According to public reports in China, the unemployment rate among youth aged 16 to 24 reached 21.3% in June 2023, increased from 17.6% in 2022. It is without doubt to say that this year has been the worst in the past ten years . However ,it may turn out to be the best year in next decade. We’d better prepare ourselves for a potential economic recession in the future.

Here are some ways I have been exploring , which may inspire ideas for what you can do:

1. Enhance domain knowledge within your current industry:
   As we know , economies go through cycles of ups and downs. It is a good opportunity to consider our long-term goals carefully . For instance , my ideal job is working for an international company that offers a good work-life balance as I get older. After searching the job requirements in the market, I noticed that business analysis is one of the most popular positions in various industries, including my current one.That is why I am planning to prepare for a Master’s program. I am hoping that I can get an offer in two years in the field of business analysis.
2. Reduce your costs as much as you can:
   The more savings we have , the more confident we feel in facing a potential economic recession. I am not asking you to downgrade your consumption; I am simply suggesting that you would be better off considering your expenses carefully. I have managed to reduce my daily costs by 30% with the same quality of life as before. Here are some ways I have been saving money:
   • Making a cup of coffee and bringing it to my office in a Thermos every workday.
   • Taking public transport instead of a taxi.
   • Having a homemade dinner at least twice on workdays.
   • Purchasing promotional bread for breakfast after 9 PM.
   • Avoiding unnecessary clothing purchases.
3. Pay more attention to your mental health:
   Your well-being is the key to unlocking a brighter future, especially your mental health. Many of us were not taught how to deal with negative emotions; we usually overlook our depression in daily life .It is utterly important to unwind when we are overwhelmed. There are serval ways to relieve our pressures:
   • Talking with your close friends. You may find that many of us are facing the same problems, you are not alone.
   • Engaging in regular workouts, such as running , cycling and other physical activities, can contribute to better sleep and higher energy levels.
   • Practicing vent writing with no intention of sending it to anyone. It gives us a safe space for self expression.
     

苹果的「被遗落通知」 真的太频繁了，只要离开其他苹果设备一定距离，我的 iPhone / Apple Watch 就一定会收到系统级通知。

一度想关了提醒一了百了，却又担心哪天后悔莫及。

看到 Why Apple Keeps Nagging About Items You ‘Left Behind’ 这一文章时，两眼放光。

原来，「被遗落通知」可以设定「白名单区域」，而且默认包含通讯录里的家庭住址和公司地址。

然而，我并不是通讯录的重度用户，搬家后也没更新住址，导致近几个月只要出门就收到 MacBook 和 iPad 被遗落的通知。

或是被抬起 Apple Watch 时亮屏、看向 iPhone 时电话铃声变小等功能迷惑，一度认为苹果的新功能理应都有本地化机器学习，让小白可以无脑用。

比如连续几个月在同一个物理地址位置过夜，这个位置还有台同一 Apple ID 的 Apple TV ，我原以为苹果会提醒我「你需要把这个位置加入白名单吗？」，结果却只有每次出门的「被遗落通知」 。

如有相似困扰的朋友，可以参照如下设置「白名单区域」，当设备在该区域时，将不再收到「被遗落通知」 ：

打开「查找」App > 底部「设备」菜单栏 > 随便点击一个设备 > 下滑到「通知」并点击「遗落时通知」 > 点击新位置 > 选择仅对当前设备还是全部设备。

According to Statista, in 2022, over a quarter of the total online shopping’s gross merchandise value in China came from live video streaming platform. This is a significant increase from 2019 when the share was 8.9%.

The entrance of live-steaming usually mimics a button that we can get an extra discount by hitting. We can find it quite easily when we are browsing product details. It seems that we can purchase the same product at a lower price from the host. However, is it genuine ?

The name Li JiaQi is often associated with discussions about live-streaming e-commerce in China. Recently, there is a rumour about him which may change the game of live-streaming e-commerce. It started from a social media post of a Purchasing Manager from one of the largest e-commerce platforms, JD.com

It shows that JD has received a lawyer’s letter from a brand named Hauswirt. Hauswirt accused JD of not following the agreement and lowering the price without its’ permission. As a result, Hauswirt in breach of a contractfrom another channel that they have an lowest-price agreement with . And the post also shows the channel is the live-streaming room of LJQ. It just so happens that the first letter of Li JiaQi is LJQ.

It definitely is a price-fixing, if the rumour is true. As we know, one of the advantages of e-commerce is reducing overheads and offering lower prices. However, in live-streaming shopping , companies have to pay an extra commission to the host. The more famous the hosts become , the more commission they get. As a result , the costs may raise the price, and ‘the lower price agreement’ makes other retailers sell the product at the same price.

As I was saying , the prices from a live-streaming room may not be the most competitive. I suggest you checking the price on different e-commerce platforms to ensure you can get the best deal. It won’t take much time.

There is no doubt that the internet makes our life more and more convenient, we have learned how to use smart devices. The internet definitely is one of the most significant breakthroughs in human history. We are the beneficiaries of a small cyber-cable. It powers us to surf the net by smart devices, no holds barred.

The benefits lead us to overlook the downsides, most of us have not been told or taught how to sit with the downsides.

Here some negatives you should be aware of:

1. The apps we use are not free
   Let us dish about all the apps we use , we would find most apps are free. The fact behind the scense you may not know, you are trading privacy for convenience, we use our personal data as the currency to pay the bill. You may not be aware that Whatsapp,Facebook and Instagram belong to one big company named Meta. Meta could track all the data you generate. Thereby , Meta could package all your data as a product for advertising agencies.
   
2. we only can see what we like
   A few years ago , Tweet’s information flow was organised by the time of creation, with the latest Tweets at the top of the screen. Nowadays , there is a feature called “For you”, that uses AI recommendation instead of the time-ordered information.
   
   The companies behind free apps know our age, education and interpersonal relationships,etc. Now, it goes further, they control the context we can see. Cumulative influence of AI recommendation is we can only see what we like. This is the real logic that allowed Cambridge Analytica to influence the election through Facebook.
   
3. The information is probably fake
   The information or news was generated by professional journalists who followed regulation to censor themselves. We can trust the information or news like we trust a doctor in a hospital from the limited channels, like newspaper, television or radio. Nowadays, everyone can post anything they like on internet without self-censorship ( they do not have the duty to do so) .
   
   People tend to believe the news which has received numerous responses, this situation is called conformity. It leads to a situation where the higher volume of responses of an article or news , the more people tend to trust it , eventhough it is fake.
   

As I was mentioning, the companies behind free apps track our personal data, and customize the fake information by AI recommendation to influence the way we think of the world. That is why I agree with The internet is centralization. I strongly recommend practicing critical reading when surfing the net, including what you read at this moment.