One generation no 'luckier' than another, Khaw tells youths
-
SINGAPORE : While today's youth enjoy more means of communication — via email and mobile phones among others — they also feel that communication within the family and between people seems to be breaking down.
This was a common sentiment among the 740 students at the 3rd Central Singapore Mayor's Lecture Series, which was held at the Anglo Chinese School (Barker Road) yesterday.
The issue under discussion was: "Your Generation and Mine: Who is Luckier?"
"You have never experienced poverty and Third World deprivation," said Acting Minister for Health Khaw Boon Wan in his keynote address.
He revealed in the speech that his maternal grandfather had starved to death in Penang during the Japanese occupation.
"Instead, your world is one of mobile phones, digital cameras, iPod and Creative Zen Touch," he added.
Yet, one student asked during the dialogue session: "Are weaker family ties a trade-off for a better life?"
In a pre-event survey conducted across several generations of Singaporeans — from those under 12 years of age to those over 40 — most of the 187 respondents felt that family ties today were not as close as they were 35 years ago.
This sentiment contradicted the findings of a Ministry of Community Development and Sports survey that was conducted in 2001.
That poll indicated that 97 per cent of Singaporeans felt they had close-knit families with high levels of support.
According to the more recent survey conducted by the Central Singapore Community Development Council, the negative response may be due to the increasing proportion of nuclear families here over the years — from 70.8 per cent in 1968 to 82.8 per cent in 1998.
Still, Mr Khaw told the young Singaporeans to look within for the answer to this conundrum.
"It is in your hands. Do you have that social anchor? While it is natural to strive for a better future, we must not lose touch of our common roots."
"Who is luckier really depends on what you want to do with your own life," he told the students. "Much of our luck is for us to create." - TODAY -
we will be jealous of the next generation when we grow up then. wao... no heavy books... only tablet PC...
-
Well its called progress..we cant stop it...but its the moral or social decay i am worrying about...
-
no leh. if its textbooks, at least can say forget to bring, never buy, out of stock, or at least can leave in the classroom.Originally posted by Hocklez:we will be jealous of the next generation when we grow up then. wao... no heavy books... only tablet PC...
if its tablet PC, all the above reasons cannot be valid, and u can forget about leaving it in the classroom.
-
got new reason one lah....pc hang lor.. kena virus lor...Originally posted by wuming78:no leh. if its textbooks, at least can say forget to bring, never buy, out of stock, or at least can leave in the classroom.
if its tablet PC, all the above reasons cannot be valid, and u can forget about leaving it in the classroom. -
or... kana stolen by those adults... lol...Originally posted by I-like-flings(m):got new reason one lah....pc hang lor.. kena virus lor... -
si mi adult???? we take only.. we dun steal one hor...di di ar... do hw already????? clean or home already??? still here buayaing har!!!!Originally posted by Hocklez:or... kana stolen by those adults... lol...
-
Guess he is born at the wrong time. The kids nowadays definately get more material things like hp, MP3, ipod, branded sports shoes/bags/watches etc but they lack attention from working parents
-
yea? don think all those are very special to me... but i jus can't live without them unless there is a computerOriginally posted by gerrykoh:Guess he is born at the wrong time. The kids nowadays definately get more material things like hp, MP3, ipod, branded sports shoes/bags/watches etc but they lack attention from working parents -
x2Originally posted by Hocklez:yea? don think all those are very special to me... but i jus can't live without them unless there is a computer
But I aint kid. -
people already stealing schoolbags nowOriginally posted by Hocklez:or... kana stolen by those adults... lol...
-
im the oni one with tablet laptop in class no im the oni one with laptop.. they should make it mandatory so im not alone
