According to the survey, the population over 60 years old in China has accounted for 10.2% of the total population. According to the current birth policy, by the mid-1930s, the proportion of people over 65 in China will be as high as 23%. At the same time, the one-child generation born after the implementation of the family planning policy in the late 1970s has gradually entered the age of marriage and childbearing, and two children have to support four old people at the same time. With the development of economy and technology, there may even be "842 1" families. According to the population experts' prediction, in the next 10 year, there will be at least tens of millions of "only parents" in "42 1" families, including only children and non-only children, and they will become the mainstream of society. Therefore, the family structure in our country will change. Most of these "only parents" used to be "little emperors", but now they have to become "responsible persons" of the family and society. This "role change" has become a remarkable social phenomenon. On the one hand, the arrival of an aging society, on the other hand, the acceleration of the pace of life in modern society and the increase of work pressure, children will be exhausted for work and family.

One of the most important social problems caused by "42 1" family is the pressure of providing for the aged. According to a recent survey of urban residents in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, 35% families have to support four elderly people, and 49% families have to support two or three elderly people. From the point of view of alimony, 35.6% of families spend more than 654.38+0 million yuan every year. It is a common mentality of middle-aged people to worry about the medical insurance system, to actively save money and not to increase consumption expenditure. In view of the "42 1" family problem, experts suggest to establish a public pension service system that conforms to Chinese traditional culture and reflects the socialization of family services, and realize the socialization of pension through laws and regulations.

A social problem caused by "42 1" family is the family education of the only child. Problems such as intergenerational education, doting and early education have aroused the concern and anxiety of all walks of life. Yang Xiong, director of the Youth Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out, "Due to the busy work and great pressure, many only-child couples leave their children in the care of their parents, and' intergenerational parenting' is very common. 421family' should be especially alert to the phenomenon that children are' mentally left behind'. "