[3] It is speculated that the term originated with the rise of the Four Asian Tigers across Asia, in which rapid economic growth may have contributed to a corresponding rise in consumerist or materialistic attitudes and upper classes investing heavily in their children, who might subsequently become accustomed to material wealth and domestic help.
[3][4] In Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, low birth rates have meant that families often have an only child (one child) who is the sole focus of their parents' attention (and in some instances, both sets of grandparents attention as well).
[5] In Mainland China, the resultant phenomenon, often attributed to the former one-child policy, is known as the 'Little Emperor Syndrome'.
[6] A widening income gap in Hong Kong, along with concerns over democracy and social inequality, also reflects the perceived attitudes of the 'elite' classes.
[7][8] Furthermore, social mobility in East Asia is primarily based on personal and academic achievement.