S. and, especially Japan, this has led to an increase in stress, psychological problems, substance abuse and even suicides when students fail to pass their entrance exam for a respected school. The Chinese are quickly learning that everything is a tradeoff. They may be getting better jobs, bigger houses and their first cars. However, such "gifts" normally come hand-in-hand with such downsides as depression, stress and anxiety, physical illness and overall discontent. Last year a study in the U.S. found that Americans are making a lot more money than in the 1950s, but they are not any happier. In addition, the amount of medication keeps on soaring higher. For the first time, more than half of all insured Americans are taking pharmaceuticals for chronic health problems. In fact, younger adults showed the steepest increase in chronic medication use and nearly a third of the nation's children, under the age of 19 are on long-term prescription drugs (Jackson, 2008).

The situation is not any better across the world. A recent Telegraph article explains that in Britain, 5.4 million adults, about 10% of the population, suffer from phobias, panic attacks, generalized anxiety, somatic hysteria, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Their income may be going up, but so are...

With its freedom, this plant spreads outward to get more rays of sun and building a new spirit. It remains to be seen what the new freedom will be doing to the girls and boys like Bella who are being pushed to the max to aspire for their parents' dreams. Will they enjoy the warmth and comfort of a new sunnier life? or, will they wilt and wither from a lack of childhood joy and nourishment?
References

Child Youth and Children Research Center. Retrieved May 15, 2008 http://www.childwatch.uio.no/key_institutions/asia/cycrc_kina.html

Chang, L. "Gilded Age Gilded Cage." National Geographic. June 2008.

Retrieved May 15, 2008. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/05 / china/middle-class/leslie-chang-text

Jackson, W. (May 14, 2008). "New report calls U.S. 'chronic medication nation.'"

Medill News. Northwestern University. Retrieved May 156, 2008 http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=89175

Telegraph. (November 5, 2008) I don't want to worry you, but..."

Retrieved May 15, 2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2008/05/11/sv_anxiety.xml