Stories about Youth from June, 2013
The ‘Penis Class’ is on China's State Media
Ministry of Tofu explains the term “Diaosi”, a online buzzwords to describe a social class in China. The literal meaning of diaosi is “the fan of Penis”, it refers to the self-proclaimed Chinese underdogs who wallow in self-pity and self-mockery and the vulgar term has been adopted by state-run media.
Palestinian Assaf Wins Arab Idol Singing Contest
Palestinian Mohammed Assaf won the title of this year's Arab Idol, the Arabic version of American Idol. Because there are contestants from different Arab countries, the citizens of each country consider the win a national trophy. Assaf's win sent thousands to the streets celebrating, chanting and dancing.
South Koreans Protest Electioneering
College students and civic groups took action against the National Intelligence Service (NIS)'s illegal interference with the lastest presidential election. Major universities in South Korea have released statements condemning the secret agency, the ruling party and the police. Net users have gathered 95 thousand signatures in the second round [ko] of online petition. Several protests are...
Thousands Are Joining Bosnia's ‘Babylution’
The death of a baby girl has people in Bosnia-Herzegovina crossing the country's deep ethnic divides by the thousands to protest together against the government's failure to remedy a lapse in the law that is preventing newborns from being given an identity number and, by extension, travel papers and healthcare.
Defeat Has China's Soccer Fans Up in Arms
Chinese national football has long been mocked by fans in China for its poor performance and corruption allegations. Offbeat weighed in on a recent defeat from the national football team that has galvanized many avid soccer fans.
Cuba: Another Brick in the Wall?
The whole process is managed and legitimated by a whole army of high-level psychologists and pedagogues in the name of the common Good. Erasmo Calzadilla blogs at Havana Times about the state of education in Cuba: “Till recently, school and repression were for me synonymous.”
Venezuelan Universities On Strike Demand Economic Improvements
Venezuelan universities have declared an indefinite strike to demand an improvement in professor wages. As such, with the controversies that have taken place in recent months between government representatives and public universities, another episode of a long conflict is being written.
Jamaica: Children as Artists
The National Gallery of Jamaica Blog is excited about an upcoming exhibition of children's art, which will highlight “the children’s unique responses to questions about their curiosities and the diverse urges of their developing imaginations.”
Russia Eyes Another Orphan Experiment
Pavel Astakhov's idea of sending Russia's highly-politicized orphans to the restive North Caucasian Republics as a kind of social "experiment" was overwhelmingly condemned by netizens of all political stripes.
Fuss in China Over Entrance Exam Masks Trouble in Higher Education
High school students in China just sat the annual national college entrance examination, hoping to secure a place in a leading university by acing the test. But the hype surrounding China's annual university entrance exams masks the troubled higher education system that awaits the hopefuls.
TV Commercial Sparks Debate Over Violence in Trinidad & Tobago
A KFC commercial in Trinidad & Tobago has drawn criticism for what some consider to be the portrayal of violence, particularly on the heels of the recent killing of a teenaged boy over a common love interest.
Russians & Cigarettes: A Hard Goodbye
The Russian government aims to end Russia's love affair with cigarettes, and a new law passed June 1 will ban smoking in a wide array of public spaces, paving the way to even stricter regulations in the future. Not everyone in the Russian blogosphere, however, is happy about it.
South Korea's History-Challenged Youth
As younger generation shows a serious lack of historical knowledge even to the point of calling [ko] an iconic democratic movement a rebel, South Korean net users set up an online petition page [to] calling the government to make history a mandatory subject in Korean SAT. Only two days have passed so far,...
Tunisian FEMEN Activist Faces New Charges
As Tunisian FEMEN activist Amina Tyler is set to appear before a judge to face new charges on June 5, the secular opposition's lack of support to the young woman is met with criticism.
Serbian High-School Students Trade Prom for Charity
The students of Pirot High School wore plain T-shirts to their graduating prom and gave the money they would have spent on dresses and suits to three children with disabilities in their community instead. Danica Radisic reports.
VIDEO: Brazilian Toddler's Vegetarian Wisdom Goes Viral
In a viral video, a three-year old Brazilian boy resists his mother's appeal to eat his octopus gnocchi for lunch, arguing that he doesn't like to eat meat because "when we eat animals, they die," and that he likes to see the animals "on their feet, happy."
