Things We Forget: #573

Things We Forget: #573: "tanjong katong, singapore"

Marriage/HuiJun/10S416

Peter Landry states that "marriage has come to be understood as a publicly advertised bargain, a social contract between a male and a female". i agree that marriage has become an opened declaration of a commitment between couple, whereby their agreement to marriage is founded upon praticality and obligation. A marriage is only recognised if it is approved by the government, through the witness of family members. This is especially true in singapore where couples have to obtain license to wedding. These people usually take the extra mile to apply to ROM and obtain marital status search result, of which the singapore registry of marriage does not offer. This shows that marriage is not just a simple mutual agreement between two parties to seal their destiny together, it also require official signings to affirm the public of one's relationship. People feel obliged to follow law in order for their marriage to go smoothly. However, marriage, afterall, is based on respect and love between couple, thus it is not all about a black and white 'contract'. Having signed a wedding commitment is to protray a approved marriage on the surface.

Morse argues that "marriage is an organic instrituion that emerges spontaneously from society". i agree that marriage may also arise out of instinctive impluses. Marriage is a result of the natural attraction between opposite gender and does not necessary require long time process before it takes place. The influence of society, through the usage of education and media, on the decision to marry is great on citizens. However, marriage arised out of instinctive impluses constitutes a minority. In singapore, the marital statues of its citizen is low. Thus, it shows that people are more careful in choosing their spouses and thus delaying the marriage. Although people have the implusiveness to get married, they do think twice before acting on it. This is evident from the low marriage statues in Singaporeans.

pjc09_optimism/yufan/10s416

Garte mentioned 'Their successes – big and small – have to be recognized to stimulate future efforts.' He is trying to say that no matter what happens, as long as there is progress, we should remain optimistic and not feel gloomy about that fact that we have taken only a baby step towards success. I agree with his point, this is because if we do not at least acknowledge the minute step we take, we might never be able to achieve anything big. Everyone, young and old need encouragements to propel forward. For example, in every soccer game played, there are supporters rooting for the team they support. It is important for the presence of encouragement and recognition of efforts made by each player. This definitely boost each player's confidence and bring them towards success in their career.

Webb mentioned 'Our social contribution to the world is motivated primarily for the sake of alleviating that nagging guilt within, while in reality ensuring that indulgence and comforts are maintained at all costs.' Here, he is saying that most people's contribution to the society is due mainly to the bad conscience over responsibility, but even when so, people still ensure that their hunger for materialistic wants are fulfilled. However, i disagree with the author's point as it is not true that everyone contribute to the world only because of guilt. There are many others who sacrifice from the bottom of their heart for the world. Just like in the recent case of Haiti earthquake, students sacrifice their measly pocket money for the reconstruction of the buildings and lives in Haiti. Hence, it is not true that contribution to the world is mainly due to their guilty conscience, there are exceptions to it as well.

utopia/germaine/10s416

Firstly, the author claims that “the alteration envisioned by utopian thinkers has not come about, and for the most part, their projects have produced results opposite to what they intended”. I agree with the author that prior to what people have in mind, people who try to change the social and political state of a country end up getting unexpected results. This results in social unrest as people try to pursue what is ideal in their lives. When people try to change something stable in society, it might result in adverse effects. There are many different movements that have ended up in disaster and also the loss of human lives due to conflicting arguments. However, if people make the effort to understand each other, these utopian movements might be able to be successful as people acknowledge the fact that everyone has their own preferences and differences and this would allow people to accept each other easily.

Secondly, the author claims that “we believe that we are so much better, wiser and advanced than those who have tried it in the past”. I agree with the author that people nowadays believe that they are always better, smarter than the people of the past. This causes them to feel more superior to others and also demand for a higher standard of living. As people get more self-centered, they will only think of what is best for them. As a result, living in harmony is hard and dangerous to attain as living in harmony would mean putting aside each other’s differences and accepting one another. However, not everyone is individualistic. There are people in society today who commit their lives to serving others and making living together in harmony easier for everyone. There are also methods to help foster harmony between people. For example, in Singapore, the government tries to foster harmony between different racial groups by setting certain percentages of racial groups that can live in the same housing block. With increased exposure to each other, people might be able to live in harmony after all.

dhs08_utopia/Rabia/10s416

The author argues that attempts to create and drive utopias have been dangerous, enduring and futile. How far do you agree with his view?

Firstly,John Gray states that "there is nothing to stop humans from remaking themselves and their world,as they please".Humans are now better developed in all aspects enabling them to aim for a state in which everything is perfect.I agree with the author's point that there may be no barriers in achieving utopianism.Nowadays,due to globalisation,countries are increasingly interconnected with one another.Thus,they are able to share their resources,knowledge and expertise with other countries.Compared to the past,when this was hard to achieve,it is easier to achieve utopianism as countries can now co-operate and co-ordinate,such that their 'perfect' state is achieved.However,the surrounding that we live in must also be capable of achieving utopianism.All our natural resources have been depleted or are being depleted at a fast rate,such that it cant sustain anymore growth.In this state,the ideal vision of achieving utopianism would also not be possible.Even though,humans may have the capability to achieve utopianism,the natural environment may not have the means to do so.

Secondly,the author states that utopianism may not be possible to achieve as "conflict is a universal feature of human life".Conflicts may arise due to various reasons and have the ability to shatter a common goal shared by everyone.I agree with the author that disagreement is a common attribute among humans.Humans have different wants and needs,that leads them to emphasise different needs and wants.Conflicts may arise when different people prioritise different need and wants and are unable to compromise.However,there are other reasons suggested as to why utopianism cannot be achieved.Human's imperfections are one reason as to why we cant achieve utopianism.Humans make mistakes everyday and have their own limitations.In a utopia society,where there is only perfection,humans may not be able to match up to its standards.Thus,utopianism may not be the best possible society structure for everyone.

[njc07_ethics_and_morality/Gladys/10S416]

The author in passage 1 states that “The bystander effect is watching some evil take place, but since we are watching with others who are watching, and no one seems to be doing anything about the evil, we go on watching and doing nothing about it”. The author says that the “bystander effect” is very prevalent in because of the nature of the effect itself. The bystander effect is that one’s actions are constantly affected by the society. One does not do anything without the society, or even another person doing the same thing first. It results in nothing being done, because no one wants to take the first step, even if it means to condone evil in society. I agree that the “bystander effect” is prevalent in society. This is also because of the fear of being judged by society. Should one stand up for his beliefs and moral values he is going against the grain of a common understanding in society. The fear of being labelled as “trying to be difficult” or being mocked at for being “old fashioned” drives people to be socially accepted through conforming to the ways of society.

The author in passage 2 states that “Accepting a low-level moral code during the day is bound to infiltrate one’s off-time judgment as well. “ The author says that long time spent with a society of amoral standards will influence one’s moral standards in the long run as well. This is the case where everyone’s moral standards are bouncing off each other. The existence of society itself allows the “bystander effect” to be prevalent as each person’s thoughts and moral standards are affected by the existence of society. I agree that this phenomenon is evident in society. This is because of loose morals in the society. Loose morals in a society will lead to one that condones many once deemed immoral acts. As such, people with strong morals will eventually be influenced to allow such views to stand. In Singapore, the once deemed impossible thought of divorce has been already accepted as the norm. In fact, divorce rates have increased steadily in Singapore since the 1990s. Thus, this shows that the loose morals itself has allowed the “bystander effect” of widespread acceptance of divorce in Singapore

acjc09_ humanitarian_aid AQ/Syahirah/10S416

The author in passage 1 claims that “countries off the international radar will receive little or no aid from companies”. This means that nations which do not trade globally will get almost no help from others when in need because these countries, given their poor economies, will not be able to return anything to those who have helped them. Hence, this shows that those who are capable of offering help to countries that are in dire state, do take into account of their personal benefits before giving out monetary aid. Instead of lending a helping hand wholeheartedly, these business-minded people who are profit-driven will only look into what benefits they would reap when helping others. However, I do not agree with the author as not all donations from firms are based on self interest. There are companies which set out to give aid to people in need due to their compassion and sympathy towards others. For example, after the Tsunami struck Aceh in Indonesia a few years ago, volunteers from the Mercy Relief Singapore receive thousands of donations from Singaporeans, which would then be sent to the victims there. Hence, this reflects charitable acts which are not done with personal gains in mind, but true compassion and care for others in need.

Meanwhile, the author in passage 2 claims that rebuilding nations which have experienced disaster or war has now become a profitable business. So this implies that companies may not offer disaster-struck countries, when these countries are not able to return them anything, be it business opportunities or commercial gains. However, this may not be true all the time that oganisations choose to help countries in need if they are able to reap benefits from it. For an instance, local firms, such as NEWater, have donated bottles of NEWater to victims of flood-hit countries so as to provide these helpless people with drinkable water after their homes have been destroyed, depriving them of clean water. Hence, I argue that not all organisations have ulterior motives in giving aid to others as my example have proved so. Only companies which are profit-driven consider helping countries in need as an opportunity to seek more monetary gains.

ACJC/Humantarian Aid/HweeLing/10s416

The author from the first paragraph states that “countries off the international radar will receive little or no aid from the companies”. The author means to say that the less developed countries that do not take part actively in global activities tends to receive lesser help from corporations in times of disaster as compared to the more developed countries that part actively in global activities. I agree that most companies offer international aid is mainly due to a few reasons. These reasons include gaining popularity among the public, hoping to gain from the country’s resources and attempting to interfere in the country political issues. Despite that fact, I feel that it is being too over-generalised to say all corporations and aid organisations have the same motive. There are still non-profit organisations that have no hidden motives and solely want to do their part for the unfortunates. For example, the United Nations Organisations and World Vision have no ulterior motives and solely aim to overcome poverty and injustice. Hence, I say that self-interest being the motive behind charitable acts only applies to some cooperation and organisations.

The author from the second paragraph states that “emergency aid has come in form of loans, not grants”. This infers that after helping the disaster-strike countries, the disaster-strike countries are expected to repay the aid. Repaying the aid may not necessary be in term of money but in terms of using their country nature resources. I do agree with the author that international aid is no longer for free and has a price to pay for. This could mean that if the party offering aid does not gain any benefits, they may not provide any help. Thus, self-interest still becomes the drive to help them. However, this may not always be the case. There are still times where countries help without expecting anything in returns. For example, Singapore sent troops to SiChuan to help out in the tragedy that occurred in 2008, other organisations started charities programmes to help them and even one of the Singaporeans sponsored the SiChuan people working in Singapore air tickets to fly back to visit their family members. These kind acts came genuinely from the heart and were not driven by self-interest. Hence, I argue that not all charitable acts have other motives.

rjc_population and demographics/Ng Zeng Woon/10S416

In passage 1, the author states that "literate, well-educated women" with many "social and economic options" in today's rich countries have pulled fertility "below the natural replacement rate". Here, the author is highlighting a key threat posed from population when population starts to go a decline due to the falling fertility rate. This problem is also applicable to my country as my country has a growing aging population which declining fertility rates will not only make it difficult for my country's population to replace itself, but also have serious implications on our economy, given that my country has no natural resources of its own in which to help boost its economy. Today for many young Singaporeans with well-paid professional jobs and career ambitions, child rearing, and even marriage, takes lower priority. Even this may not be true, many of them may delay their child bearing till their thirties,which may contribute to their inability to conceive. The problem for Singapore is that our country is small and have no natural resources. The only dependable resource that Singapore can tap into and help boost the economy is that of human resource. With less human resource, we may have a serious handicap in our economy as well as a growing dependency on immigrants. And this may have obvious and significant effects for our country in terms of the economy as much of the population may become unsuitable for working.

In passage 2, the author mentions a point in which for decades, the world has been "haunted by ominous and recurrent reports of impending demographic doom." He brings out a valid trend where people are being fascinated about stories and reports about the world's eventual doom. However, these trends are unproven and there are no evidence to suggest that the possibility of the eventual doom occurring may be high and likely in the near future. Furthermore, in my country, people are not concerned by such claims, rather dismissing them as invalid and a total waste of time. Hence the views of the author of the second passage are irrelevant to my country.

rjc_population and demographics/pamelasuzannelim/10s416

In both passages, the writers see population problems as a threat. Which argument is more relevant to your country?

The first author says that inequality within a country stymies the development of a peaceful country. However, in my society despite being a multi-cultural society, there is little discrepancy amongst the population. Thus, the first author’s concerns are irrelevant to my society.

On the other hand, the second author raises issues that are present in Singapore. The declining birth rates. The author states that, “Some of today’s largest developed nations are expected to see population declines during the next 30 years.” He has also specifically mentioned that Singapore is indeed one of the many countries which fall under this category. I do agree that this is one of the significant menaces Singapore faces. It is evident that the government is deeply concerned and has suggested many alternative ways in ensuring the population is at replacement levels. Some of the methods include introducing many family policies to encourage the birth rates as well as recruiting foreign talent in order to prevent an aging population. Through the government’s conscious efforts and uncountable speeches, we can easily tell the shortage of human resources would be a threat to country. However while the government consistently tries to increase the population of the country, they have little regard for the geographical limitations Singapore has. With the limited land, a population of 6 million may bring about more problems even if the existing ones such a lack of manpower is resolved. If the country is too densely populated problems such as a shortage of facilities would introduce another set of problems. Thus, while the the sub-replacement levels of the population does pose as a problem, overpopulation is something we have to consider if too. Therefore, there is a need for the government to use appropriate strategies to solve the ever changing problems when they come by.

[njc09_culture_of_shame/Grace/S416]

In reference to passage 1, the author says that teaching her son the concept of "finders are not always keepers" is a first step to tackling the problem of shame. I believe that this is especially applicable in my society as not everyone in Singapore has that kind of mentality. Many Singaporeans today have the mindset of "finders keepers" and this reflects their selfishness. But they can't be blamed as his mindset came about through the competitive spirit of Singaporeans. Their selfish mindset and individualistic views has let to the presence of culture shame in my society. Therefore, I strongly encourage Singaporeans to adopt the Japanese attitude towards shame. If Singaporeans would start to be honest and be able to uphold integrity in their life, I do believe that crime rates like theft will fall and it will make Singapore a better society.

Secondly, in passage 2, the author states that Americans are "simply unprepared for dealing with pangs of shame" and that leads to them not have a sense of shame in their life. This is applicable in my society as there have been an increasingly number of people who have no sense of shame in their lives. They litter on the streets, they even smoke in areas where it is prohibited. Their individualistic mindset has led them to make decisions based on their own wants and desires and they fail to consider the well being of the people around him. However, there is still people in Singapore that do have a sense of shame. These are the people I can feel proud of. They are willing to stand out of the crowd, and go the extra mile to make society a better place.If more Singaporeans will learn to deal with the consequences of shame, I do believe that Singapore will be made a better place with a peaceful society.

rjc08_education/Pei ling/10S416

I agree with Professor X that higher education is not for everyone. He believes that higher education is overrated in America and everyone tries to attain a qualification even though the individual is not cut out for it. He thinks that the idea of everyone going for higher education is idealistic and higher education is not compulsory. In Singapore, the idea of going for higher education is not enforced on Singapore students. Students can choose to either continue their education in the university or start working. There are polytechnics available for students to get their diplomas and pick up the necessary skills needed for their jobs. They can start working after they have obtained diplomas from polytechnics. A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) report shows that unemployment is higher among university graduates (2.6%) than among polytechnic diploma holders (2.1%). Hence, higher education is not for everyone as it is not necessary unless the individual wants to better himself.

However, the competitive society misleads everyone to think that higher education is compulsory if they want to secure a good and high paying job in future. It is not completely untrue as it is indeed difficult to get a good job without high qualifications in Singapore now. There are many university graduates unemployed because of the recent recession. If they are not employed, how can someone with a lower qualification compete with them for a job? The company obviously with hire someone with higher qualification. Higher education is especially important in Singapore as most jobs are tertiary and requires much knowledge. Singapore is currently advancing in various fields (finance, social sciences, medicine, science) which require specific education in order to participate in them. Even business or multi-national companies - a more advance version of mercantilism - requires formal education because of the complexities that global trading involves. Thus higher education is for everyone if they want to do well in future in competitive societies.

rjc09/education/benjamin/10s416

The author believes that those who are working jobs that do not require much knowledge do not need to go for higher education. Those jobs are like school custodian or manning the boiler. I agree to the author’s point of view however the society will not agree with the author’s point of view. This is seen by the fact that Singapore is a fast changing society, with lots of new job being offered to the people with higher pay. If a person does not keep upgrading themselves, they will be left behind with very measly pay. Thus, for Singapore, there is a continued push for low pay worker to be re-educated. This is seen by the fact that government has provided bonus for low wage worker to undergo continuing education and training. This is seen as a push for low wage worker to be trained further in the needs of the current jobs advancement which is seen as essentially training on basic use of computer or the use of Basic English. But still if the funding for this is too much it may make the society unagreeable to the fact that those who are working low paying job will require higher education to ensure that they have better paying job after that.
The author believes that those who do not have the basics should not have higher education. This is especially not applicable for the context for Singapore. This is seen that most of the Singaporeans are required by law to be educated till they are P6 which is seen as a time when education are fully subsidized for Singaporean. Thus, this is not applicable to Singapore context. Thus this make all to be eligible for further education. However, a family financial means will determine whether the family can have higher education not so much on whether a person has basic education.

TJCAQ'09_Violence/Syahirah/10s416

In passage 1, the author pointed out that when 'barriers of language or culture keep an immigrant child from fitting in, it can increase the risk that he will become alienated and, given enough triggers, resort to violence'. This is because such immigrants already have difficulties adapting themselves in another country with a different lifestyle and the language barriers add even more difficulties for them to suit themselves with the society. Since, immigrants do not have a common language with the local people, they would not be able to communicate easily with others around them. As such, they would not approach the locals for confinement and instead keep to themselves. When this continues for a long period of time, there will come a time where they would suddenly act irrationally to get other people's attention as they have not been successful given their inability to speak the native language. In my opinion, such views on criminal violence are applicable to my society because Singapore has an great influx of new immigrants every year. These immigrants who have language barriers are mostly those have come to Singapore in search for jobs to support their family back in their home country. For example, Singapore has a large number of foreign workers who came from China. Most of them are unable to speak English. Thus, they may feel left out when attempting to mingle with the locals in Singapore. However, these foreign workers who come to Singapore usually migrate in large groups. Hence, they may not necessarily feel left out as they have friends who have companied them from their homeland to Singapore. Thus, these immigrants would have no reason to turn to violence so as to draw attention while they were not able to because of language barrriers and instead, they could still fit into the society as they have other companions along with them to confide in.

In passage 2, the author highlighted that 'increased emphasis on multiculturalism and respect for other cultures is not the solution to riots in France. The cause for the break out of riots is not only due to the lack of respect towards other race and religion but there are also other reasons which contribute to such violence such as inequality that exists within a society. Inequality arises when a certain group of people is more preferred than the other. Thus, more opportunities and attention are given to this group of people while the other is disregarded. As a result, tension is built up within the society and eventually a riot may break out where control have gone haywired to be able to restrain the mistrust and suspicion that people have. However, respecting others of their culture, race or religion is still a key factor in ensuring harmony in the society. This is particularly applicable to my society because Singapore is a multi-racial country and that the government has made great efforts in making sure that Singaporeans respect and acknowledge other people's rights. Also, a day which falls on the 21 July is commemorated every year as a remeinder to all Singaporeans of the unfateful events which had previously took place because of tensions between religions, particularly Islam and Christianity. Hence, while there may be other reasons as to why violence may break out within a society, the lack or absence of respect towards other people in terms of their culture, race or religion, is still the most contributing factor.

GRACE/tjc09_violence

In reference to passage 1, the author states that “barriers of language or culture keep an immigrant child from fitting in; it can increase the risk the he will become alienated and, given enough triggers, resort to violence.” I believe that this is especially applicable in my society as there are many new immigrants coming to Singapore daily and Singapore is already a multi-racial country. The new immigrant does not have to be a child; even an adult may feel alienated. For example, there have been an increased number of Indian migrants coming to Singapore to work, many of which work in the construction industry. They might have difficulty in communicating with the locals as the new workers may not be able to speak in English and communicate well. This may lead to the new migrant workers feeling alienated from the Singapore society. However, the Indian migrant workers come in big groups. So the migrants will not feel as lonely as they have the other migrants for company. However, the migrant workers will still be distanced from the Singapore society, but at least they have company to spend time with everyday.

In reference to passage 2, the authors states that many "feel cheated because of their social and economic exclusion". This could be eminent in my society as Singapore is a multi-racial society with the more populated Chinese and Malays, and minority groups like the Indians and Eurasians. Especially for minority groups, it is easy to feel left out as there is just a small number of them. So, if they continue to feel left out, or hurt by the society,it may cause them to resort to violence, "destroying what they see are tools of failed social promotion:schools, social welfare offices gymnasiums". For example, there were conflicts between the People's Action Party (PAP) and the Muslim community because the Muslim community felt as though they were on the losing end, as the PAP were making decisions that favour the Chinese community. This led to widespread riots around Singapore. However, due to prolonged government intervention through racial harmony, Singaporeans have been doing their part to make everyone feel comfortable and not excluded in the affairs of Singapore.

TJC09_violence/BaoLin/10S416

From passage 1, the author states that “Another observation is that murder and violence are higher in nations with the largest income inequality.” I agree with the author that income inequality may result in higher possibility of committing crimes as people who are poorer might steal or commit other crimes to get what they wanted. People who are poor might also feel unjust and get stress up with their difficulties in life; they might as a result get into committing crimes in order to relieve stress. I feel that this point is not really applicable to Singapore as we do not have very high crime rates. Even though the difference in income inequality would cause crimes to occur and every country has income inequality, Singapore had helped to lower the income inequality by subsiding less to the richer ones by mean testing. Therefore, the relationship of income inequality and committing of crimes will not be applicable to Singapore.

From passage 2, the author states that “increased emphasis on multiculturalism and respect for other cultures in France is not the answer.” I feel that discrimination and misunderstanding of other culture is one of the reasons that cause riots. Even though someone from another culture might offend him unknowingly, he will still get angry and even turn violent. However, there are also other reasons like poverty and unemployment. Therefore, I agree with the author that that is not the only way to prevent conflicts from happening. I feel that it is quite applicable to Singapore as we are a multiracial country. So riots due to different cultures have a very high possibility of happening. Some examples of riots in Singapore are the Maria Hertogh riot in 1950 and the race riots in 1964. There are also other reasons that will cause crimes to occur by people with psychological problems and poverty. Therefore, it is applicable to Singapore.

TJC09_violence/ Chermaine/10S416

From passage 1, the author says that “Another observation is that murder and violence are higher in nations with the largest income inequality.” Due to the inequality in income, people who are generally poorer might resort to criminal violence in order to get what they want and to be able to be on par with those who are generally richer, leading to a economic issue. However, this is not very evident in Singapore. Under the good governance of Singapore government whom provide subsidies healthcare and education for those who are generally poorer, the income gap between the rich and the poor are being arrowed. Hence, income inequality is not very dominant in Singapore. There are many ways in which the poor can seek help to improve their lives other than resorting to criminal violence. Subsidies and help are given by the government to those with lower income. Healthcare subsidies are given to the unemployed as well as the aged to lighten the load of their living expenses. Therefore, Singaporeans do not have to resort to criminal violence to get what they want. Government provides help for the people, hence there is no need for criminal violence.

From passage 2, the author states that “Many see the violence as religiously motivated, the inevitable result of unchecked immigration from Muslim countries.” It highlights the social issue. That the difference in religion and race might lead to criminal violence. In order to stand up for their religion or race, people begin to resort to criminal violence. This might be evident in Singapore. As Singapore is a multi racial society, it is inevitable that people of different races might have difference in their idea and might result in conflicts. Hence, these conflicts might inevitably lead to a large scale of criminal violence. An example would be the racial riot. There was a racial riot that occurred in Singapore, between the Malays and the Chinese. This had occurred due to miscommunication and also when both the races fail to understand each other fully. Hence, living in a multi racial society, whereby everyone has their own beliefs, it can be common that people end up disputing over racial or religious differences. Hence, in order to protect the religion or race that one feels strongly for. One might unknowingly resort to criminal violence to protect one’s stand by harming the other party, like what happened during the racial riot. Whereby, the two races fight against each other and there were many casualties. Hence, the social issue of criminal violence that is motivated by religion is evident in Singapore.

AQ (TJC09_Violence)/ Ng Zeng Woon 10S416

In passage 2, the author states that despite the need to tackle the problems associated with the violence in France, "increased emphasis on multiculturalism and respect for other cultures in France is not the answer." Here he's trying to stress the growing problems that culture can pose in terms of cases of violence. I agree with the author's viewpoint, especially when culture is an important asset in the harmony of my society. Today, culture is becoming a very common cause in which cases of violence emerge from. The discrimination of other racial and religious groups is an example of culture-based violence. When races or religions are not respected, it leads to mistrust among the parties involved as well as leading to rising tensions which can be blown into full-scale violence if it is not managed in time. However, not necessarily does it mean that culture is the main reason as there are other more responsible causes such as poverty and extremist views in society. Furthermore, in my society, which highly regards racial and religious harmony, such discrimination is not tolerated and is punishable by law as well. Also, the community takes steps to ensure that culture is not an issue in violence by seeking to foster community spirit through get-together events and interactive activities that are organised through community centres as well as religious associations. Therefore it is not necessary that culture is the central problem to the growing number of cases of violence today.

In passage 1, the author makes a point when he states that the risk of an immigrant child becoming violent increases if the "barriers of language or culture" prevents the child from "fitting in" to society. He is highlighting the problems that an immigrant will face when attempting to integrate smoothly into a new society. I feel it is indeed applicable to my society as always these immigrants face numerous problems trying to integrate into a new area and living their lives normally. As immigrants tend to be unaccustomed to their new environment initially, some may find it difficult to adapt to the changes in lifestyle. Furthermore, there might be mistrust by the society as they may be suspicious of these immigrants and hence treat them with some from of discrimination. However this is an over-generalisation as not necessary the society is always discriminating immigrants. Indeed efforts have been made to help these immigrants integrate smoothly into society, welcoming them and making them feel at home. It is indeed important for immigrants to be able to integrate smoothly so that they can actively contribute to the community and bringing progress to society. the setting up of the National Integration Council in the year 2009 to spearhead initiatives that promote and foster social cohesion and integration is a testament to the efforts made to help integrate immigrants into society in Singapore. The author has highlighted a very valid as well as applicable problem associated with immigrants to not just my society but others throughout as well.

tjc09_violence/Jia Yu/ 10S416

In Passage Two, the author mentions about Muslims in France being treated unequally by the locals and led to riots occurring. I agree with the author when people are given unfair treatment, they tend to use violence to express their unhappiness as these people feel this is the only way that they can attract people's attention and know more about them. However, I feel this is not the appropriate way as this can result in unnecessary bloodshed. This was once happened in Singapore, 1964, when racial riot between the Chinese and Malays occurred, leading to numbers of injuries and death. Hence, Singapore come out with policies such as having at least one minority race in every GRC, schools commorating Racial Harmony day to remind citizens to respect one another and avoid riots. Hence, criminal violence is minimal in Singapore.

In Passage One, the author states "Another observation is that murder and violence are higher in nations with the largest income inequality.". People who are very poor have to resort to criminal violence, such as theft, robbery, in order to survive as they may be unemployed or the standard living is too high for them. In Singapore, we seldom notice people resort to criminal violence due to poverty. This is because Singapore has assistance programs such as Central Provident Fund, which Singaporeans have to take charge of their finance and different subsidies for the needy people. Taxes are also exempted from those who incomes fall below $1500. Hence, people do not have to resort criminal violence and thus it is minimised.

tjc09_violence_benjamin yong_10s416

According to Newsweek on the view of social reason leading to criminal violence, the author stand was, “Rates of criminal violence are higher in mobile and heterogenous societies where it is hard to put down roots and establish the social glue that binds people into a community.” The author is thus showing that with a country with lots of different culture involve, it can lead to high rate of criminal violence. This is mainly due to the moving of the people in and out of the United States of America. This is applicable to Singapore where in 2002, there was almost bombing in Singapore due to the JI member coming into Singapore. This had been prevented by the police. Yet the threat is there as Singapore is an open society where people are moving in and out of the country. This has caused Singapore to be a major threat to criminal violence. However, this is still an over generalization that people moving in and out of Singapore leads to criminal violence in Singapore. This is because even if Singapore is closed, there will be crime occurring. Also, foreigners do not always come to commit crime in Singapore but rather to work and to tour the country.
According to New York time also on the view of social reason leading to criminal violence, the author stand was that discrimination to certain race in the country will lead to criminal violence. This is applicable to Singapore as that Singapore is a multi racial and religious country. This is seen in the Maria Hertogh riot in 1950 in Singapore. This is fueled by the Malays because they felt that the judge who preside over the case of the custody of Maria Hertogh as being bias to their religion. This is because the court denies the marriage of Maria Hertogh as she was still underage where in the Malays, she is eligible to marry. Also, they placed Maria Hertogh in a convent which they seen as not respecting their religion. Thus, the riot was fueled which lead to the injury of Eurasians in Singapore. But still, in Singapore, the government had been active to reduce racial and religious tension by having minority representation in the parliament through the use of GRCs. Also, not any race is given special rights or privileges; HDB has a quota which requires a specific numbers of each race to stay in it. Thus, this is still not really a problem to Singapore.
Thus, according to Newsweek, it is much more applicable than New York time to Singapore context in the context of social.

Pei ling/tjc09_violence

Passage 1 points out that the culture of the country and experiences that is experienced by the individual affects how he will turn out to be more than the biology of the individual. There are some genes that produces low level ezyme levels when aberrant and is linked to agression in some people's bodies. However, the genes in the body can only determine how violent a person can be. It is the product of experiences that interacted with the biology that cause the person to be violent. Hence, the culture of the country and experiences that is experienced by the individual plays a more important role in criminal violence to the society. I agree with the author's point. It is applicable in Singapore. The culture of the country and experiences that is experienced by a person shapes the individual's character and behaviour. The genes only enchances the individual's violence in
this case. For example in Singapre, foreign workers who came to work are more
prone to committing crimes that Singaporeans. The number of foreign workers arrested accounted for 13% of the total arrests made in 2005, according to the statistics by Singapore Police Force. Singaporeans often stereotype foreign workers to commit crimes just because some of them committed crimes before and discriminate them. This will lead to foreign workers feeling angry at Singaporeans for the unfair treatment. Thus they are more likely to commit violence and crimes because of how they are treated in the environment they are in.

Pasage 2 states that the support of different culture groups leads to criminal violence to resolve their differences. This point is also applicable in my society. In Singapore, there are many different races and it led to racial riots in the past. For example, the Maria Hertogh racial riot which happened in 1950 due to the difference in cultural beliefs. It led to many deaths and casualties. Hence the point is applicable to Singapore. However, Singapore has learnt lessons from the tradegy and ensure racial harmony in the country.

Hwee Ling/ How far do you agree that traditonal gender roles are a thing of the past?

Traditional gender roles may be a thing of the past as today more women are given the right to employment. Today, in the modern society, men and women can be considered to have equal status in the working world. Women are slowly climbing up the social ladder and have the ability to achieve what men can too. In Singapore, two third of the country's family population consist of both the man and woman working to support the family. However, women must still fulfill the responsibility of taking care of her family in terms of their emotional and mental state as well as their well-being. If the woman fails to balance both her work life and family life, she is most likely to be condemned for failing her responsibility to take good care of the family. This is even when she also has a part to play in bringing back income for the family. Hence, it is argued that the role of the women has not been changed but merely expanded.

How far do you agree that traditional gender roles are a thing of the past?

Traditional gender roles may be a thing of the past because today, not only men, but women are able to access some form of education. In the past, men were allowed to go to school and go to work, while women were expected to stay at home to take care of the household. However, due to the change in mindset, both men and women are allowed to go to school and study. For example in Singapore, children of both genders are expected to attend lessons in school. This means that both the men and women are given equal rights towards education. However, there are still societies whose cultures do not allow women to have an education. These only occur in a patriarch society, where men are considered the best and only the best are allowed to go to school and work, while the rest, like women are belittled. In such societies with extremist views, traditional gender roles are still in place today, for example in Iran. In Iran, the girls are not allowed to go to school, while the boys are entitled to it. Therefore, traditional gender roles are still present in societies today.

Pamela Suzanne Lim/To what extent is today’s fast –paced society a detriment to people’s lives?

4. To what extent is today’s fast –paced society a detriment to people’s lives?

Some may argue that today’s fast-paced society is a detriment to people’s lives when their drive for individualism is at the expense of their moral values. A very clear cut example was the incident whereby former Chief Executive Officer of the National Kidney Foundation Singapore (NKF) T.T. Durai was found guilty of misleading the charitable organisation with a falsified invoice of twenty thousand which was allegedly for interior design consultancy work done by David Tan, director of the design firm. The consequence he faced was to serve a three month jail term. This example clearly shows an individual who sought out to do good deeds, eventually ended up misappropriating funds for personal gains. The fast paced society pressurizes people to feel the need to be in large possession of money. It is inevitable that people would think of the quickest way to gain access to money. Unfortunately, in the process people often resort to underhand means because of greed and lose their moral values. However, we must not discredit those who are righteous. In fact it is only a minority group that would sacrifice their moral values at the expense of their moral values. We must trust that most individuals have their own sense of civic mindedness as long as we are reliant on each other. The strive for individualism generally only weakens one’s moral value but does the not destroy completely them. Thus on the whole I feel that today’s fast –paced society is a weak detriment to people’s lives

Ng Zeng Woon/ Have the new media changed our lives for the better?

New media has not changed our lives for the better as it has affected the kind of information that we are able to refer to take or use from the Internet. With new media, it brings about a new dimension for users who are now able to freely upload any form of information online, be it statistics, facts or definitions. This may lead to an increase in unverified information and hence the information may also lack credibility as such.
However, assumptions that all information lacking a certain level of credibility are false ones. Some of these information come from organisations such as government agencies; organisations from which their information pose a certain level of credibility which they substantiate further with backing data. Also the common Internet user is trained in cross referencing data in order to verify its credibility and ensure that the data which they collect are of trustworthiness. For instance, in projects, students or parties involved in researching for their projects have to sieve out the right data out of a vast ocean of data which can contain both credible and non-credible data. In addition, they would need to substantiate it with the source in which the information originates as well as evidence to substantiate the information used as well as proving that it is credible.
As such, it is not necessarily true that new media does not change our lives for the better.

Chermaine 10s416/ To what extent should the Singapore government be responsible for taking care of the elderly?

The government may be responsible for taking care of the elderly when they need financial support. Elderly, mainly those who have retired will not have any income as they are no longer able to work. Therefore they might need financial aids to provide for their needs. Hence, the government may need to step in to aid these elderly to meet their financial needs by providing subsidies for them. Government can provides health subsidies to elderly when they seek health treatment from government clinics like the Singapore polyclinic. The elderly are required to pay less with the subsidy given by the government. Hence, It may be necessary for government to provide these healthcare subsidies to the elderly who are more prone to illnesses and a large proportion of their money might be needed to be spent on it, therefore easing their burden. However, the elderly themselves should take the responsibility to provide for their own retirement fund. It is important for the elderly to be the one to be responsible for their own financial needs. They need to be independent. Therefore, when they are working, they should ensure that they save up money to meet their future retirement needs. One of the ways is to ensure regular contribution to their Central Provident Fund, whereby the money contributed can be used to pay for their health care needs in the future. Upon reaching the age of 62, if their Central Provident Fund account still has the minimum sum required, a sum of money will be given to the account monthly which can be used to provide for healthcare needs. Hence, they can be independent in providing for their own needs and save the trouble of seeking help from others. Therefore, It is important for the elderly themselves to take charge for providing for their own retirement fund.

Rabia-"To what extent should the Singapore government be responsible for taking care of the elderly?"

5."To what extent should the Singapore government be responsible for taking care of the elderly?"

The Singapore government may be responsible in ensuring that the emotional needs of the elderly are being met.It plans community programmes in school that allows the society to reach out to the elderly.For example,during the Chinese New Year period,school children would keep them company by doing simple gestures,such as wishing them,giving them oranges and chatting with them.Some schools also do this on a regular basis,as they visit the homes of these elderly every once a week to interact and keep them company.However,the government should not be responsible when the family should bear responsibility for the elderly first,in keeping with the philosophy of filial piety.Family members would always know the elderly in their family better than anyone else.In that manner,they would also be the ones who would be able to fulfill the elderly's emotional needs best.Even though,everyone in the family may have busy schedules,all of them have to allocate time and make sure that the elderly's emotional needs are being fulfilled.Flial piety should come first above all else.Thus,the government should not be responsible for taking care of the elderly when there are other factors,such as family,that are more essential for the well-being of the elderly.

Gladys/ A Strong family foundation is the best way to address social ills. Do you agree?

Strong family foundations may be considered as the best way to condone social problems as family members can influence an individual at a more personal level, allowing ethical values to be instilled at a young age. Education of moral values, led by example by one's parents is able to tackle the problems of social ills like teenage pregnancy and high divorce rates. This is because of the positive influence shown to them since young which can instil the right moral values in the children at a tender age. By doing so, the children will then be grounded in the right moral values, hence not easily influenced by other beliefs which may lead to social ills. Statistics in a research has shown that 22% of girls from two-parent, intact families have had sex at least once, compared to 44% of the girls from other types of families. This shows that strong family foundations are able so address some of the social ills rampant in society. However, strong family foundations are not able to address all the social ills as it is limited in what it can do. Strong family foundations are only able to address issues within the family, which can be controlled by the parents like crime rates and premarital sex. However, it is unable to address problems like the incompetency of the government which leads to widespread poverty or a global recession which is out of their control. Such circumstances are not in the control of the family unit, but still adversely affect the whole society. For example, the 2008 global recession affected many families in Singapore as many people became unemployed or faced income reductions. This, although a social ill, cannot be prevented or combated with a strong family foundation. Hence, a strong family foundation, although good in addressing some social ills, is not able to address all the social ills as the best method.

Yu Fan/To what extent should the Singapore government be responsible for taking care of the elderly?

The government may be expected to provide employment opportunities for the elderly when the elderly is financially unstable. Being an elderly, they might not have the ability to do the jobs that require strength and stamina thus resulting in a lower chance of getting employed. Only when the government is able to take care of the elderly, then will there be lesser poverty problems arising. Lesser poverty problems would lead to a better economy as everyone's welfare is taken into consideration. In Singapore, the government encourages the elderly to work instead of relying on the state welfare. The government might raise the retirement age from 62 to 65 and from 2012, there would be laws for employers to rehire older workers. This is one of the ways which the government is being responsible for taking care of the elderly. By giving the elderly a chance to prove their ability, they would be able to earn an income to support their daily life.

However, the employers in Singapore should also take responsibility and give the elderly an equal opportunity of getting employed despite their inferior strength and stamina. The government should not hold full responsibility of the employment of the elderly as the employers play an important role as well. Many offices employ elderly for less strenuous job position such as cleaners and security guards. Although government may be responsible of taking care of the elderly, the employers also play a vital role in assuring the employment of the elderly. If the employers refuse to employ the elderly, there are few things the government could do to solve the problem.

Pei ling / A strong family foundation is the best way to address social ills? DYA?

Strong family foundation may be considered as the best way to condone social problems as family members can influence the individual at a more personal level, allowing ethical values to be instilled from an early age. With moral values instilled in the individual at a young age, he is less likely to cause any social problems in the future as he is able to differentiate what is good and bad.

However, a strong family foundation is not able to address social ills alone as there are many sources of influence that the individual is exposed to. Media is an irresponsible influence. Television show producers resort to anything just to get ratings, ignoring moral values. For example, people who are exposed to media violence tend to be more aggressive and violent. Some experts, like University of Michigan professor L. Rowell Huesmann, argue that fifty years of evidence show "that exposure to media violence causes children to behave more aggressively and affects them as adults years later." Thus, issue of alleviating social ills can be addressed if strong family foundations is complemented with similar values perpetuated in media and through peers.

A strong family foundation is the best way to address social ills. Azizah

A strong family foundation alone may not be able to address social ills alone since there are other sources of influence that individuals may be exposed to such as the media. The media influences individuals through mediums such as television programmes, magazines, music and advertisements. The society is very much exposed to such forms of media, hence will be very likely to get affected by whatever the media proposes. For example, the media has a significant role to play in cultivating the kind of lifestyle an individual adopts. Television programmes such as those produced by the MTV will easily entice young individuals with their portrayal of a 'hip' lifestyle and 'famed' success. Generally, these programmes will exhibit the unhealthy way of living, such as hard partying,drinking and also promiscuity. Young people exposed to such images will tend to develop a new perspective on what kind of lifestyle and success that will give them the most satisfaction. They will want to try out these new experiences, despite the moral values that are supposedly instilled into them.This may be because media is such a strong influence and plays on the curiousity and vulnerability of young people. Therefore, for a strong family foundation to alleviate the social ills such as unhealthy lifestyle, it must be complemented with similar values perpetuated in the media and press.

A strong family foundation is the best way to address social ills: Jolene

One's family may often be considered a good way to condone social problems as family members can influence an individual at a more personal level allowing ethical values to be instilled from an early age. Children often have a closer bond to their parents than anybody else and as they start to grow and enter each phase of life, they would still have this connection with their parents. A strong family foundation will then have to start with parents and from there, they would be able to educate their children from young and hence, making it possible to address social ills. However, having a strong family foundation may not be sufficient to address social ills. Social problems are huge problems that cannot be solved easily just by having strong family foundations within every family because there are other ways such as restricting the media and enforcing laws, that can help to solve it too.

Jia Yu/ How far do you agree that traditional gender roles are a thing of the past?

How far do you agree that traditional gender roles are a thing of the past?


Traditional gender roles may be a thing of the past because today, not only men but also women are able to access some form of education. In the past, women received less or no education than men because people felt that women are supposed to stay at home to take care of the family and do housework. However, mindsets have changed and more women are exposed to some form of education. For example, in India, a conservative society, the literacy for women had exceeded 50% of the overall female population in 2001. This shows that education is not only for men but also for women. However, there are still societies whose cultures do not allow women to have an education. This happens in patriarch countries, where men are believed to have the rights to study and work while women are only allowed to be homemakers. In some Arab countries which have extreme views, some young girls are forced to get married early and be good wives at home. This prevents them from pursuing education. Hence, traditional gender roles are still present in current days.

Syahirah/ To what extent should the government be responsible for taking care of the elderly?

The government may be expected to be responsible in taking care of the elderly by promoting a healthy lifestyle and hence improving their quality of life. Every year, senior citizens day is celebrated in Singapore to recognise their place in the society and usually a walkathon or a sports event is being held in conjunction to the celebration. Such events are intended to involve the elderly in the country's aim of having a healthy lifestyle which not only concern the young. The well-being of the elderly in Singapore may be a priority to the government as they were once too regarded as the pillars of Singapore's progress. However, some may argue that these are the responsibility of the elderly themselves in making sure that they are in good health.

How far do you agree that traditional gender roles are a thing of the past? [HUIJUN]

Traditional gender roles may be a thing of the past because, not only men but women are able to access some form of education. In recent years, the number of young Iranian women admitted to university rose dramatically, making up to more than 60 percent of the university entrants. The opportunities for women education and their involvement in higher education has grown exponentially after the Iranian Revolution. This suggests that traditional gender roles, which previously limits the amount of education received by women, is a thing of the past.
However, there are still societies whose cultures do not allow women to have an education. Women's education has been severely compromised in Afghanistan as a resurgent Taliban has practised a policy of intimidation of female students. Women, who make up a significant proportion of Afghanistan's population, have been killed, burned and threatened for attending school. Many female teachers have been executed in remote villages by the Taliban during the latest resurgence in 2009. Even today, women in countries like these are obliged to follow the traditional gender role borned in them. Thus, this suggests that traditional gender roles are not a thing of the past.

A strong family foundation is the best way to address social ills. Do you agree? / essay qn.10

Strong family foundations may not be able to address social ills that result from compulsive behaviour. People who suffer from compulsive behaviour need external help from organisations to help them quit their habit. Therefore, government intervention in the form of the law and other reformative instituitions may be better at alleviating these forms of compulsive behaviour. Some examples of reformative instituitions include the rehabilitation center from drug addicts and the girls' home. Government interventions also include setting of certain laws and regulations to provide a paternalistic approach to help people with compulsive behaviour. Such an example would be the self-binding scheme where the people are able to restrict themselves voluntarily by law from going into casinos.
Through the law and reformative instituitions, people with compulsive behaviour are better able to receive the help they need as strong family foundations may not neccessarily provide the best help to them. As a result, strong family foundations may be able to address social ills that result from compulsive behaviour. However, government interventions in the form of laws and regulations is better at addressing the issue of social ills that result from compulsive behaviour.

Ong Mei Ting/Qn 4-To what extend is today's fast paced society a detriment to people's lives?

Some may argue that today’s fast paced society is a detriment to people’s lives when it brings about an enormous workload to each individual. In the fast paced society, work is needed to be done in a shorter time frame so as to keep up with the speed. This has lead to an increase in pressure in individuals which may turn out to affect one’s health. This can be seen in Japan where there is an increase in suicide rates. This is generally due to the buildup of stress due to the enormous workload to the extent that they would not withstand the load on them, thus choosing to commit suicide. Even in a fast paced society, concessions are given to help them cope with the enormous workload. This would mean the advanced technology such as computers and the internet to aid in the reduction of the workload. An example would be the comparison between writing out and typing out of the task. Through the advance technology of Microsoft words, it allows work to be done in a quicker and more efficient manner. Hence, it would reduce the workload off individuals as their work can be finished in a shorter period of time. Therefore, a fast paced society is not a detriment to people’s lives as it provides a solution in terms of reducing time needed for each task despite the enormous workload given to them.

Ong Bao Lin/Q5

The government may be expected to provide employment opportunities for the elderly when they are unable to support themselves. As the country developed, many things become more expensive. The elderly might not be able to afford basic necessities when they do not have a job. Therefore, providing employment opportunities enable the government to reduce their expenses on them. As the elderly becomes helpless due to inability to support themselves, they will depend on the government. The government would not be able to leave the elderly alone without doing anything as it will create unhappiness to the citizens and display an unfilial and cruel image of Singapore. In order to prevent these things to happen, the government step in to help solve the problem. For example, the government might raise the retirement age from 62 to 65 on 2010. Therefore, government may be expected to provide employment opportunities for the elderly. However, employers should be open to employ elderly when they have the capabilities to do the job. Most elderly are skilled so they are able to do some jobs. Even though some are uneducated or unskilled, they could still learn and do well in their jobs. If the employers are open to employ elderly, the elderly would be able to have a job to support themselves. For example, NTUC have employed some elderly to work there. Even if the government had provide more employment opportunities, the elderly will still not have a job when the employers do not want to employ them. Therefore, employers should be open to employ elderly when they have the capabilities to do so.

Clare/ To what extent is today's fast-paced society a detriment to people's lives?

Some may disagree that today's fast-paced society is a detriment to people's lives when it brings about an enormous workload to each individual. Be it working or studying, everyone faces a ton of workload which never seems to be finished. Constantly sitting at their desks doing their jobs till the wee hours in the morning. These people are always occupied with their work, and hardly spend any time doing other things besides working. They hardly ever take time off to relax or to take a breather. Hence, taking a toll on their health and they are put at a higher risk of suffering from health problems and chronic illness. As they are taxing their bodies too much, their bodies may eventually give way and they may collapse. However, in today's society, technology has advanced. Hence, with the help of advanced technology, people can easily cope with the enormous workload. They are able to complete their work faster and more efficiently. Furthermore, even in a fast-paced society, concessions are given in the form of paid-leaves and various holidays, given by the company or public holidays. For example, in Singapore, a statute was formally written, and it is a law that the minimum tariffs for employee leave from work is 14 days. Therefore, today's fast-paced society is not a detriment to people's lives, as people are given concessions and slack, and they are given sufficient rest to recharge for the days ahead. Hence, it is not a detriment to their healths and their lives.

Benjamin/ to what extent should the government be responsible for taking careof the elderly?

The government may be expected to responsible in taking care of the elderly to ensure that they have sufficient amount of money for their retirement. This is seen as essential as that many of the elderly are not being employed, thus reducing the amount of money they have. Many a time, these elderly may require medical treatment which can deplete their medical fund quickly. Also, they have to purchase their daily necessities. Thus, the governments have to take care of them in provision of money for their life after retirement. This can be seen as through the CPF fund. This is mandatory saving from their regular salary when they are working. These amounts of money are allowed to be withdrawn in portion when they reach 55. These amounts of money enable them to have the financial power to survive their retirement. Also, they can provide means of medical healthcare as that they are required to save a certain amount in their Medisave which is for their healthcare. However, the elderly should be responsible to provide for their own retirement plans. This is seen as a way of being independence and also non-reliance on the government. This is seen as which, when the elderly are working, they save up and do not spend all that they had earned. This can endure that they can have sufficient money for their retirement. This is mainly because the fact that by providing all this subsidies and funds, it is a huge burden to the government. Resources have to be diverted from other program into the elderly which may lead to slowing growth of economy. Thus, government should be responsible when the elderly do not have the means to take care of themselves financially.

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HuiJun (how has new media changed our lives)

New media greatly affects our lives because it has the power to change and influence our thoughts. This is sometimes positive and sometimes negative. In the internet websites such as the facebook, Wikipedia and blogs, people are given the freedom of speech to voice out their opinion about anything and everything. For example, singapore’s most well-known blogger, Mr Brown, shot to fame during the elections with this riotously funny ‘tua kwa’ podcast.This podcast recorded an argument between a minced meat noodle seller and his customer over a botched order. It implicitly poke fun at the PAP. Mrbrown, with the help of media, changed his life and became a ‘voice’ representing Singaporeans in critising some of the government’s actions. Nevertheless, media brought about devastating harm, especially on youths. Youths spent most of their time on internet or gaming. They became engrossed in media and are ‘hooked’ onto it. For instance then-21-year-old Shawn Woolley played hours of the online game Everquest before fatally shooting himself while sitting in front of his computer. Media can distort the mind of consumers and sometimes confused them of the right and wrong.

Bao Lin/ mass media

New media such as the internet and technologies have changed our life for the better like reducing the need to spend time travelling to places to get information as people could easily get information by the internet. Things have become more convenient for the people, they could chat and keep friends updated online like ‘facebook’ and ‘twitter’. Thus, new media has changed the people to be better with technologies and to make use of the time reduce from travelling to better use like their work. Therefore, new media have changed our life for the better.
New media might cause the people to be lazier due to the conveniences brought to the people through technologies and they might not want to go out. However, this is not true for all people.

Hwee Ling/ How has new media changed our lives?

New media has changed our perspective on how we see things. In the past, most people were more conservative. As time passes, people are exposed to many more things through mass media. As a result, majority of the people are getting more and more open-minded. Things that were not spoken about in the public can become the hot topics. For example, things like pre-marital sex are not brought up in the past. However, with the influence of mass media, schools now educate students about pre-marital sex. This, in a way, is good as it teaches students the harmful consequences of pre-marital sex and allows them to think before making the wrong move and regret later on. Thus, new media has changed our lives for the better in this aspect.

Ong Mei Ting/Have new media change our lives for the better?

New media do change our lives for the better because it provides convenience to people who are affected by it. An example would be the usage of Windows messenger through the Internet, in which allowing conversation to occur between two parties at different places. By doing so, this allows us to communicate easily without having the trouble of meeting up. This has changed our lives for the better because it would save us the extra effort to meet up. Moreover, this allows information to be carried across two parties. Hence, new media has changed our lives for the better through the convenience it has provided. However, this may lead to the change in the relationship between close friends. As internet has become the medium to enable us to have convenience, this would mean that they would be able to play games and chat over the internet. This would result in friends being the same as strangers the have known through the internet. Despite, the fact that this may happen, it would be unwise to make such conclusion because they are still able to meet in other placessuch as their worklace or institutes.Therefore, new media has changed our lives for the better through the convenience it brings.

Doreen/ new media

The new media has brought entertaining and fascinating gadgets into our lifestyles. Since the emergence of the new media, we have observed the birth of high-tech gadgets built with the fusion of technology and traditional media. From the creation of disc-man to MP3 to even iPhone with the all-built in features which satisfy anything a human wants, we could say that new media indeed has brought amazement and improve our lifes by allowing media to reach us easily. For instance, iPhone which was created by Apple Company has amalgamated the functions of media player, in-built camera, communicating tools like SMS and calls, games and applications and even the Wifi which traditionally only a computer is able to access. When one gets bored, he or she can easy access the games and start hooking up to them. These intervention of new media has brought convenience and has significantly reduce the trouble of us having to find leisure through traditional means like going to the arcade to compete in a game of wrestling. However, debates and controversies have sparked off from the development of these high tech gadgets. These high tech gadgets has succeeded in transforming human into one that is filled with complacancies and demand. Piracy has also been invaded when technology improves. People can easy download songs or videos with a click on their computer or phone without patronizing authentic music stores. These has led to music artistes and businessmen losing their hope of livelihood. Thus, although the new media has brought such convenience to us, it has also led to the downfall of authentic and conventional ways of living.

Azizah new media

New media has become a very powerful tool in the spreading and gathering of information worldwide, introducing foreign cultures to locals and inevitably, making the world more connected than before. On a global level, new media has been responsible in providing a more efficient and effective medium for people to get connected and be well-informed about issues concerning other countries or nations, which may not be easily accessible without new media such as the internet. With new media, our perspectives on world issues have broaden as different people and countries are able to spread their opinions to other parts of the world. People also have become more aware of the problems faced by other people as new media is able to publish advertisements or aid campaign online to raise awareness. Such campaign is Oxfam, which has online forum.

Before being widely-used, we could only rely on conventional media tools such as television, radio and print media. Although these have served to be reliable sources of information, it is not sufficient to keep up with the constant happenings in the world, hence such news and information lack attention and publicity. With the advent of new media, there are so many sources we could turn to such as online forums and news, Youtube and even social networking sites. People use such mediums to spread messages and create petitions on certain issues. Therefore, new media is beneficial to us in terms of efficacy in making issues known.