> it so strange that so many native speakers get the characters wrong
Nowadays, schools don't teach the kids how to look up a dictionary anymore. Most youngsters do not know how to do that, nor do they feel there is any need to do so. If they write or type anything wrong, they don't know, and, even if they do, they don't care.
I think it is safe to assume that over two third of the Chinese in Hong Kong are either illiterate or half-literate. It is very rare to find a Chinese in Hong Kong who is able to type 100 sentences without making any mistake.
Nowadays, schools don't teach the kids how to look up a dictionary anymore. Most youngsters do not know how to do that, nor do they feel there is any need to do so. If they write or type anything wrong, they don't know, and, even if they do, they don't care.
I think it is safe to assume that over two third of the Chinese in Hong Kong are either illiterate or half-literate. It is very rare to find a Chinese in Hong Kong who is able to type 100 sentences without making any mistake.