Increased violence amongst teen.
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Why the decline in teen morality
THE Straits Times reported on Sept 29: 'More teens are being caught fighting and many of the clashes are believed to be gang-related. But what worries social workers most is the changing profile of the youths who claim to be gang members. A growing number are from intact families, unlike before when most were from single-parent or dysfunctional homes.'
The Straits Times also reported on April 4 that Ms Elim Chew ached in her heart for today's teens who are faced with a world in which 'no longer are porn tapes and Playboy magazines exchanged furtively like contraband, but with a blase belligerence. Theirs is a world of muddled morality, explicit lyrics, barely-dressed pop icons - and scant supervision'.
One wonders why this is so. This issue is important for us to reflect on. The youths of today are our future. I would like to suggest some possible reasons.
Most families are now dual-income. The new women's magazine Simply Her conducted a poll which showed 85 per cent of respondents spend only two to four hours with their children each day. Sixty per cent said they wish there was a better way to balance work and family.
This means Singaporeans make babies, but we have no time to teach them because we are busy contributing to economic growth. In other words, for the sake of current prosperity, we consume time and effort resources that should be invested in the next generation of Singaporeans.
Even for mothers like me, who resign from a rewarding job to spend more time with our children, parenting is a challenge in Singapore today.
Newspapers regularly print slimming advertisements of a woman clad in only leaves and flowers strategically placed. Our family watched a children's movie on TV on Sunday at 6.30pm only to be 'treated' to advertisements of a horror movie to be aired later that evening.
Other times, these advertisements show couples kissing passionately.
At the supermarket, almost every issue of reputable women's magazines carries headlines such as 'Lazy sex maximum pleasure'.
I lived for four years in France and a year in the United States. In these countries, if I wanted to, I could easily access hardcore pornography, firearms and so on.
Ironically, however, I found it easier to monitor my children's media consumption in these countries. This is because objectionable material is not printed in one confused mass with good and proper journalism.
Soft and hard porn are easily available, but magazines and newspapers position themselves consciously in that niche, and are upfront about it. So I know what titles not to buy and leave around the house.
In Singapore, however, even daily newspapers and widely circulated women's magazines are unsafe to leave around the house.
In the US, each TV channel has a specific focus. Some have more violent content, others have none. Some are purely religious, while others party it up with Hollywood scandals. Again, I can choose and contain where I think appropriate.
I understand the Singapore market is too small to support such a degree of market fragmentation, but at the very least, one should be able to watch a children's movie on a Sunday evening without having images of a corpse bleeding at the neck foisted on our unwilling senses.
When children see photos of women in only panties in mainstream newspapers, or articles on sex in every issue of mainstream magazines, it is not surprising that 'no longer are porn tapes and Playboy magazines exchanged furtively like contraband, but with a blase belligerence'. When they see extreme violence on early evening TV, it is not surprising that more teens are caught fighting.
Also, the 'boiled frog' syndrome is at work here. Little by little, advertisements reveal more skin. Little by little, films show more violence. We become inured to increasing doses of objectionable material. By the time we realise what is happening, it is too late.
Some will say it is impossible to keep objectionable material away from children and the solution is not to censor but teach them to cope with the smut. I cannot agree more, but I also think control and dosage are necessary.
If I want to lift weights, I will not start with 50kg. I will start at 5kg and pace myself up to 50kg.
I have already taught my Primary 5 daughter about sex, and on occasion I show her photos or articles that can be deemed objectionable. However, I am careful to pace her exposure to such material and even more careful how I present the information within the context of a healthy and loving relationship. And sometimes, it is art.
It will be good if the Singapore media adopts a more responsible attitude in the type of advertisements it accepts and the time they are aired. There should be 'sterile' airtime in the early evening, free of violence and sex, especially as dual-income families do not have the luxury of time, as I have, to monitor and explain.
KAY REN TSE (MDM) -
happy nia... wreak havoc in ur home lor
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Originally posted by Quinsy:Why the decline in teen morality
THE Straits Times reported on Sept 29: 'More teens are being caught fighting and many of the clashes are believed to be gang-related. But what worries social workers most is the changing profile of the youths who claim to be gang members. A growing number are from intact families, unlike before when most were from single-parent or dysfunctional homes.'
The Straits Times also reported on April 4 that Ms Elim Chew ached in her heart for today's teens who are faced with a world in which 'no longer are porn tapes and Playboy magazines exchanged furtively like contraband, but with a blase belligerence. Theirs is a world of muddled morality, explicit lyrics, barely-dressed pop icons - and scant supervision'.
One wonders why this is so. This issue is important for us to reflect on. The youths of today are our future. I would like to suggest some possible reasons.
Most families are now dual-income. The new women's magazine Simply Her conducted a poll which showed 85 per cent of respondents spend only two to four hours with their children each day. Sixty per cent said they wish there was a better way to balance work and family.
This means Singaporeans make babies, but we have no time to teach them because we are busy contributing to economic growth. In other words, for the sake of current prosperity, we consume time and effort resources that should be invested in the next generation of Singaporeans.
Even for mothers like me, who resign from a rewarding job to spend more time with our children, parenting is a challenge in Singapore today.
Newspapers regularly print slimming advertisements of a woman clad in only leaves and flowers strategically placed. Our family watched a children's movie on TV on Sunday at 6.30pm only to be 'treated' to advertisements of a horror movie to be aired later that evening.
Other times, these advertisements show couples kissing passionately.
At the supermarket, almost every issue of reputable women's magazines carries headlines such as 'Lazy sex maximum pleasure'.
I lived for four years in France and a year in the United States. In these countries, if I wanted to, I could easily access hardcore pornography, firearms and so on.
Ironically, however, I found it easier to monitor my children's media consumption in these countries. This is because objectionable material is not printed in one confused mass with good and proper journalism.
Soft and hard porn are easily available, but magazines and newspapers position themselves consciously in that niche, and are upfront about it. So I know what titles not to buy and leave around the house.
In Singapore, however, even daily newspapers and widely circulated women's magazines are unsafe to leave around the house.
In the US, each TV channel has a specific focus. Some have more violent content, others have none. Some are purely religious, while others party it up with Hollywood scandals. Again, I can choose and contain where I think appropriate.
I understand the Singapore market is too small to support such a degree of market fragmentation, but at the very least, one should be able to watch a children's movie on a Sunday evening without having images of a corpse bleeding at the neck foisted on our unwilling senses.
When children see photos of women in only panties in mainstream newspapers, or articles on sex in every issue of mainstream magazines, it is not surprising that 'no longer are porn tapes and Playboy magazines exchanged furtively like contraband, but with a blase belligerence'. When they see extreme violence on early evening TV, it is not surprising that more teens are caught fighting.
Also, the 'boiled frog' syndrome is at work here. Little by little, advertisements reveal more skin. Little by little, films show more violence. We become inured to increasing doses of objectionable material. By the time we realise what is happening, it is too late.
Some will say it is impossible to keep objectionable material away from children and the solution is not to censor but teach them to cope with the smut. I cannot agree more, but I also think control and dosage are necessary.
If I want to lift weights, I will not start with 50kg. I will start at 5kg and pace myself up to 50kg.
I have already taught my Primary 5 daughter about sex, and on occasion I show her photos or articles that can be deemed objectionable. However, I am careful to pace her exposure to such material and even more careful how I present the information within the context of a healthy and loving relationship. And sometimes, it is art.
It will be good if the Singapore media adopts a more responsible attitude in the type of advertisements it accepts and the time they are aired. There should be 'sterile' airtime in the early evening, free of violence and sex, especially as dual-income families do not have the luxury of time, as I have, to monitor and explain.
KAY REN TSE (MDM)
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I agree with what Quinsy is saying,
But that was bound to happen.
Singapore working life is too stressed.
We're only beginning to make babies.
But we don't spend enough time with them,
to teach them the right way to grow up.
That's why i say its a messy world we're living in.. -
Thats why we need more love and peace in this world.
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care for the teens now!!!!
the care for the teens campiagn is now on!!!!
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can someone pls summarize in 10 words or less what the hell this guy said.
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(read 1st line of every paragraph... here's the rough translation )Originally posted by the.raven:can someone pls summarize in 10 words or less what the hell this guy said.
Teen violence is being attributed to :
media, parenting and other factors and we've allowed it to go on for long enough its become main stream. So it is suggesting some things... like start young and such.