Ko Ching-ming, a professor of Chinese at National Taiwan University who is in his fifties, says, "I grew up with compulsory haircuts and school uniforms." In the past, both boys and girls were required to keep their external appearance "non-provocative." The new generation has more opportunities to express individuality through appearance. In the youth sub-culture that aims for rebelliousness, dyed hair and pierced ears have become trademarks.
「我是理大光頭、穿制服長大的」，五十幾歲的台大中文系教授柯慶明說，過去不論女生、男生，外表都被蓄意要求「禁欲」，新一代有比較多機會用外在表現自我，在試圖叛逆的青少年次文化裡，與容貌相關的鑽耳洞、染髮，都成為他們的標記。