Connect with us

News

The Rise of Temple Visits in China: Young Job Seekers Turn to Spiritual Practices

(CTN News) – Amid a challenging economic climate, many young people in China are turning to spiritual practices and seeking divine intervention in their search for employment opportunities.

Recent data from the Chinese travel platform Qunar reveals a significant increase in visitors to temple scenic spots, with a staggering 367% rise in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2022.

While the opening up tourist and cultural destinations after the abandonment of zero-Covid restrictions in December has contributed to this surge, it’s noteworthy that various religious sites are also witnessing a boost in visitor numbers compared to pre-Covid levels.

For instance, Mount Emei in Sichuan, one of the four holy mountains in Chinese Buddhism, welcomed nearly 2.5 million tourists between January and May, representing a more than 50% increase from the same period in 2019.

According to Trip.com, approximately half of the temple visitors in January and February were born after 1990, belonging to the millennial and Gen Z cohorts. These young people face an uphill battle, with record levels of unemployment.

In May, the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds reached a staggering 20.8%. China’s arduous economic recovery from zero-Covid, coupled with slowdowns in the education, property, and technology sectors, has limited opportunities for fresh graduates, leading many to place more faith in deities than their degrees.

The term “incense-burning youth” has gained traction on social media, referring to young individuals who have turned to spiritual offerings to improve their prospects.

One popular catchphrase reads, “Between going forward and going to work, I choose incense.” This slogan encapsulates a desire for self-improvement and the decision of some young people to reject the rat race entirely. It has become associated with “neijuan” or “involution,” a term describing Chinese youth’s intense pressure, where exerting more effort often feels futile.

The Temple Economy: How Temples Cater to the Spiritual Needs of Job-Seeking Youth

Capitalizing on the demand for spiritual nourishment, many temples now offer meditation courses, on-site cafes, and even psychological counseling centers, as reported by some sources. This trend has been coined the “temple economy” by commentators.

Additionally, Buddhist-style trinkets have gained popularity, with Beijing’s Lama temple clarifying in January that it had not authorized third-party platforms to sell Lama temple bracelets, despite claims made by online vendors.

While the Chinese Communist Party officially promotes atheism, ancient practices remain relevant in times of need.

Professor Emily Baum from the University of California, Irvine, an expert in modern Chinese history, suggests that Chinese youths may visit temples to leave offerings for deceased relatives, hoping to receive favor in the future.

For Chinese worshippers, burning incense represents both a practical and spiritual act. Professor James Miller from Duke Kunshan University in Jiangsu explains that temple visits are not necessarily indicative of religious belief but rather seen as a practical step that anyone can take to seek solutions to their problems.

Although the Chinese Communist Party emphasizes atheism, it also promotes traditional Chinese values rooted in the country’s rich religious history.

This intersection of tradition and modernity shapes China’s relationship with religion and spirituality. The enduring practice of ancestor worship, deeply ingrained in Chinese culture, plays a role in the temple visits of young job seekers.

They hope to garner favor and support for their future endeavors by leaving offerings for deceased relatives.

The rise in temple tourism reflects a broader societal phenomenon in China, where young people grapple with the pressures of unemployment and limited opportunities.

The economic downturn, exacerbated by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, has made securing stable employment increasingly difficult for fresh graduates. Faced with this uncertain landscape, many young individuals are seeking solace and guidance through spiritual means.

The temple economy has responded to this growing demand by adapting to the needs of the incense-burning youth. Temples now offer a range of services beyond religious rituals.

Meditation courses provide a means of finding inner peace and clarity in the face of adversity. On-site cafes create spaces for relaxation and reflection. Some reports even suggest the establishment of psychological counseling centers within temples, acknowledging the importance of mental well-being during challenging times.

Furthermore, the popularity of Buddhist-style trinkets among young visitors highlights the desire to carry spiritual symbols and reminders of faith in everyday life.

However, it is crucial to note that while these practices provide comfort and a sense of hope, temple visits are not solely driven by religious devotion. They have become practical steps for individuals seeking guidance, inspiration, and a reprieve from the pressures of society.

China’s complex relationship with religion and spirituality results from its historical and cultural tapestry. The Chinese Communist Party’s promoting atheism is intertwined with preserving traditional values deeply rooted in the country’s religious history.

The Intersection of Tradition and Modernity: China’s Relationship with Religion and Spirituality

This delicate balance allows individuals to navigate between tradition and modernity, seeking support from ancient practices while embracing the opportunities and challenges of contemporary life.

As young people in China continue to grapple with the hardships of unemployment and a challenging economic climate, temple visits provide a refuge, a place to find solace, and a source of inspiration.

In this evolving landscape, the rise of temple tourism among the youth reflects their resilience, adaptability, and unwavering belief in the power of spirituality to shape their futures.

News

Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding, But Still Accounting 48% Search Revenue

Google

Google is so closely associated with its key product that its name is a verb that signifies “search.” However, Google’s dominance in that sector is dwindling.

According to eMarketer, Google will lose control of the US search industry for the first time in decades next year.

Google will remain the dominant search player, accounting for 48% of American search advertising revenue. And, remarkably, Google is still increasing its sales in the field, despite being the dominating player in search since the early days of the George W. Bush administration. However, Amazon is growing at a quicker rate.

google

Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding

Amazon will hold over a quarter of US search ad dollars next year, rising to 27% by 2026, while Google will fall even more, according to eMarketer.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the forecast.

Lest you think you’ll have to switch to Bing or Yahoo, this isn’t the end of Google or anything really near.

Google is the fourth-most valued public firm in the world. Its market worth is $2.1 trillion, trailing just Apple, Microsoft, and the AI chip darling Nvidia. It also maintains its dominance in other industries, such as display advertisements, where it dominates alongside Facebook’s parent firm Meta, and video ads on YouTube.

To put those “other” firms in context, each is worth more than Delta Air Lines’ total market value. So, yeah, Google is not going anywhere.

Nonetheless, Google faces numerous dangers to its operations, particularly from antitrust regulators.

On Monday, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that Google must open up its Google Play Store to competitors, dealing a significant blow to the firm in its long-running battle with Fortnite creator Epic Games. Google announced that it would appeal the verdict.

In August, a federal judge ruled that Google has an illegal monopoly on search. That verdict could lead to the dissolution of the company’s search operation. Another antitrust lawsuit filed last month accuses Google of abusing its dominance in the online advertising business.

Meanwhile, European regulators have compelled Google to follow tough new standards, which have resulted in multiple $1 billion-plus fines.

google

Pixa Bay

Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding

On top of that, the marketplace is becoming more difficult on its own.

TikTok, the fastest-growing social network, is expanding into the search market. And Amazon has accomplished something few other digital titans have done to date: it has established a habit.

When you want to buy anything, you usually go to Amazon, not Google. Amazon then buys adverts to push companies’ products to the top of your search results, increasing sales and earning Amazon a greater portion of the revenue. According to eMarketer, it is expected to generate $27.8 billion in search revenue in the United States next year, trailing only Google’s $62.9 billion total.

And then there’s AI, the technology that (supposedly) will change everything.

Why search in stilted language for “kendall jenner why bad bunny breakup” or “police moving violation driver rights no stop sign” when you can just ask OpenAI’s ChatGPT, “What’s going on with Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny?” in “I need help fighting a moving violation involving a stop sign that wasn’t visible.” Google is working on exactly this technology with its Gemini product, but its success is far from guaranteed, especially with Apple collaborating with OpenAI and other businesses rapidly joining the market.

A Google spokeswoman referred to a blog post from last week in which the company unveiled ads in its AI overviews (the AI-generated text that appears at the top of search results). It’s Google’s way of expressing its ability to profit on a changing marketplace while retaining its business, even as its consumers steadily transition to ask-and-answer AI and away from search.

google

Google has long used a single catchphrase to defend itself against opponents who claim it is a monopoly abusing its power: competition is only a click away. Until recently, that seemed comically obtuse. Really? We are going to switch to Bing? Or Duck Duck Go? Give me a break.

But today, it feels more like reality.

Google is in no danger of disappearing. However, every highly dominating company faces some type of reckoning over time. GE, a Dow mainstay for more than a century, was broken up last year and is now a shell of its previous dominance. Sears declared bankruptcy in 2022 and is virtually out of business. US Steel, long the foundation of American manufacturing, is attempting to sell itself to a Japanese corporation.

Could we remember Google in the same way that we remember Yahoo or Ask Jeeves in decades? These next few years could be significant.

SOURCE | CNN

Continue Reading

News

2024 | Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal From Elon Musk’s X Platform Over Warrant In Trump Case

trump

Washington — Trump Media,  The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear an appeal from social media platform X about a search warrant acquired by prosecutors in the election meddling case against former President Donald Trump.

The justices did not explain their rationale, and there were no recorded dissents.

The firm, which was known as Twitter before being purchased by billionaire Elon Musk, claims a nondisclosure order that prevented it from informing Trump about the warrant obtained by special counsel Jack Smith’s team violated its First Amendment rights.

The business also claims Trump should have had an opportunity to exercise executive privilege. If not reined in, the government may employ similar tactics to intercept additional privileged communications, their lawyers contended.

trump

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal From Elon Musk’s X Platform Over Warrant In Trump Case

Two neutral electronic privacy groups also joined in, urging the high court to hear the case on First Amendment grounds.

Prosecutors, however, claim that the corporation never shown that Trump utilized the account for official purposes, therefore executive privilege is not a problem. A lower court also determined that informing Trump could have compromised the current probe.

trump

Trump utilized his Twitter account in the weeks preceding up to his supporters’ attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to spread false assertions about the election, which prosecutors claim were intended to create doubt in the democratic process.

The indictment describes how Trump used his Twitter account to encourage his followers to travel to Washington on Jan. 6, pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to reject the certification, and falsely claiming that the Capitol crowd, which battered police officers and destroyed glass, was peaceful.

musk trump

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal From Elon Musk’s X Platform Over Warrant In Trump Case

That case is now moving forward following the Supreme Court’s verdict in July, which granted Trump full immunity from criminal prosecution as a former president.

The warrant arrived at Twitter amid quick changes implemented by Musk, who bought the company in 2022 and has since cut off most of its workforce, including those dedicated to combating disinformation and hate speech.

He also welcomed back a vast list of previously banned users, including Trump, and endorsed him for the 2024 presidential election.

SOURCE | AP

Continue Reading

News

The Supreme Court Turns Down Biden’s Government Appeal in a Texas Emergency Abortion Matter.

Supreme Court

(VOR News) – A ruling that prohibits emergency abortions that contravene the Supreme Court law in the state of Texas, which has one of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the country, has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States. The United States Supreme Court upheld this decision.

The justices did not provide any specifics regarding the underlying reasons for their decision to uphold an order from a lower court that declared hospitals cannot be legally obligated to administer abortions if doing so would violate the law in the state of Texas.

Institutions are not required to perform abortions, as stipulated in the decree. The common populace did not investigate any opposing viewpoints. The decision was made just weeks before a presidential election that brought abortion to the forefront of the political agenda.

This decision follows the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended abortion nationwide.

In response to a request from the administration of Vice President Joe Biden to overturn the lower court’s decision, the justices expressed their disapproval.

The government contends that hospitals are obligated to perform abortions in compliance with federal legislation when the health or life of an expectant patient is in an exceedingly precarious condition.

This is the case in regions where the procedure is prohibited. The difficulty hospitals in Texas and other states are experiencing in determining whether or not routine care could be in violation of stringent state laws that prohibit abortion has resulted in an increase in the number of complaints concerning pregnant women who are experiencing medical distress being turned away from emergency rooms.

The administration cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in a case that bore a striking resemblance to the one that was presented to it in Idaho at the beginning of the year. The justices took a limited decision in that case to allow the continuation of emergency abortions without interruption while a lawsuit was still being heard.

In contrast, Texas has been a vocal proponent of the injunction’s continued enforcement. Texas has argued that its circumstances are distinct from those of Idaho, as the state does have an exemption for situations that pose a significant hazard to the health of an expectant patient.

According to the state, the discrepancy is the result of this exemption. The state of Idaho had a provision that safeguarded a woman’s life when the issue was first broached; however, it did not include protection for her health.

Certified medical practitioners are not obligated to wait until a woman’s life is in imminent peril before they are legally permitted to perform an abortion, as determined by the state supreme court.

The state of Texas highlighted this to the Supreme Court.

Nevertheless, medical professionals have criticized the Texas statute as being perilously ambiguous, and a medical board has declined to provide a list of all the disorders that are eligible for an exception. Furthermore, the statute has been criticized for its hazardous ambiguity.

For an extended period, termination of pregnancies has been a standard procedure in medical treatment for individuals who have been experiencing significant issues. It is implemented in this manner to prevent catastrophic outcomes, such as sepsis, organ failure, and other severe scenarios.

Nevertheless, medical professionals and hospitals in Texas and other states with strict abortion laws have noted that it is uncertain whether or not these terminations could be in violation of abortion prohibitions that include the possibility of a prison sentence. This is the case in regions where abortion prohibitions are exceedingly restrictive.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which resulted in restrictions on the rights of women to have abortions in several Republican-ruled states, the Texas case was revisited in 2022.

As per the orders that were disclosed by the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, hospitals are still required to provide abortions in cases that are classified as dire emergency.

As stipulated in a piece of health care legislation, the majority of hospitals are obligated to provide medical assistance to patients who are experiencing medical distress. This is in accordance with the law.

The state of Texas maintained that hospitals should not be obligated to provide abortions throughout the litigation, as doing so would violate the state’s constitutional prohibition on abortions. In its January judgment, the 5th United States Circuit Court of Appeals concurred with the state and acknowledged that the administration had exceeded its authority.

SOURCE: AP

SEE ALSO:

Could Last-Minute Surprises Derail Kamala Harris’ Campaign? “Nostradamus” Explains the US Poll.

Scientists Awarded MicroRNA The Nobel Prize in Medicine.

US Inflation will Comfort a Fed Focused on Labor Markets.

Continue Reading

Trending