Summary of Key Points
This article focuses on the "collapse" of teenage idols such as Jiang Fangzhou, criticizing the misconceptions of the "Lao Deng education philosophy." In the past, parents believed that success could be achieved through their children's subjective efforts (such as holding ice to build resilience or relying on writing talent). However, behind the "success" of these idols were family resources, information disparities, and loopholes in the system. With increased transparency in information, the younger generation has begun to see through this logic, and the Lao Deng education philosophy is being abandoned. The article also points out that in previous decades, it was more beneficial for parents to "capitalize on the opportunities of the times" rather than excessively pushing their children to study hard. Now, with fewer opportunities available, the space for the Lao Deng education philosophy to thrive will further shrink.
I. Lao Deng Education Philosophy: Parents' Self-Indulgent Approach to Pushing Children to Study Hard
The essence of the Lao Deng education philosophy is a "fantasy" born out of information asymmetry among parents: they themselves do not understand the rules or have the necessary resources, yet they place their children's success on the concept of "effort." For example, when Liu Yiting wrote in her book about holding ice in winter to build resilience, parents followed suit, having their children hold ice for longer periods, believing this would help them get into Harvard. What they didn't realize was that Liu Yiting's entry to Harvard was facilitated by a recommendation letter from a U.S. congressman—a "hidden channel" that most parents had never even heard of in the 1990s. In other words, the Lao Deng education philosophy uses children's hard work as a cover for their own lack of knowledge, treating superficial efforts as the core method to success.
II. The Collapse of Role Models: Revealing the Truth Behind the Myth of Effort
Three role models that parents once regarded as benchmarks have all failed:
- Liu Yiting: Holding ice was merely a performance; her real entry into Harvard was thanks to a recommendation letter from an assistant to the U.S. Attorney General and a congressman.
- Jiang Fangzhou: She published a book at the age of 9 (with questions about ghostwriting), entered Huashi No.1 High School through special literary admissions, and was admitted to Tsinghua University with reduced scores on the college entrance exam. She later pursued graduate studies through special selection processes, never taking the middle or college entrance exams herself. Her success relied on her family's thorough understanding of admission policies and connections.
- Jia Qianqian: The controversy surrounding her poetry works was due to her privileged background as a member of an academic elite family.
These cases directly challenge the Lao Deng education philosophy, showing that success is not about how long children hold ice or how early they start writing, but whether parents have access to information, connections, and resources.
III. The Misalignment between Pushing Children to Study Hard and Capitalizing on the Times
The article argues that in previous decades, it was more profitable for parents to "capitalize on the opportunities of the times" rather than excessively pushing their children to study hard. For instance, around 2010, as the internet industry rapidly developed, parents with only a college degree could earn millions if they invested fully. However, if they focused all their energy on forcing their children to do homework and missed out on these opportunities, even today's top students from prestigious universities would find it harder to achieve financial success. This was because the rules were less strict in those times, allowing for more loopholes (such as lower barriers to early special admissions), and parents who seized these opportunities reaped greater benefits.
IV. The Awakening of the New Generation: The Demystification of the Lao Deng Education Philosophy
With increasing information transparency, younger generations no longer believe in the notion that "hard work alone leads to success":
- They see that Jiang Fangzhou entered prestigious schools without taking exams and realize that studying hard is just a common path for ordinary people.
- They understand that "lying flat" (not striving excessively) is not a sign of laziness but rather a reflection of the reduced opportunities in today's society, where personal effort alone is insufficient for significant progress.
- When parents mention holding ice to get into Harvard, younger generations immediately refute them, knowing the true behind-the-scenes factors.
As a result, the Lao Deng education philosophy is being rejected by the new generation. In the future, ordinary families will gradually abandon this approach, and parents will realize that family resources and knowledge are far more important than their children's relentless effort.
V. Jiang Fangzhou's Poor Public Image: Being Labelled as part of the "Lao Deng Camp"
Although Jiang Fangzhou was born in the 1980s, her path to success aligns with the Lao Deng education philosophy—she used family resources to take shortcuts and was portrayed as a "genius writer." This has created a gap between her and the younger generation, who see her as a tool used by the older generation to educate others. She is thus categorized as part of the "Lao Deng camp," rather than representing the values of the "postmodern youth" (such as someone like Yang from Wuhan University). This is one of the reasons for her poor public image.
In summary, the core message of this article is that the failure of the Lao Deng education philosophy reflects a change in times: information disparities have been eliminated, and the importance of resources has become evident. Parents need to shift from forcing their children to work hard to improving their own knowledge and access to resources; otherwise, they will be left behind by the changing landscape.