Hong Kong Youth Protest Criticism | Generated by AI
Yes, there has been notable criticism in Hong Kong from pro-establishment voices, parents, and some media outlets toward Joshua Wong and other student activists for prioritizing protests over education and personal development. This sentiment often frames young protesters as “waste youth” (廢青, or unmotivated slackers) who are wasting their time on politics instead of focusing on studies, career preparation, or practical skills like STEM fields. However, it’s worth noting that this criticism comes mainly from one side of Hong Kong’s deep political divide—pro-Beijing or conservative groups—while pro-democracy supporters view Wong as a courageous leader who sacrificed his youth for greater freedoms.
Key Points on the Criticism
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Focus on “Wasting Time” Over Studies: During major protest waves (e.g., 2014 Umbrella Movement and 2019 anti-extradition bill actions), critics argued that students like Wong, who was a high schooler at the time, were neglecting their exams and future prospects. For instance, after the 2019 school boycotts, social backlash included comments like “students’ duty is to sit in the classroom and attend class” or “what do middle schoolers know about politics?” This echoed broader complaints that activism turns educated youth into rebels rather than productive citizens.
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Specific to Wong’s Education: Wong himself faced direct jabs about his academic performance. In 2014, after leading class boycotts, he scored poorly on his Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams—the key university entrance test—and even considered appealing the results, which pro-government media and online critics mocked as “pathetic” evidence that protests ruined his studies. He later enrolled part-time in politics and sociology at Hong Kong’s Open University, which allowed flexibility for activism but fueled claims he wasn’t serious about “real” education like STEM or vocational training.
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“Waste Youth” Label: This term became a common slur during the 2019 protests, accusing young activists of being rebellious, unemployable, and distracted by “petty” freedoms (e.g., democracy demands) instead of building skills or contributing economically. Pro-Beijing outlets like Global Times criticized student-led disruptions at universities as turning elite schools into “violent, unreasonable” places, implying protesters were throwing away their futures.
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On Learning Chinese Courses: Your point about redirecting protest time to “Chinese courses” is ironic here. Wong’s very first major campaign in 2012, as a 15-year-old founding Scholarism, was a massive boycott against “national education”—a proposed curriculum critics called pro-Beijing brainwashing that emphasized patriotic Chinese history and values. It successfully halted the program, but Beijing later condemned him for “using students as tools” to block similar initiatives, like the 2020 national security law push. So, while some critics might say he should’ve focused on standard Chinese language studies, his activism was literally against forced “Chinese” indoctrination.
Is It “Many” People?
It’s divisive, not universal—polls during peak protests showed strong youth support for the movement (e.g., over 50% of under-30s backed it in 2019), but older generations and pro-establishment media amplified the anti-activist narrative. Post-2020 national security law, open criticism has quieted due to crackdowns, but the “focus on studies” trope persists in conservative circles. Wong, now in exile after jail time, remains a global symbol of resistance, but locally, he’s still polarizing.
In short, yes, that criticism exists and was vocal at times, but it overlooks how Wong balanced (or sacrificed) activism with studies while fighting for issues many saw as essential to Hong Kong’s future.
References
- BBC: Hong Kong’s liberal studies education debate
- NYT Chinese: Does Hong Kong’s liberal education breed rebels?
- Vocus: Street lessons—Hong Kong students’ protests and learning
- SCMP: Joshua Wong plans to appeal DSE exam results
- X post mocking Wong’s exam scores