The two-child policy was implemented in January, allowing couples to have a second child. (Photo : Flickr/Day Donaldson)
In light of the recently implemented two-child policy, a group of high-school students in Shanghai conducted a survey during the holiday season to determine how elder brothers and sisters felt about their parents having a second child, as reported by Women of China.
Brosis, a group led by teenager Xiao Xiyu, quizzed more than 1,500 parents with two children about the happiness of their older children.
The eight members of the group also asked 127 parents about "Interpersonal Sensitivity" and 115 parents on the "Sense of Responsibility" of their children.
The results of the month-long survey are expected to be released soon.
Xiao came up with the idea to conduct the survey because of his personal experience.
"One day when I was busy preparing for the high-school entrance exam, my mother came in and told me the big news that I was to have a younger brother or sister!" said Xiao.
The news surprised Xiao, causing him to almost collapse.
"I'm going to study abroad for three years, and my younger sibling might not even recognize me when I come back, since he or she would only be 3 then. The little guy may think of me as an 'uncle'," said Xiao.
This was when Xiao thought of the idea to conduct the survey.
"There are so many families in China that plan to have a second kid. Have all these parents considered about the feelings of the older child before making the decision?" said Xiao.
Xiao and his friends moved ahead with the survey, hoping that their project would make a difference for parents, allowing them to pause for thought before deciding to have a second child.
The high-school team were assisted by Zhang Caiping, a business founder in their city, who helped Brosis with professional instruction and financial support.
"The Brosis members wrote me a letter before the Spring Festival, hoping that I could offer them some prizes to thank the respondents," said Zhang.
Xiao told Zhang that they needed 10 prizes. Despite Zhang's generous offer of 200 shares in her company, the team accepted only 12.
"I would have asked my own parents for the money back in my high school days," said Zhang. "Younger generations born around the year 2000 are concerned with social and family issues, much more than we have expected. They are not just 'playing games' as some netizens have criticized."
