[citation needed] From toys to clothes, parents shower their child in material goods and give in to every demand; it is common for children to be the "best-dressed members of their families".
[9] This effect has become considerable enough to be noticed on a global scale: marketing groups attribute a near doubling of platinum jewelry sales in China to "Chinese's 'spoiled brat' generation".
[2] Child's slave (Chinese: 孩奴; pinyin: háinú) is a term used in China to describe parents, especially those born in the 1980s, who are under financial, physical, or mental pressure when raising their children.
This shift from earlier structures that supported the culture of filial piety has caused much concern; "traditionally, a great number of children, particularly sons, was seen as proof of the family's standing and it guaranteed the continuity of ancestor-worshipping customs.
The child often receives too much love and has been highly mentally and physically restricted to devote themselves to a heavy load of schoolwork, considering that the economic future of the family depends on their success.
There is also evidence that many young Chinese feel heavily burdened[citation needed] and a huge sense of responsibility toward their parents, understanding that their success can have crucial consequences for their family.
[14] Depending on specific family conditions and a child's outlook, this burden can lead to a diligent lifestyle, a more rebellious attitude to traditional codes, an inability to cope with such pressure, or a lack of self-discipline.
[citation needed] Peter Hessler, who worked as an English teacher in China in periods from the 1990s until 2020, argued that "I saw few signs of Little Emperor syndrome, which seems to be based primarily on a Western imagining of what an only-child society might be like.