Parents: Relax

This article mainly talks about how teenagers these days are deemed worse off than their forebears, and that it isn't true. It talks about how parents should "relax" and that teens are less violent and more sober, rational in thinking, and should be given more rights in deciding their lives. It says that the teen brain may well be evolving, and that teens are actually becoming more rational and make better decisions compared to their forebears, so their parents, being the forebears, should rest easy knowing that their children are probably better at making the right decisions (albeit not as often as adults) as they themselves were when they were teenagers. The idea of introducing a type of 'competency test' to determine his/her rational thinking, no matter what their age is, was offered by Robert Epstein. The children/teenagers who pass this test can then be allowed more rights, such as signing their own contracts, vote and do essentially anything he/she wants, like drinking, smoking, driving, etc.

The author made a very good point in saying that even though this test can be considered, the question is, who will be the one who creates the test? Psychologists could, as Epstein said, but who can say that these psychologists can even agree on the level of maturity and rational thinking the applicant must have? Even though they are all in the same field, they would have different ideas on the competency level they think the children should have before they "pass the test". It's the same as different doctors coming up with different diagnosis for a single patient. This test could lead to even more problems because of the difference in opinion.

I agree with the author that teenagers now are more rational in their thinking compared to their forebears. This is because they are exposed to different environments. Teens nowadays have sources like the Internet where they can always research on whatever they want to know, and decide for themselves whether something is morally right or wrong. Most schools also tutor their students in what they should do and what they should not. For example, many schools invite professionals to come to their school and give talks to their pupils (eg on the harmful effects of smoking, drugs, etc.) Their forebears didn't get as much exposure to this kind of things when they were our age, as what was most important was their education, not overall upbringing. Violence is also decreased as most violent tendencies that teenagers may have are resolved as soon as possible. Although there are still cases of violence and shooting, it has become relatively less(as shown from the article-'the rate of school violence fell from 48 crimes per 1,000 students in 1992 to 22 per 1,000 in 2004, according to the Department of Education').

The author commented that since kids have been making better decisions in the past 20 years, they should maintain status quo and that it 'would be perverse to reward them by saying that we don't care if they get drunk and watch porn, or do anything else wrong. I disagree. Since it has already been proven that kids these days have better rational thinking skills and the ability to judge for themsevlves, giving them more freedom is simply what they deserve. They can be offered all the choices in the world, but if teenagers know what is right and what is wrong, they themselves will decide what they want to do. Thus, yes, parents should simply relax and let us learn how to live life our way.


-pinghao

Young People’s Protests Are Easy to Mock- But Ignore Them at Your Own Peril (’08)

Do you agree that hardship allows children to mature better? Why?

I agree that hardship allows children to mature better. A child who does not experience hardship will find that everything goes smoothly for him. If the child chances upon a difficulty he will remain stationary (not make any progress) and think that the problem will somehow or rather be solved. For example, the effect of global warming is obvious, however if he does not experience what global warming does he will remain ignorant and expect the problem to solved by itself. In addition, a child who experienced hardship will tend to treasure life more than a child who does not. A child living in less developed countries such as Africa where water is a scarce resource, the child will value every drop of water that is available to him or her. On the other hand, in Singapore where water is accessible to all, children may have the mindset that wasting water is normal. Only when there is a drought in Singapore, may the child mature better to value the true cost of water. Furthermore, a rich child will not feel the importance of saving money and may continue to spend money freely till he experiences financial difficulties or when he starts to work and realize how difficult it is to earn money.

Are Singaporean youths mature?

I feel that majority of Singaporean youths are immature. The majority of Singaporean youths today are born when Singapore is very developed. They do not get to experience any hardship brought about from the Japanese invasion into Singapore or the poor and developing years of Singapore to what success it has today. We are born in a time where there is accessibility to every need. For example every household has access to drinkable water straight from their tap. This result in youths to take for guaranteed that water is free as the water bill is not shown to the youths. In addition, youths tend to follow their friend’s decisions rather than make their own decisions. For example when choosing a tertiary education path, youths will try to stick together and not choosing their future path.


-Toby

El Sistema: Changing Lives Through Music

Summary

The article highlights a special music program in Venezuela which is so extraordinary that it has been hailed as the 'future of classical music itself'. It's extraordinary as the orchestra produces classical music with the help of kids from the slums of Venezuela, instead of having musicians that are graduates from some conservatory/music school. Futhermore, while most classical music orchestras like to play more "serious" music, this orchestra is about the exuberance of youth. The kids travel around the world to play to sell-out audiences, and is essentially a social system that fights the poverty faced by the kids in Venezuela. This is because playing and listening to classical music provides a spiritual richness for the them. The kids can start to learn from the young age of 2, and learn from the basics to playing an instrument and being in a part of the orchestra. This program helps the kids to both learn a new skill, as well as to shape them into better people and instill in them self-esteem and confidence. They also learn a culture which is very much different from their present surroundings.

Question: Will this work in Singapore? Or in the less-developed South-East Asian states, for that matter?

Yes, I think that this system (called the El Sistema) will work in Singapore. This is because music is something like an international language; everyone can listen to it and relate to it, no matter what country or background they are from. This is especially true for classical music, which does not contain any lyrics, but rather, evokes feelings in people through its melodies.

This program, where the children come together to form an orchestra to pratice and play together is a good way of promoting classical music and to instill some values into the kids. It provides the kids with a calmer and richer environment. This quieter and peaceful environment is not only needed in the poor and dangerous country of Venezuela, but in the busy and competitive environment of Singapore as well. Moreover, encouraging youths to take part in the program would be good as it would give them a nice change from all the popular music they listen to all the time. Kids in Singapore will also be able to learn how to persevere in an area they choose and commit to it as the system teachers kids to learn on a daily routine. It can also help to change their characters and turn wayward children into better people. One example can be seen from the case of Lennar Acosta who was serving time in Caracas and had a crimminal background. He tried playing the clarinet and learnt how to treat people without violence. Thus, if this system was introduced in Singapore, it could be held for youths in detention as well, so that they may learn something new, and come out of jail as a better person. As Dudamel said in the extract, Kids with "big problems" "change their life with music."

Also, as Elster said, "Kids are kids. It doesn't matter where they come from. And if you can help a poor kid in here, you can help a poor kid everywhere. It doesn't matter the culture, it doesn't matter the race. I mean, it's music. Everybody love music." Music is a language that everyone understands, so it can also be a method that would work very well in guiding kids and helping them make a difference in their lives, no matter where it is. (Venezuela, Singapore, Malaysia, or any country in the world.)


-pinghao

To what extent do young people in your society take an interest in politics?

How do you think youths could participate in their country’s politics? Give at least 3 ways they could do so.

Youths are already participating in their country’s politics through the usage of cyberspace. There are some who express their opinions on political issues through blogging. The usage of the internet is a good way to get youths involve in discussion on political issues as they can express their opinions freely without fear of being pointed or singled out.

Also, the education system may affect a student participation in their country’s politics, as the heavy curricular demands alienate them from national issues. Thus, schools could cut back on their curriculum to provide rooms for students to learn more about public policies.

Lastly, the formation of youth political organisations such as Young PAP, help youths understand more about their country’s politics and get them involved in it.

Adeline (o'w'o)

Jieyao-Milestone for Singapore Schools Sports

This milestone, is the first ever Opening Ceremony of the National School Games organized by the Singapore Schools Sports Council's(SSSC). This Opening Ceremony would mark the start of the National Inter-School Championships for the 27 sports within the SSSC Sporting calender and would culminate with a Closing Ceremony.

I feel that through this initiative by the Ministry of Education, we can see that the goverment knows that nowadays, youths in Singapore do not spend much time exercising and are taking the initiative to encourage us youths to take up an interest in sports. Through this event, we can promote sports to youths in singapore and can also impart values like teamwork, respect and resilience to participants. This would benefit youths by toughening them up mentally as this generation of youths are largely unexposed to hardships due to the fact that we are living in peaceful and prosperous times,leading to us becoming less resillient and determined compared to previous generations.

Furthermore, Singaporean youths would become well-rounded people who are capable in their studies and also sports. As youths get involved in sports, they would not spend so much time on watching the tv and playing the computer, which would be detrimental to their health. Also, we get to make new friends through sports and would expand our social network and also help improve our interpersonal skills.

Byeeeeeeee

They're capitalist-minded --- and they're changing the nation forever

How are India's youths similar to or different from Singaporean youths?

In my opinion, i feel that Singaporean youths do not strive as hard as Indian youths. Currently, the primary ambition of Indian youths today is to become rich. And to achieve that goal, Indian youths have the determination to strive for their dreams of becoming rich. This trait is not as commonly seen in Singaporean youths as youths today are happy staying in their comfort zones and not being ambitious enough to strive as hard as Indian youths as most Singaporean families today are well off.

However, Indian youths are in some ways similar to Indian youths. For example, Indian youths today now want to marry for love, with their parents approval, and not continue the tradition of having arranged marriages, where parents chose their children's spouses, often without consent. This is similar to Singaporean youths as they also do not have the traition of having arranged marraiges.

Generation OMG

Despite being born in similar circumstances of economic depression, people who were born in the 1930s and the 1970s can hardly be classified in the same mold. Children born in the 1930s were raised with the belief that as long as they kept to themselves and followed the system, everything would eventually turn out fine. These would later grow up to become more reserved people who tended to stick to convectional approaches when handling a problem. Children born in the 1970s, however, were taught to be more open-minded and adventurous, and to take risks. Thr result was that these people were more ambitious and agressive than their 1930 counterparts. This proves that although living throughout an economic crisis may affect the mindsets of people, it ultimately boils down to the way they are rised.

As to how this article can be applied to the 2009 recession, I believe that it is not very accurate when used to label Singaporean youths. Being a relatively small country with an efficient government, Singapore is as not heavily affected by the recesion as other countries. Not many Singaporeans have been forced to drastically alter their lifestyles and spending habits due to the recession. I myself have never recalled ever consciously making a decision not to splurge due to the economic recession. This may also be because most Singaporeans tend to save enough money to tide through such problems. In short, we are saved by our "kiasu" auttitude. The economic crunch may or may not result in this generation being more thrifty, but the change will not be particuarly noticeable when we look back from 30 years in the future.