Why are these the buzzwords of 2020?

After reader suggestions, online voting, and rounds of selection by specialists and the media, the editorial office of "Speak Like a Book" selected the "10 buzzwords of 2020", which are "people come first, life comes first", "hero in harm's way", "spirited", “the rising wave", "mythical creatures", "live-streaming e-commerce", "double circulation", “laborer”, “involution", and "Versailles literature."

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on January 23, 2020, the city of Wuhan locked down. After 76 difficult days, it finally reopened on April 8, which signified initial success in combating the pandemic. Confronted with the pandemic, the Communist Party of China central leadership decisively made a pause on the economy, mobilized nationwide resources to treat infected patients and protect the safety of the masses. "People come first, life comes first" being selected as a buzzword of 2020 was also a commemoration of the journey of combating the pandemic throughout last year. In addition, the buzzword "hero in harm's way" was in praise of the “angels in white”, or medical workers, who selflessly dedicated themselves in the fight against the pandemic.

When I was in middle school, my family would say: "If you don't study well, we'll send you to do labor." In that period, we easily link laborers with "hardship", "exhaustion", and "no dignity". Some laborers are also ashamed of mentioning their job as they think that they are inferior to others. This phenomenon demonstrated the social mentality of looking down upon laborers. However, can we do without labor? Which society can abandon its laborers? Throughout the ages, people created their happiness through labor, and established a steady flow of material and spiritual wealth. Whether it is physical laborers who work on construction sites, or coders who do programming in front of their computers, everyone is working and doing labor. The selection of "Laborer" as an annual buzzword reflected the respect and acceptance of laborers during this age, and it is a reconfirmation of the value of "labor is the foundation of all happiness."

Some say that the best scenery of a nation is its young people. In this age, where everyone starts businesses and makes innovations, the majority of people who start up their businesses are young people born in the 1980s and 1990s. Last year, on the front line of combating the pandemic, 12,000 out of the 42,000 medical staff who went to assist Hubei were of the 1990s generation, and many were born after 1995 or 2000. These facts indicate that this generation is not a “lost generation”, but "the rising wave" with endless vitality. They have their shortcomings, but they are also "spirited." The selection of these two words demonstrated the growth of the young generation, as well as society’s recognition and expectations.

The buzzwords "mythical creatures", "live-streaming e-commerce", and "double circulation" are closely related to the social realities of 2020. Children had to stay home and study online for over 6 months, which caused many parents to become exhausted for having to work, take care of their children, and help their children with their homework. Hence, the lovely children became “mystical creatures" who no longer listen to their parents. In addition, due to the pandemic, offline commercial distribution was blocked and the world economy faced unprecedented challenges. As a result, many commercial activities shifted online. "Live-streaming e-commerce" rapidly prospered, and our nation's economy began to focus on domestic circulation principally, while also conducting domestic and international double circulation to stimulate a new development model. These buzzwords are vivid portrayals of the social life under the pandemic, though they also contain bitterness and helplessness brought about by the pandemic.

"Involution" and "Versailles literature" are cyber words, but they also depicted people's lives under the pandemic. "Involution" means that after human society developed into a certain mode, being at a standstill cannot allow it to transform into a higher mode. "Versailles literature" is "using a low-key manner to show-off". In the past year, due to the pandemic, the pressure in many people's lives increased. "Versailles literature" became a "fake refinement" in social scenarios, and "involution" reflected people's anxiety of their current states. However, from a positive angle, "Versailles literature" indicates that people have expectations to "became a better self", and the concept of "involution" is a self-alert, and these factors might become the impetus for people to drive towards a better future.

Contributed by Chen Yuanping

Translated by Zhang Junye