BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- A recent survey by the China Youth Daily found that Chinese born in the 1990s more easily take age-related labeling to heart, and that respondents believe such labeling affects people's social life and career development.

Close to 70 percent of the age group said they care about the way they are labeled, the highest proportion of all age groups being polled, said the newspaper, noting the total number of people surveyed was 2,017.

Prevailing age-related labels include "little sister" and "little brother," both applied to young people, as well as "greasy uncle," according to the newspaper.

According to the survey, 30.8 percent of the respondents said they would be offended by the age-related labeling.

Fu Zhen, a Chengdu-based company employee, said in the survey that stereotypes associated with age-related labels affect people's life and work.

"I'm at an awkward age. Behaving too casually, I would be labeled as 'oily.' If I am fastidious, people would regard me as being old-fashioned," said Fu, who is now over 35.

However, rather than make strenuous efforts to get rid of the labels, he believes the best way to deal with the situation is to be yourself.

Of the respondents, 37.6 percent were born in the 1990s and 40.7 percent in the 1980s.