NEET –

NOT IN EMPLOYMENT,
EDUCATION
OR TRAINING
Dr. Gloria Hongyee Chan
 What is “NEET”?
• “not in employment, education, or training”
• It may apply to both adolescents and adults;
however, it is normally used to describe youth
aged 15-24 years in the transitional period
from the end of schooling to work.
(Tam, Busiol, & Lee, 2016)
NEET in Hong Kong (Cont’d)

(The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2016)

 NEET in Hong Kong (Cont’d)
• Types of NEET:
– Unemployed NEET (unemployed due to economic
situations such as financial crisis and pandemic)
– Inactive NEET (e.g., Being in NEET due to
permanent sickness and engaging in household
duties)

(The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2016)

How does society view these
group of people?
 https://www.bastillepost.com/hongkong/article/272631-%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e9%9b
%99%e5%a4%b1%e3%80%8c%e5%b0%bc%e7%89%b9%e6%97%8f%e3%80%8d-20%e5%87%ba%e9%a0%ad
%e6%83%85%e6%b3%81%e6%83%a1%e5%8c%96

Low
reliant
motivation

Double-loss failure

parasitic lazy

dirty
rubbish

(Tam et al., 2016)

They even cause dangers to themselves and
the society…
How do you view NEET?
What is your self-preferred
lifestyle?
Promising youth
Why is NEET viewed as a
problem then?
They are NOT contributive enough

TO the Society!!!
 Promising youth in Hong Kong
• ∵ creation of discourse: “promising youths” V.S.
“non-promising youths”

Have studied
Have high Work for
abroad and have
academic society
professional
achievement pragmatically
qualifications

Have visions
and dreams helpful

(Chan, 2016; Chan & Lo, 2010)

Why are these young people who have
such characteristics considered as
“promising”, but not others?
WHO ARE THE BENEFICIARIES WHO CAN SEIZE
INTERESTS FROM THESE DISCOURSES?
CAPITALIST !!!
Who invented the concept of
“going to work”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT_JKPFawl0
 Lyrics
Who invented work?
I want to hand him shit
Who invented work?
I work and become more and more broke
For a $10,000 salary
Every day never ends
$10,000 $10,000 $10,000
Sold my soul to conglomerates
 
Who invented work?
Thinking they’re all productive
Who invented work?
Obstructs me from developing art
When I get to $20,000 for salary
My youth is almost at its end
$20,000 $20,000 $20,000
I have more things I cannot finish
 
I yearn for a plain
No government, no staatsgewalt
On this plain, this plain, this plain
Exists many beautiful woman dance companies

Who invented work?

Either bitches or assholes
Who invented work?
Playing solitaire at work
When I get to $30,000 for salary
We probably won’t have $30,000
$30,000 $30,000 $30,000
People with $30,000 salaries are usually a bit arrogant
 
I yearn for this plain
I’ll get to see all the classmates after graduation
Won’t talk about the stock market or buying cars when we meet
Marriage, children, buying a home, buying a yacht
 Profit maximization

Mechanization  enhance productivity

Surplus

 cut labour Decrease in price in products

Unemployment  purchasing  competition among
power decreases companies  end of small
capitalists

Poverty and polarization of

the two classes
 Insights
• The problematic nature of NEET is a socially
constructed => The Capitalists aim at
nurturing youth who contribute to the
development of society and work for them;
they are not helping you lead a self-actualized
life
 NEET

Unemployed
Inactive NEET Hidden youth
NEET
Hidden youth: A type of NEET in
Hong Kong
 Who are hidden youth? Definition in Hong
Kong
1. Aged 12-30;
2. Having secluded from society to homes for at least six
months and refusing to carry on any forms of contact with
the outside world, i.e., not attending school or work and at
the same time, having no face-to-face connections with
people other than the closest family;
3. Not having any mental disorders with DSM-V assessment. In
this study, cases of ‘youth in social withdrawal situation’
which are caused by or associated with a diagnosed mental
disease would not be included, based on the consideration
that hidden youth is a ‘phenomenon’ rather than an illness.
(Chan, 2016)
 Trend
The number of hidden youth from 2004 to 2017
160,000

140,000 140,000

120,000

100,000

80,000

60,000
48,000
40,000
30,000
20,000 19,040
6,000
0
2004 2007 2009 2014 2017
Example: Tao Yuan Ming ( 陶淵
明)
The construction of the problem of “hidden youth”
(Kato et al., 2016)
So who are hidden youth
actually?
 Dominant discourses VS the real side of hidden youth in Hong
Kong
Dominant discourses of hidden youth Real side of hidden youth/
alternative ways to see hidden youth
Double-loss (i.e., Having no social status) Having no jobs can merely be a normal life transition,
or a lifestyle in which they wish to pursue self-
preferred interests

Low education, skill level, and motivation (i.e., ‘Three- They have high education level
lows’) They have earning ability

Marginalized and lower-class

Being a burden of society; worried by society

Being purposeless have their vision and dreams, and self-preferred

interests

Rejecting social life Build and maintain social connections on the Internet

Engaging in deviant behaviors Ordinary youth have deviant behaviors too

Being addicted to the Internet Their use of the Internet is just like that of ordinary
youth, because it is a part of daily life
Reliant on technology

(Chan & Lo, 2010; “Don’t let the hidden parasites”, 2006; “Otaku, parasites,
hidden youth”, 2006; “The population of hidden youth”, 2004)
 The real side of hidden youth
• Why do young people
withdraw? E.g.,
– Receiving negative labeling
from others  feel that they
are not accepted by the outer
world
– Do not have a satisfactory
school life; feel that they can’t
fit into society
– Family is a safe haven for
them to stay away from the
pressure in outer society
(Chan, 2016; Chan & Lo, 2013b)
(Chan, 2019)
Figure 2. Mean plots of Figure 3. Mean plots of Figure 4. Mean plots of Figure 5. Mean plots of
supervision and punishment labels of deviance agreeableness of promising self-esteem, self-efficacy,
by teachers and parents and youth and deviant youth subcultural identity, and
media influence empowerment
 Youth’s positive experience during hidden situation Self-esteem and identity of the youth
Youth 26: “I believe I’m a useful person after being hidden.
Now, I have much time to play computer games, much time to
discover my strengths and weaknesses…I’ve never happy
experienced such a feeling of superiority before…” confident
Youth 30: “In the past, I really thought it’s my problem. I was smart
autistic or didn’t know how to communicate with people. great
After becoming hidden, I started to meet friends on the
Internet. I found there are many people like me…” intelligent
successful
Thelike
Youth 31: “I don’t youth
to talkexperience a lifeI’m always
to people since superior
rejected by others. Theyquality
of high scold meof and laugh at me. However,
life which
on the Internet, I chat whatever I want. They don’t know who unique
satisfies
I am. I don’t need their
to fulfill anydevelopmental
social responsibilities. As time Popular
passes, my blog has gained
needs popularity.
of social supportI think
and I’m doing
great…” Important
identity --> their self-
useful
preferred
Youth 33: “I just found lifestyle
out that  leadership skills
I have some
after participating in online them
encourage gamingtoinstay
theseinfew years…”
hidden
Youth 36: “Since young, situation
my mum has told me that studying is
important and asked me not to play games so often. Now I
don’t think so...Now I make subtitles for Japan animes and I
can earn money from it! When my friends don’t see my Youth gain
videos online, they call me up. At that time I think I’m an
important person.” positive
identities during
hidden situation
 The characteristics of the hidden youth
subculture
• They have their own language (e.g., slangs) for communication,
their own culture, style, and value systems
• They have a strong need for exerting their abilities (e.g.,
exercising leadership ability during online gaming), in which the
sense of efficacy cannot be found in the mainstream society
• They engage in the online gaming platform for a long time, for
interaction with peers and completing tasks with other
members in a guild
 The effect of engaging in subculture
• Meet friends on the Internet who are of similar
background and interests, i.e., expand social circle
• Receive recognition from peers for their abilities
• Empowerment
• Increased self-esteem and self-efficacy
(Chan, 2016; Chan & Lo, 2010, 2013a)
The effect of engaging in subculture (Cont’d)

• Even though negative labeling and

denunciations still exist in society, hidden
youth find an ultimate way to adapt to society
through subcultural engagement
• Due to the positive experiences acquired from
the subculture, hidden youth are encouraged
to stay in the hidden situation as a way of
social adaptation  collective problem solved
through subcultural engagement
Example: 阿源
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=p0zsX765Td4
 Conclusion
• Hidden youth can merely be viewed as a
transition
• Hidden youth can be viewed as a subculture
rather than a problem
• Development of every individual is unique,
not absolutely problematic
 Discussion:
What kind of life do you want to live?
 References
Chan, G. H. Y. (2016). Hidden youth and the virtual world: The process of labeling and empowerment. London, UK:
Routledge.
Chan, G. H. Y., & Lo, T. W. (2010). Hikikomori and the internet — Empowerment and disempowerment. Hong Kong: City
University of Hong Kong Press.
Chan, H. Y., & Lo, T. W. (2013a). Quality of life of the hidden youth in Hong Kong. Applied Research in Quality of Life, doi:
10.1007/s11482-013-9279-x
Chan, H. Y., & Lo, T. W. (2013b). Family relationships and the self-esteem of hidden youth: A power dynamics
perspective. Journal of Family Issues. doi:10.1177/0192513X14537479
Don’t let “hidden parasites” become the future of youth in Hong Kong (2006, June 1). Hong Kong Commercial Daily.
Retrieved from http://0-libwisesearch.wisers.net.lib.cityu.edu.hk/ws5/tool.do?wp_dispatch=confirm-view&doc-
ids=news:04ca^200606010010024(S:87890066)&menu-id=&on-what=selected&from-list&display-
style=all&tooldisplay=true.
Kato, T. A., Hashimoto, R., Hayakawa, K., Kubo, H., Watabe, M., Teo, A. R., & Kanba, S. (2016). Multidimensional
anatomy of ‘modern type depression’ in Japan: A proposal for a different diagnostic approach to depression beyond
the DSM-5. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 70, 7-23. doi: 10.1111/pcn.12360
Otaku, parasites, hidden youth (2006, August 5). Wenweipo. Retrieved from
http://0-libwisesearch.wisers.net.lib.cityu.edu.hk/ws5/tool.do?wp_dispatch=confirm-view&doc-ids=news:2663^2006
08050050279(S:87889668)&menu-id=&on-what=selected&from-list&display-style=all&tooldisplay=true
.
Tam, C. H. L., Busiol, D., & Lee, T. Y. (2016). A review of research on "Neither in Employment, Education, or Training"
(NEET) youth in Hong Kong. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health, 9(4), 405-412.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. (2016). Third Quarter Economic Report 2016:
Characteristics of NEET in Hong Kong. Retrieved from https://www.hkeconomy.gov.hk/en/pdf/box-16q3-5-1.pdf
The population of “Double-loss” achieved 110,000 (2004, November 20). Takungpao. Retrieved from
http://libwisesearch.wisers.net.ezproxy.cityu.edu.hk/wortal/tool.do?wp_dispatch=confirm-view&federated=true&do
c-ids=news:15cd^200411200020077(S:96895867)&menu-id=&on-what=selected&from-list&display-style=all&tooldis
Thank you!