In the first of three installments of BBC’s Secrets of China series, we see indie sweetheart Billie JD Porter delve into the world of China’s teenage population. It’s a real eye-opener for anyone watching when we see the extent of the pressures of success for China’s students. Pushy parents aren’t just a stereotype in China; it’s a reality, and if anyone steps out of line there’s no messing around when it comes to putting them back in their place.
We see China’s teenage tearaways in a military style boot camp which promises to turn angst into obedience. The main cause of falling behind at school seems to be the growing addiction to video games which we discover when Billie meets a few of the boys who are in the boot camp. There’s a phenomenon of online gaming spreading across China with footballer style salaries and super fans. To a western audience this all seems so very strange; these kids aren’t allowed to do typical teenage stuff which we see as essential to growing up: no drinking, no smoking, no partying, no skipping school, and no socialising with the opposite gender. Watching this makes you take the whole coming of age experience for granted. It’s sad to see what these children go through but the whole system and communist government seems to have as much support as it does opposition, as we see from images of rioting in Hong Kong to scenes of the young and rich speaking about how valuable it is.
It’s easy to see the contrast of East and West, especially with Billie representing the youth of Britain. But with all things considered, we realise that there isn’t much difference between the two cultures. The girls she makes friends with at the boot camp just want to have fun and be young, and the boys just want to play video games and escape the pressures of education. Teenage angst affects us all, but it’s the consequences of our actions that so often define us.
Secrets of China, Tuesday 9pm on BBC 3. Available on BBC iPlayer now.
Words by Olivia Walsh