITION
The term Only Child Syndrome refers to:
- Historical Context: A generation born under China's One-Child Policy (1979-2015), comprising about 90 million people
- Social Perception: Often stereotyped as 'Little Emperors' - perceived to be self-centered due to undivided parental attention
- Modern Usage: Now widely used in memes discussing the '4-2-1 phenomenon' (1 child supporting 2 parents and 4 grandparents)
Millennials frequently use this term to express anxiety about eldercare responsibilities and work-life balance.
ETYMOLOGY
This term mirrors China's social transformation. In the 1980s, state media coined Little Emperor to describe only children, reflecting concerns about spoiled generations. Public perception shifted after 2008 Sichuan earthquake, when only-children volunteers changed the narrative.
After 2015 two-child policy, the term evolved into cultural identity. On Zhihu (Chinese Quora), a post The Struggles of Being an Only Child went viral with 100k+ upvotes, exposing pressures of eldercare and career. Bilibili vlogger Anxious Xiao Wang's video documenting hospital trips with aging parents sparked massive共鸣 (resonance) with comments like 'Are you me?'
Notable internet lingo includes:
- Single Sprout Eldercare - describing caregiving burdens
- 4-2-1 Family Structure - 4 grandparents, 2 parents, 1 child
- Losing-the-Only-Child Risk - fear of leaving parents childless
Meme example: 'Born in 1985 as an only child, supporting 4 elders and 2 kids - is this what they call karma?'