gp@meridian / jc 1
Term 1 / 2011
Youth Culture
What’s Inside
Factsheet: Singapore Youth – Statistics in Brief 2009
1. Internet addiction: a growing worry
2. Rehab hell in China
3. More will be done to help youth at risk
4. Hey, big spenders
5. Younger Singaporeans struggling with debt
6. How millennials perceive a new generation gap
7. Record level of stress found in college freshmen
8. Inside the numbers: the frustrations of a generation
9. Egypt’s youthquake: at a nerve centre of the revolution
10. Nationalistic and chasing the ‘Chinese Dream’
11. Why they are young and passionate
12. Wanted: strong wings, deep roots
13. Young entrepreneurs singled out for good work
Past Exam Questions
Multimedia Resources
Page
2
5
5
7
7
9
9
11
12
13
15
16
19
20
21
24
1
Factsheet: Singapore Youth – Statistics in Brief 2009
2
3
Do note that these stats are for
Singaporean youth only, and that GP
usually
demands
a
global
perspective. So keep a lookout for
global youth trends (both developing
and developed countries) worldwide!
4
#1
Internet addiction: a growing worry MyPaper 13 Jul 2010
WHILE eating toast and drinking tea at the breakfast table, freelance writer Lisa Teo, 26, boots up her laptop and goes
online to check her e-mail and Facebook accounts. When she leaves her home, she takes along her Nokia mobile phone,
which she uses to surf the Internet throughout the day. But the real action happens at night, when she stays online for six
hours, from 9pm to 3am. Her parents have chided her for her almost-constant use of the Internet, but she cannot bring
herself to forgo being online. "I feel frustrated and cut off from the world when I can't go online," she said.
Doctors and counsellors who my paper spoke to said they are treating more people like Miss Teo, who display some form of
Internet addiction. An addiction is defined as a compulsion to carry on an activity despite its adverse effects on one's life,
said the doctors. Dr Munidasa Winslow, a psychiatrist at Raffles Counselling Centre, estimated a doubling in the number of
cases he has seen over the past five years. Dr Adrian Wang, a psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, said he now sees
a patient addicted to the Internet every two months, compared to none before 2004.
The number of such addicts is rising because of the increasing ease of access to Internet- enabled devices such as the
mobile phone, Dr Wang said. The Institute of Mental Health's National Addictions Management Service said most of the
Internet addicts it treated were youth. Touch Cyber Wellness & Sports, a cyber-wellness education centre for young people,
counselled an average of six cases per month in 2008, up from three in 2006.
Dr Winslow warned that Internet addiction could lead to social isolation, excessive fatigue, and disruption to real-life
relationships, work and studies. For example, manicurist Karin Yang, 21, often fought with her boyfriend because he was
glued to the Internet eight hours a day when they started dating four years ago. She lamented: "He would rush home to surf
the Internet and play games. And, on some dates, I had to hang around his home while he stayed online." Fed up with being
neglected, she forbade him from using or even thinking about the Internet during their dates. Now, he stays online till the
wee hours, until he falls asleep on the bed he placed in front of his computer.
Similarly, family members of systems engineer Steven Tan, 27, feel the Internet has isolated him from them. He rarely joins
his family for dinner at the dining table or in the living room. After work, he spends his time mostly in his room, which is
equipped with two 23-inch monitors and two computers. One of the monitors is also plugged to a TV cable, and serves as
his TV set. Sister Christie Tan, 26, said: "It's fine if he uses the computer. But he needs to spend more time socialising with
us and his friends in the real world. I think he needs help." Even though his family has advised him to seek help, Mr Tan
remains in denial and flatly refuses to do so.
Doctors and counsellors said individuals usually do not seek help for Internet addiction. The problem is usually detected
when the patient comes in for counselling for other issues like marital problems. One way for individuals to find out if they
have a problem is to take self-assessment tests on websites like NetAddiction.com, which help determine their level of
Internet dependency. "These tests may not be that accurate for making diagnoses, but are useful for screening people who
potentially have an addiction problem," said Dr Wang.
#2
Rehab hell in China The Straits Times 23 Aug 2009
Some students were hanging sheets of paper from a window that read SOS. Others used the Chinese characters for da ren
– meaning beating. It was not something anyone would expect to see at a summer camp. But it was the scene that startled
reporters from the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper when they visited an Internet rehabilitation camp in Guangzhou.
Such centres in China made international headlines earlier this month. Deng Senshan, 16, was sent to Qihang Salvation
Training Camp in Nanning city, Guangxi region, on Aug 1 – not for any crime – but simply to try and overcome his addiction
to the Internet. Instead, young Deng was beaten to death by his instructors. His body was found covered in bruises just 14
hours after his arrival. At least 13 suspects have been arrested in connection with his death.
5
"If fate had to take away my son, I would rather the cause be a car accident or
something else and not this," his father Deng Fei was quoted as telling local
media. Another teenager from Sichuan province remains hospitalised in
critical condition with broken ribs, kidney damage and internal bleeding, after
being beaten up during a military-style boot camp at another centre. He was
rescued by the police last week.
Pu Liang, 14, told his parents that he had been beaten by a counsellor and
fellow campers after he was unable to complete a regimen of push ups. The
counsellor has been detained by the police. Indeed, more than 120 people
who attended the Qihang Salvation Training Camp have returned home with
various injuries, medical examinations showed.
There are as many as 300 Internet rehab camps across China. The largely
unregulated business has boomed in line with the growing access to
cyberspace. With an estimated 10 million Internet addicts in China, more
parents are turning to such centres in hopes of weaning their children off the
Net, even though the fees such centres charge range from 5,000 to 7,000
yuan (S$1,050 to S$1,480) a month. Such operations have a profit margin of
as high as 70 per cent, according to Xinmin Evening News. The newspaper
said that the man who runs the Qihang Salvation Training Camp, Mr Wen
Weijun, could easily pocket a staggering six million yuan each summer
vacation.
Professor Tao Hongkai of Hua Zhong Normal University has particularly harsh
words for the centres, according to online reports. "These centres know nothing about curing Internet addiction," he said.
"They are merely out to earn money." To address the so-called addiction, the camps resort to hypnotism, electric shock
therapy and anti-depressants, as well as more tame alternatives such as traditional Chinese medicines.
While some camp administrators immerse their students in nature, some employ former soldiers, outfit their campers in
fatigues and subject them to regimented training. Some teenagers who have attended the military-style boot camps say that,
at times, they were made to go without food and sleep for days.
Yet experts say such extreme methods do not work. Dr Tao Ran, director of the country's first Internet addiction clinic under
Beijing's Military General Hospital, said that some 40 per cent of Net addicts have existing conditions such as attention
deficit disorder, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Research has also shown that nine in 10 teenage Net addicts come from dysfunctional families, where parent-child
communication is lacking or the parents themselves are having problems."The clinical symptoms are showing up in the
children, but the underlying causes lie with the parents," he said.
One thing experts agree on is the need for the government to regulate the Internet rehab camps, even as the debate rages
over whether Internet addiction is an illness, a psychological problem or a behavioural problem. "Internet addiction has
become the biggest youth problem in China," Dr Tao told Xinhua. "It deserves more public concern."
For Articles 1 & 2
Youth should take full blame for developing harmful addictions. Do you agree? (ACJCPE06Q1)
6
#3
More will be done to help youth at risk The Straits Times 13 Nov 2010
MORE will be done to help youth stay out of bad company and therefore out of trouble, Minister for Home Affairs K.
Shanmugam said yesterday. He told reporters that a committee had earlier this year conducted a "holistic" review and
examined what further measures can be taken to help the youth at risk. "We think some additional steps can be taken," he
said.
Mr Shanmugam declined to elaborate further on this, but said that the committee headed by Minister of State for Education
and Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli, would announce the results of this review very soon.Part of the review is expected to
deal with the issue of youth gangs. The solution to tackling troubled youth has two parts, Mr Shanmugam said. "One is the
hard action, the arrests, the detentions," he added. "But that alone is never the solution because you also need to see if you
can identify those who potentially get into trouble and help them."
Youth experts told The Straits Times that those who join youth gangs often exhibit some telltale signs such as hanging out
late, anti-social behaviour and a poor academic record. Mr Shanmugam added that whenever possible, it is necessary for
early intervention, so the boys stop associating with one another when there is potential for trouble. He said: "What we want
to do is to help the parents, the schools and the peers to identify the risk factors and problem signs early so that early
intervention can be taken to help these young people."
But for those who cannot be helped and end up committing offences, they are dealt with very severely by the law.
Prevention is, however, preferred. The police said in a statement yesterday: "Every single youth involvement in crime is still
one too many. While punitive measures such as incarceration may prevent the youth from committing more offences, the
negative effect on the youth can sometimes be irreversible."
Currently, the various government agencies have measures in place to deal with wayward youth who get involved in street
gangs. The National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation (NYGR), created in 1995 following a steady growth in
youth arrests and currently headed by Mr Masagos, is one of the main agencies tasked to handle the issue. Under the
NYGR, representatives from organisations such as the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and the
National Youth Council organised events such as prison visits to show at-risk youth how harsh life behind bars is. The
police also collaborate closely with schools to identify potentially troubled students, then deliver talks to discourage them
from joining gangs.
Preventive efforts by these agencies have yielded a slight dip in youth crime. In the first six months of this year, 203 fewer
youth were arrested compared to the same period last year. Former NYGR chairman Ho Peng Kee told The Straits Times
that family and friends are still the first step to helping a wayward teen get back on track. "People who are close to these
teens have to be able to spot the signs for those in gangs early on by their behaviour, and parents need to take the step to
seek help from the authorities."
For Article 3
Society is mostly to blame for the crimes of its youth. To what extent is this true? (MJCJC2PE07Q9)
#4
Hey, big spenders The Straits Times 2 May 2009
Ms Liu Zhimo is doing her part, however small, to help China's economy get through its worst slump in more than a decade.
The stylish real estate management professional has come up with her very own economic stimulus package: She spends
every cent and more of her 4,000 yuan (S$880) monthly salary in Beijing's shopping malls. "I don't save any money," said
Ms Liu, 28, adding that her friends share her free- spending attitude. "I prefer to spend it all on cosmetics, clothes and
dining, and I buy on credit most of the time."
7
She hardly bats a mascara-laden eyelash as she spends hundreds of yuan at a time on foreign brands such as Chanel and
Dior. But she is equally happy using both of her credit cards to buy local brands at places such as Wudaokou Shopping
Centre, which is teeming with students and young information technology professionals from the universities and tech park
nearby. Ms Liu is part of the so-called Phoenix generation, the label for more than 300 million consumers aged 16 to 30 who
wield some US$135 billion (S$202 billion) worth of spending power, according to consultancy Pearl Research. While Beijing
has urged the country's generally thrifty people to spend more on products made in China, the Phoenix group needs no
encouragement. "We believe this generation will be the core driver of consumer spending in China," said Pearl Research
managing director Allison Luong.
Members of the post-1979 generation – born after China instituted its one-child policy 30 years ago and amid booming
economic growth and an influx of foreign brands – have a savings rate close to zero. Furthermore, they do not spend just
their own pay; they have "six pockets" to dig into – a pair of parents and four grandparents, said Ms Chen Yinan. The
postgraduate student, who is in her 20s, recently wrote a paper about her peers' spending habits.
These young consumers "not only have money. They also have their own perspectives on how to spend money. This group
is dramatically different from other age groups in China in terms of habits, lifestyles and ideology", she said. Unlike the older
generation who cling to personal savings because they are haunted by memories of deprivation and a flimsy social safety
net during the Cultural Revolution, today's young Chinese have spending habits that fly in the face of traditional Chinese
values.
"The post-1979 generation has spending habits quite similar to Americans' – they are heavy users of credit cards, and they
may not be aware of the risks of overspending," said Professor Zhao Hao, a marketing expert at the Cheung Kong Graduate
School of Business. In fact, Chinese aged 18 to 24 are the most active users of credit cards, according to a Nielsen survey
of 11,500 Chinese consumers across 18 cities last year.
Foreign brands are already recognising that the Phoenix generation is their bread-and-butter in China. Lancome, the largest
luxury cosmetics brand in China, tailored its anti-ageing product line to convince young people to start caring for their skin
earlier, said the McKinsey consultancy. Gucci and Louis Vuitton have come up with 500-yuan to 1,000-yuan bags
exclusively for sale in China so that young women can afford to buy the real thing rather than settle for fakes.
Analysts reckon that rural farmers, as well as young urban Chinese, many of whom are first-time buyers of big-ticket items
such as cars and white goods, helped to drive up consumption in the first quarter. That was when the government gave
rebates on cars and electronics products to boost spending.
But while farmers have been heralded by China's media as heroes of domestic consumption, the post-1979 consumers have
received nary a mention even though they have the highest ratio of spending to income across the entire population. This
group does not contribute much to domestic consumption in the short term because of its relatively lower income, said Prof
Zhao."But when the post-1979ers reach their 40s, I expect them to contribute much more to domestic spending than the
current group of middle- to high-income earners who drive consumption," he said.
Ironically, it may be their extravagance that also makes the Phoenix generation the anti-heroes of domestic spending in
China. At a high-end Beijing shopping mall, a woman in her 20s decked out in Gucci and Prada from head to high-heeled
toe told The Straits Times she had five credit cards. "I don't need to look at price tags when I buy things as I'm spending my
uncle's and parents' money," said the woman, who gave her name as "Bebe".
By contrast, the government media has highlighted websites and blogs popular among young Chinese professionals that
extol the virtues of frugality. Beijing office worker Wang Hao, 24, is one of 55,000 participants in a "100-yuan-a-day"
spending campaign. In his blog, he said "the financial crisis has given a lesson on spending to young people in China".
Still, the day may come when the post-1979ers are recognised for both their earning and spending power. In 2020, the
annual disposable income of Chinese consumers is expected to more than quadruple from 15 billion yuan last year to 65.4
billion yuan, Euromonitor has forecast. Ms Liu looks forward to this: "I'm confident the economy will recover soon, and I'll be
earning more in future. So I can still spend more now."
8
Younger Singaporeans struggling with debt The Straits Times 21 May 2010
NEW payment data suggests that many young Singaporeans are grappling with debt issues.An analysis of credit payment
figures from financial services providers by credit and business information company DP Credit Bureau (DPCB) shows that
21-year-olds to 29-year-olds have the highest rate of default of any age group.
#5
According to DPCB, which released its findings yesterday, defaults in this age group grew from 5.07 per cent of payments
due in January last year to 7.16 per cent by December that year. And the same age group saw the steepest percentage
increase in bad debts last year to a rate 130 per cent higher than the average rate for bad debts incurred across all age
groups.
Credit card defaults were the most common type of default across all age groups. Those between 21 and 29 years of age
again led the pack, with a 7.54 per cent rate of defaults in this area. They were followed by the 30-year-olds to 39-year-olds
at 3.97 per cent. Managing director of DPCB, Ms Chen Yew Nah, said that the figures indicated younger Singaporeans
needed to make more of an effort to repay their debts on time.
Those who gained access to credit for the first time "may not be experienced at managing their debts and personal
budgets", said Ms Chen, who warned that the consequences for them would be serious "as it ends up affecting their credit
rating and their ability to access credit in the future".
The Straits Times spoke to a debt-ridden 26-year-old researcher who said that a relatively easy credit regime had allowed
her to qualify for a number of credit cards. Making only the minimum required payments increased the incentive for her to
spend, and eventually she accumulated $20,000 in debt in the space of a year. In her case, the only effective solution was
to take out a separate bank loan to settle the amount outstanding on the credit cards. This had the added benefit of reducing
her overall interest costs.
Young married couples were flagged by DPCB as being particularly prone to debt problems. The data shows that those
married in the 21-year-old to 29-year-old age group had even higher rates of default on debts than their single counterparts.
This was a feature unique to this age bracket, given that married individuals across all other age groups experienced lower
rates of default than singles of the same age.
For the younger couples, said Ms Chen, "there is always pressure to spend" and to acquire possessions "that signify they
are successful". "Unlike their older counterparts, many younger people do not have the financial strength and asset depth to
deal with changes in their circumstances," she added.
The biggest credit card spenders were those between 50 and 59 years of age, but default rates remained moderate in this
age group at 2.19 per cent, well below the 3.11 per cent average. This makes them the age group with the highest credit
prudence and management, DPCB said yesterday. They were eclipsed only by those older than 69 years, who spent the
least using credit and had the lowest rate of default
For articles 4 & 5
1. Consumerism is the new religion.” How far is this reflected in the values and behaviour of youth today? (NYJCJC2PE07Q11)
2.
#6
“The youth of today are a deprived lot.” Discuss. (SRJCJC1MYE10Q6)
How millennials perceive a new generation gap Time 11 Mar 2010
Come back with me 40 years to the rabid spring of 1970. President Nixon announced the invasion of Cambodia, and
campuses exploded. Kids who had never picked up a rock in their lives were occupying the classrooms they used to study
9
in. When National Guardsmen shot four unarmed students at Kent State, virtually the entire system of higher education
shuddered and stopped. The fabric of the country seemed to be tearing; everything about the older generation was
contaminated, corrupt. Asked in a Gallup poll if there was a generation gap, 74% of the young people of that era said yes.
And now? Today's kids aren't taking up arms against their parents; they're too busy texting them. The members of the
millennial generation, ages 18 to 29, are so close to their parents that college students typically check in about 10 times a
week, and they are all Facebook friends. Kids and parents dress alike, listen to the same music and fight less than previous
generations, and millennials assert that older people's moral values are generally superior to their own.
Yet even more young people perceive a gap. According to a recently released Pew Research Center report, 79% of
millennials say there is a major difference in the point of view of younger and older people today. Young Americans are now
more educated, more diverse, more optimistic and less likely to have a job than previous generations. But it is in their use of
technology that millennials see the greatest difference, starting perhaps with the fact that 83% of them sleep with their cell
phones. Change now comes so strong and fast that it pulls apart even those who wish to hang together--and the future
belongs to the strong of thumb.
But we miss the point, warns social historian Neil Howe, if we weigh only how technology shapes a generation and not the
other way around. The millennials were raised in a cocoon, their anxious parents afraid to let them go out in the park to play.
So should we be surprised that they learned to leverage technology to build community, tweeting and texting and friending
while their elders were still dialing long-distance? They are the most likely of any generation to think technology unites
people rather than isolates them, that it is primarily a means of connection, not competition.
That hunger for community further distinguishes them from the radical individualists of the baby-boom years. In fact, in some
respects the millennials emerge as radically conventional. Asked about their life goals, 52% say being a good parent is most
important to them, followed by having a successful marriage; 59% think that the trend of more single women having children
is bad for society. While more tolerant than older generations, they are still more likely to disapprove of than support the
trend of unmarried couples living together. While they're more politically progressive than their elders, you could argue that
their strong support for gay marriage and interracial marriage reflects their desire to extend traditional institutions as widely
as possible. If boomers were always looking to shock, millennials are eager to share.
But they are also unconventionally conventional. They are, for example, the least officially religious of any modern
generation, and fully 1 in 4 has no religious affiliation at all. On the other hand, they are just as spiritual, just as likely to
believe in miracles and hell and angels as earlier generations were. They pray about as much as their elders did when they
were young--all of which suggests that they have not lost faith in God, only in the institutions that claim to speak for him.
The greatest divide of all has to do with hope and heart. In any age, young folk tend to be more cheerful than old folk, but
the hope gap has never been greater than it is now. Despite two wars and a nasty recession that has hit young people
hardest, the Pew survey found that 41% of millennials are satisfied with how things are going, compared with 26% of older
people. Less than a third of those with jobs earn enough to lead the kind of life they want--but 88% are confident that they
will one day.
"Youth is easily deceived," Aristotle said, "because it is quick to hope." But I'd rather think that the millennials know
something we don't about the inventions that will emerge from their networked brains, the solutions that might arise from a
generation so determined to bridge gaps and work as a team. In that event, their vision would be vindicated, not only for
themselves but for those of us who will one day follow their lead.
Questions for article 6
1. The generation gap can never be bridged.” Do you agree? (SRJCJC1PE10Q4)
2. ‘They don't connect.’ Does this reflect the relationship between adults and adolescents today?
(MJCJC1MYE10Q2)
3. ‘Youth looks forward but age looks backward.’ Comment. (TJCJC2CT08Q8)
10
#7
Record level of stress found in college freshmen New York Times 27 Jan 2011
The emotional health of college freshmen — who feel buffeted by the recession and
stressed by the pressures of high school — has declined to the lowest level since an
annual survey of incoming students started collecting data 25 years ago. In the survey,
“The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2010,” involving more than 200,000
incoming full-time students at four-year colleges, the percentage of students rating
themselves as “below average” in emotional health rose. Meanwhile, the percentage of
students who said their emotional health was above average fell to 52 percent. It was 64
percent in 1985.
College freshmen's emotional health
Every year, women had a less positive view of their emotional health than men, and that
gap has widened. Campus counselors say the survey results are the latest evidence of what they see every day in their
offices — students who are depressed, under stress and using psychiatric medication, prescribed even before they came to
college. The economy has only added to the stress, not just because of financial pressures on their parents but also
because the students are worried about their own college debt and job prospects when they graduate. “This fits with what
we’re all seeing,” said Brian Van Brunt, director of counseling at Western Kentucky University and president of the American
College Counseling Association. “More students are arriving on campus with problems, needing support, and today’s
economic factors are putting a lot of extra stress on college students, as they look at their loans and wonder if there will be a
career waiting for them on the other side.”
The annual survey of freshmen is considered the most comprehensive because of its size and longevity. At the same time,
the question asking students to rate their own emotional health compared with that of others is hard to assess, since it
requires them to come up with their own definition of emotional health, and to make judgments of how they compare with
their peers. “Most people probably think emotional health means, ‘Am I happy most of the time, and do I feel good about
myself?’ so it probably correlates with mental health,” said Dr. Mark Reed, the psychiatrist who directs Dartmouth College’s
counseling office. “I don’t think students have an accurate sense of other people’s mental health,” he added. “There’s a lot of
pressure to put on a perfect face, and people often think they’re the only ones having trouble.”
To some extent, students’ decline in emotional health may result from pressures they put on themselves. While first-year
students’ assessments of their emotional health were declining, their ratings of their own drive to achieve, and academic
ability, have been going up, and reached a record high in 2010, with about three-quarters saying they were above average.
“Students know their generation is likely to be less successful than their parents’, so they feel more pressure to succeed
than in the past,” said Jason Ebbeling, director of residential education at Southern Oregon University. “These days,
students worry that even with a college degree they won’t find a job that pays more than minimum wage, so even at 15 or 16
they’re thinking they’ll need to get into an M.B.A. program or Ph.D. program.”
Other findings in the survey underscore the degree to which the economy is weighing on college students. “Paternal
unemployment is at the highest level since we started measuring,” said John Pryor, director of the Cooperative Institutional
Research Program at U.C.L.A.’s Higher Education Research Institute, which does the annual freshman survey. “More
students are taking out loans. And we’re seeing the impact of not being able to get a summer job, and the importance of
financial aid in choosing which college they’re going to attend.”
“We don’t know exactly why students’ emotional health is declining,” he said. “But it seems the economy could be a lot of it.”
For many young people, serious stress starts before college. The share of students who said on the survey that they had
been frequently overwhelmed by all they had to do during their senior year of high school rose to 29 percent from 27 percent
last year.
The gender gap on that question was even larger than on emotional health, with 18 percent of the men saying they had
been frequently overwhelmed, compared with 39 percent of the women. There is also a gender gap, studies have shown, in
the students who seek out college mental health services, with women making up 60 percent or more of the clients. “Boys
are socialized not to talk about their feelings or express stress, while girls are more likely to say they’re having a tough time,”
11
said Perry C. Francis, coordinator for counseling services at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. “Guys might go out
and do something destructive, or stupid, that might include property damage. Girls act out differently.”
Linda Sax, a professor of education at U.C.L.A. and former director of the freshman study who uses the data in research
about college gender gaps, said the gap between men and women on emotional well-being was one of the largest in the
survey. “One aspect of it is how women and men spent their leisure time,” she said. “Men tend to find more time for leisure
and activities that relieve stress, like exercise and sports, while women tend to take on more responsibilities, like volunteer
work and helping out with their family, that don’t relieve stress.”
In addition, Professor Sax has explored the role of the faculty in college students’ emotional health, and found that
interactions with faculty members were particularly salient for women. Negative interactions had a greater impact on their
mental health. “Women’s sense of emotional well-being was more closely tied to how they felt the faculty treated them,” she
said. “It wasn’t so much the level of contact as whether they felt they were being taken seriously by the professor. If not, it
was more detrimental to women than to men.” She added: “And while men who challenged their professor’s ideas in class
had a decline in stress, for women it was associated with a decline in well-being.”
For Article 7
What are the challenges facing your generation in today’s society? (YJCJC1BT07Q6)
#8
Inside the numbers: the frustrations of a generation CNN 2 Feb 2011
Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old unemployed college graduate from Tunisia, began a fruit and vegetable stand to earn a
living. But he did not have a permit. In December, the local police came after him. "The police not only confiscated his stand,
but they also beat him up," said Khadija Cherif of the Federation of Human Rights Leagues, a Paris-based group. In protest,
Bouazizi set himself on fire. He died almost three weeks later.
His death helped spark a revolution that led to the ouster of President Zine El
Abidine Ben Ali, who'd ruled Tunisia for 23 years. Since then, unrest has engulfed
North Africa and the Middle East, with protesters taking to the streets in Algeria
and Egypt, Jordan and Yemen.
From a lack of economic opportunities for vast segments of society to
governments that provide little say for citizens, there are many factors behind the Protesters filling the streets in Yemen
current demonstrations. But a significant one is the frustration of a generation of
young people in the region struggling to support themselves and their families.
The region is now home to more than 100 million young people between the ages of 15 to 29, according to "Generation in
Waiting," a book edited by Navtej Dhillon and Tarik Yousef that explores the challenges facing this age group. They are
educated. Most countries in the region have high rates of school enrollment at the primary level. And many have high
achievement at the secondary level, according to data collected and analyzed by Samantha Constant and Mary Kraetsch of
the Middle East Youth Initiative at the Brookings Institution.
But the data can be deceptive. "They're getting the schooling, but it's very poor quality schooling," said Ragui Assaad, an
expert in the politics and economics of the Middle East and North Africa at the University of Minnesota. He is also affiliated
with the Brookings Institution. "You have tremendous expansion in schooling, more than any other parts of the world in
terms of rates of growth of enrollment. But (it is) very low quality schooling that doesn't provide you with any skills that are
useful in the labor market."
12
Rany Ibrahim, 32, who left Cairo, Egypt, in 2003 to study in Canada, told CNN iReport that the public university system there
was "really bad." "I didn't feel I got the education I deserved," he said. "You get the degree, but you feel like you don't know
much." Ibrahim said the class sizes were large, and there was little personal time with professors. "The professors don't
have the power to teach freely, (and) the technology is very old," Ibrahim said. "Instead of having a few entrusted qualified
graduates, you have many, many graduates but with really poor education."
For previous generations in these countries, there were two job options after schooling: the private sector or the public
sector. However, because of the poor quality of education, it's difficult for many of this generation to get a quality job in the
private sector, Assaad said. Meanwhile, jobs in the public sector -- essentially those provided by the government -- are
shrinking as economies transition from a state-led to market-led mode of development and the number of people grows.
"Employers know a government degree is worth nothing, that they don't really learn much," said Ibrahim, the Egyptian
expatriate.
The oil-rich countries in the Gulf -- Oman or the United Arab Emirates, for example -- are an exception, Assaad said. They
can still deliver on the bargain because of oil revenue. Across the region, unemployment rates are about 11 percent,
according to "Generation in Waiting." Unemployment rates for those between the ages of 15 to 29 are much higher, ranging
from 20 to 30 percent in most countries. In Algeria, it is nearly 46 percent and about 45 percent in Iraq.
Many wait two to three years to get their first job, the book says. And there is a gender gap, with young women often having
the most difficulty finding a job. Many of the region's young people are having difficulties finding housing and are delaying
marriage because of the bleak economic prospects, the book says. "It was very hard to get a job. I got a couple of jobs, but
you have to show connections," Ibrahim said. "My family helped me get jobs, but I always had a hard time to get a job that fit
or made me feel fulfilled." He eventually won a scholarship and moved to Canada, leaving his family behind, to pursue a
graduate degree in information technology.
Imagine a generation the size of the baby boomers in the United States trying to find a job in the U.S. economy of the late
1970s or the early 1980s, and you'll have a rough equivalent of what's happening across the region, Assaad said. "There's
going to be a lost generation, in some sense," he said. It is a generation whose aspirations and expectations have been
stifled, with little outlet for their grievances and frustrations other than to take to the streets.
Questions to ponder for article 8
1. To what extent would you agree that the future holds much promise for young people? (SRJCJC1PE10Q6)
2. Does education always improve young people’s opportunities in life? (MIPU3PE09Q2)
#9
Egypt’s youthquake: at a nerve centre of the revolution Time 2 Feb 2011
On the 4th floor of an old shadowy apartment building in the heart of downtown Cairo, the tech savvy leaders of the 6th of
April Youth Movement, are busy planning the Revolution. "We're receiving calls and making calls to our members in the
street," explains Mohammed Adil, the director of the groups media office and website. "Today is the million man march so
we are calling the leaders of all of our groups. We have them everywhere — Maadi, Shubra, and Giza [large towns near
Cairo]. We call our members in the street to tell them what to do."
It's 11:30 on Tuesday morning and the dusty office space around Adil is buzzing with the idealism of two-dozen young
professionals, many of them juggling four cell phones at once. They're lawyers, accountants and web designers. They wear
jeans and flip flops, colorful headscarves, and the black and white checkered keffiyahs associated with the Palestinian
intifadeh. Today they are among the country's core activists who shoulder the responsibility for the largest Egyptian uprising
in more than 50 years
13
Welcome to the nerve center of the Arab world's latest rebels. The 6th of April is one of several youth activist groups who
have helped to bring the nearly three decade regime of President Hosni Mubarak to its knees. It was formed in the wake of a
massive labor strike on the 6th of April 2008, becoming since then the group that made Egyptians under 30 a force to be
reckoned with.
In the streets below, a mass movement against an authoritarian regime is heading into its 8th day. For the Egyptians taking
part, it had always seemd only a matter of time before Mubarak falls — and the vast majority of protesters remain
dissatisfied with the president's decision on Tuesday night not to seek re-election in September. But as they work toward his
ouster, the country has become a vast militarized zone and an estimated 300 people may have died in the past week as
protesters clashed with police on the streets of Africa's largest capital. By Tuesday morning, foreigners fleeing the country
had clogged the airport; and food and cash were quickly draining from the country's shelves and ATMs.
But for many Tuesday's March of millions signified that positive change is finally coming: that Egypt may soon see, if not the
removal of a dictator, the formation of a democracy, an achievement that will be remembered as Egypt's youth revolution.
"This is the revolution of the youth. The people of Facebook and the internet are the ones who launched it, " says
Muhammed Abdel Rahman, a 56 year -old truck driver. Had Mubarak heeded their needs, he says, this all might have been
avoided. But the youth are tired and so are the old so what's happening in Egypt was a long time coming.
Still most Egyptians like Abdel Rahman say it wasn't a single factor that pushed the Arab world's most populous country into
turmoil. For years, they say, frustrations bubbled over rising prices and unemployment; bribes and deep-rooted corruption;
and the political repression and systematic abuses laid on thick by Mubarak's state security forces. "I think it was building
up, it was an incident pulling an incident," says Marwa Nasser, a 27 year old IT recruiter and activist, "It just kept boiling and
boiling then boom."
The Egyptian opposition and many of its young activists say the infuriating results of the November parliamentary elections
may have been what finally lit the fuse. But the inspiration of the Tunisian revolution then intersected with a well-wired youth
to drive thousands into the street. "The Tunisian Revolution actually triggered the Egyptian revolution. I was following the
statuses on Facebook and I was very jealous of Tunisia" says Nasser, "I was seeing women with their babies in the
demonstrations and I thought why can't we have this here? Now we do."
Together members of 6th of April and the thousands-strong Facebook pages dedicated to Khaled Said — a young Egyptian
businessman who was beaten to death by plainclothes police last summer — invited Egyptian web users to take to the
streets on January 25, the annual police holiday. They were eventually joined by the country's opposition parties and popular
reformist Mohamed ElBaradei. The groups passed out flyers, held meetings, and put out the word through al-Jazeera and
local media. After thousands flooded Egyptian's main thoroughfares on that first day of protest, standing strong against the
regime's riot police, many more found the inspiration to join them. "When the older people saw the younger people go out in
the street they started to come out too," says Amer Ali, a lead organizer in 6th of April, "They saw the number of us and
stopped being scared."
Mid-day on Tuesday, Feb. 1, a full week after the first protest march, the sun was shining brightly and Tahrir square is
standing room only. Music was coming from a near-by speaker; parents hoisted flag carrying children on their shoulders and
protestors passed out snacks.
Already the 6th of April organizers are hearing from their leaders across the country that the numbers at today's march have
far exceeded any held last week. The movement's leader, Ahmed Maher, stands at the edge of the square surveying the
crowd. "Still more to come," he says, before darting off to greet other activists. Maher is part of a loose committee of
opposition leaders who have met several times over the past few days in anticipation of negotiating with the regime. On
Sunday, Maher said, talks were already underway between Omar Suleiman, Mubarak's newly appointed Vice President, and
the official opposition parties. But where they will go and whether the youth movements, like 6th of April will ultimately be
included is unclear.
Many of the demonstrators in Tahrir Square say they won't be satisfied until Mubarak actually steps down — lame duck
status is unacceptable. But some of the parties may be easier to appease. "Not one single minister is from the opposition,"
14
says Wahid Fawzy, the foreign minister of the opposition Wafd party, "But if [Mubarak] gets one minister in the cabinet from
each opposition party, that would be a move in the right direction."
Meanwhile, the regime's military continues to occupy the country's major roads and cities. To the demonstrators this is
largely viewed as a positive development, since the widely loathed police force withdrew most of their untis on Friday night,
opening up a security vacuum. The army is highly esteemed. "We have not seen the army take any action against the
demonstrators," says Amer Ali, "The army is sympathetic to the peaceful demonstrations."
Even so some worry that the troops could stick around forever. Some demonstrators have started chanting "Civilian not
military," in reference to the government they desire. And others fear the tank units and camouflage ranks could even be
provoked into using force against the protestors, much like the police did last week. "We're worried now that people who
belong to the Mubarak regime are going to enter the demonstrations and try to attack the military so that the military shoots
back," says Shadi Taha, a member of the opposition Tomorrow party, remembering a pro-Mubarak counter rally the night
before.
In an effort to keep things peaceful, volunteers have created road blocks on the roads leading into Tahrir, checking ID's and
padding people down as they head into the protest. "We talked to the soldiers," says 6th of April's Amer Ali, "and we asked
them: will you fire on us? They said no we don't want to destroy our country. So we also asked them: what do you think of all
this? And they said they support us but they can't participate because they have to protect the country."
For Article 9
“A young person is powerless to influence today’s world.” To what extent is this true? (SRJCJC1MYE10Q1)
#10
Nationalistic and chasing the ‘Chinese Dream’ New York Times 12 Jan 2011
No one knows exactly when China’s economy might overtake that of the United States, but no one should discount the
possibility that it might, after it sailed past Japan last year to become the world’s second-largest. So as President Hu Jintao
prepares to head to the United States next week for a state visit that many hope will improve badly strained ties, Americans
from President Barack Obama to ordinary citizens might wonder what drives Chinese people — especially those born after
1980 who will be moving into positions of influence and wealth around the time the shift may take place.
There’s still a way to go. China’s economy is roughly a third the size of the United States’ $15 trillion. But based on high
growth rates in China and low growth in the United States, The Economist magazine estimates the shift may come as early
as 2019. Goldman Sachs guesses 2027.
Ge Yang is an editor at Umiwi.com, a Beijing-based Web site for and about China’s “post-’80s” generation, those born in the
decade after China’s economic and social liberalization began. First of all, she says, the majority of post-’80s — especially
those in big cities and with decent jobs — don’t envy the United States its material wealth. “We have all the material things
here that America has, like iPhones, which are really, really loved here,” said Ms. Ge, a petite, eager-faced 26-year-old. “We
can get the best of all their goods, so that’s not an issue. “But we can’t do what they do culturally: produce things like Tom
and Jerry cartoons, ‘Transformers,’ ‘Avatar,’ ‘Inception,’ iPhones, Barbies. America has things we really, really like, on a
cultural level.”
The post-’80s are China’s first only-child generation, and they happily admit they are prone to selfishness. Yet, generally,
they are also searching their souls, conscious of their historical mission in pointing their country toward a better future and
away from the ideology-driven violence and poverty of the past.
After the tradition-smashing Communist politics of the first three decades of the People’s Republic, and three further
decades of breakneck economic growth that has destroyed some of the country’s environment and cultural heritage, China’s
15
young adults are searching for values and moral meaning, said Ms. Ge, who studied Chinese literature at Beijing Normal
University.
“We are not ideological. We are patriotic, we are nationalistic. But then, who doesn’t love their country?” she asked
rhetorically. “We’re not poor anymore, we enjoy life. We want a life with quality, with meaning, and not just a working life like
our parents had.”
Ms. Ge’s work at the Web site brings her into daily contact with a broad range of opinion among the post-’80s. She predicts
the next three decades will see people here pursuing the “Chinese Dream.” “This is a big topic here right now,” she said. “It’s
inspired by the American Dream, but different. Americans say you can build anything out of nothing. We believe that you can
love your family and your country and return to your cultural roots, such as Confucius. So much was lost in the last 60
years.” “We want to rejuvenate our values and find our soft power” as a nation, she said.
Dong Mushi, 29, is a project manager at a state-owned electricity company in Beijing. He’s never been to the United States
but says he is far more positive about it than his parents, who, he says, see things through a political prism. Typically for his
generation, his own view is shaped by quality of life issues, what he calls “true happiness.” “My parents say the U.S. is trying
to control the world with democratic ideology, but I don’t think so. I don’t like to judge any nation based only on politics. I
prefer to see people’s real feelings about living in a country,” he said in an e-mail. “To me, the U.S. is a country with the
most advanced modern culture, a generous place where everyone, no matter where you’re from, can find a comfortable life,
and I like that,” he said. “Maybe it’s because I’ve never been there, but I love it.”
Yang Li, 30, a law graduate from the southwestern city of Chongqing, left China in 2003 and now works in an administrative
job at a Swedish university. Both she and Mr. Dong believe the United States is trying to slow or even stop China’s rise — a
common belief among Chinese — but say that’s understandable. “They’re using their ideology to lead the Western world,”
Ms. Yang said in an e-mail. “That’s normal in the economy and in global politics, and China would do the same.” Said Mr.
Dong: “Any nation, if your competitor is growing so fast, of course you want to keep it down because you don’t know what it
will do to you if you let it grow. I can totally understand this and don’t think they’re doing anything wrong.”
Ms. Yang, Mr. Dong and Ms. Ge all agree that just because China may overtake the United States in gross domestic
product doesn’t mean it’ll feel like a rich place. China’s population is so big that they expect that on a per capita basis it will
remain a developing country for a very long time, though with pockets of real wealth. “Look at last year when China overtook
Japan, it didn’t make us feel we were better than Japan. Our average income is still far below theirs,” said Ms. Ge.
Yet expectations are rising along with incomes, posing a major challenge to the government, and looking ahead, the post’80s want more of a say in politics, she said. “People want more competitive politics, to know something about the people
who lead the country, to know that they are really excellent in quality like President Obama and not just bureaucrats whom
we don’t know. “Bad things happen in America too, but at least there is a system to supervise the people in power. Here,
there is no one who can do this, and if we can’t monitor what the government is doing, there are so many challenges, like
corruption, it will end badly.”
For Article 10
“Young people lead a life of apathy because they have no real sense of self.” Do you agree? (PJCJC2PE08Q12)
#11
Why they are young and passionate The Straits Times 15 Aug 2009
Our youth activists are growing in number, thanks to the plethora of opportunities available now. Their causes are equally
diverse, from green solutions to second chances for delinquents. The reasons which move them to action are varied – from
personal experiences to exposure to issues. But mentors like former Nature Society president Geh Min say many young
people still expect the Government to solve problems, when they should be the first to offer tangible solutions.
16
Conventional wisdom has young people pretty much figured out. A YouTubing flash mob of Twittering, texting, shopaholic
Facebookers; all iPod and no ideology. And when it comes to questions of politics and social concerns? Well, call them the
"Why me? Generation". Trouble is, conventional wisdom might have the big picture right (sort of) but it's missing the myriad
of smaller ones, those that show a generation of young Singaporeans becoming more involved, more confident of asserting
themselves in the community – and less inclined to expect the Government to solve every problem in society.
Picture the scene in the chambers of Old Parliament House two weeks ago when 36 young people – none older than 25 –
debated sustainable development solutions in a mock parliament. The event was organised by Mr Wilson Ang, 28, president
of the environmental social enterprise ECO Singapore, as a way to get young people thinking critically about issues and the
policies to deal with them.
Or picture the way young members of advocacy group the Association of Women for Action and Research stepped in to
update the website, mobilise volunteers and carry out other duties for the extraordinary general meeting that overturned
what many had called a leadership coup in April. Picture, too, the way more than 2,000 Republic Polytechnic students
petitioned their administration to shut down the school after a number of pupils became infected with the H1N1 virus in June.
And three 20-somethings took a stand in July, demanding that the Penal Code criminalise marital rape. They launched an
online petition called the "No To Rape" campaign, which generated widespread discussion. These are four snapshots that,
together, make a potent case for dispelling the conventional wisdom – the stereotype that today's youth are self-centred and
apathetic.
Our young citizens are starting interest groups, non-profit, business and social enterprises in support of issues to tackle
anything from alleviating poverty to giving delinquents a second chance. There are plenty of factors pushing and pulling
them into action. Some of them are galvanised by personal experiences, others because they have their eyes and ears
closer to the ground and can readily spot gaps where problems fester. And in a highly globalised world, travel and new
media have exposed young people to issues and social justice efforts abroad, prompting many to get involved. Experts also
suggest their activism may stem from the interest in volunteerism that the education system has tried to inculcate in
students.
Since 1997, the Ministry of Education has required all primary, secondary and junior college students to perform community
service as part of the Community Involvement Programme. It appears to have effected a sea change. A 1997 National Youth
Council (NYC) survey showed only 8 per cent of young Singaporeans said they wanted to "improve society and the world"
whereas a 2006 poll found that 45 per cent felt active volunteering was important. Also in 2006, Mr Jeffrey Yip, now a
research associate for the Centre for Creative Leadership in North Carolina, researched the origins of youth activism here
and found that it was partly grounded in civic participation. "Through participation, young people reflect on their position on
broader social issues and make choices on their roles in it," he says.
A Massachusetts-based Brandeis University study also found that youth who volunteer are more likely to be actively
engaged in their communities as adults. A case in point is bank officer Wong Pei Chi, who organised the No To Rape
campaign. Ms Wong, 25, says the continuous exposure to social issues through school and friends led to her to start the
petition."For a lot of us, we have this natural sense of justice, but it's only when we get older that we get the analytical skills
to actually think about issues and how we can act upon them and engage people," she says.
Similarly, it was her exposure to youth issues that moved Ms Shiao-Yin Kuik, 31, to start tutoring programme School of
Thought in 2002 to encourage social consciousness among youth. For others, it was the influence of parents and other
family members. Optometry undergraduate Jonathan Chen has been conducting free eye screenings in Singapore and
neighbouring countries since his second year as an optometry diploma student in 2002.He and 14 coursemates will be
leading a group of 13 Singapore Polytechnic optometry diploma students to Batam in October, where they will provide eye
treatment and give away used spectacles.
Mr Chen, 24, points to his mother as the source of his altruistic leanings."When someone in our church was sick, she would
prepare herbal tea and soup for them, and write cards to encourage them. I think that rubbed off on me subconsciously,"
says Mr Chen, who in previous years managed to convince five friends to join him on such trips.
17
Others get involved after a personal crisis of some form. National University of Singapore geography undergrad Heather Chi
grew passionate about food-related issues after spending a year recovering from anorexia nervosa in 2006. It took three
years of extensive treatment to restore her to good health. "I decided to help out at a local food rations programme as a
form of self-therapy to develop a different perspective on food through assisting those who were hungry out of no choice of
their own," says Ms Chi, 22. She started the group Food for All in 2007 to promote collaboration among people interested in
food issues and work on solutions to hunger. She is conducting a survey with two volunteers to find out what different
groups who distribute food to the needy, like the Lions Befrienders, are doing, and the areas in which they work. Findings
from the survey, supported by the Central Singapore Community Development Council, will enable groups to better
coordinate their efforts to feed the hungry.
Filling an obvious gap was what got others like film-maker Nicholas Chee involved in social activism. Mr Chee started the
independent cinema Sinema Old School in 2007, when there was no other platform to showcase local films. Now that his
social enterprise is on its feet, with an average of 25 screenings a month drawing around 500 patrons, he is using Sinema to
champion other causes. His latest project, Films for Change, will promote local and international non-profit groups through
film at a month-long festival starting on Sept 9.
Similarly, although Singapore Management University student Chiraag Bhadana, 24, and hedge fund analyst Vivek Jamwal,
31, found several people interested in microfinancing, there was no single organisation that served as a one-stop resource
or kept everyone in the loop. Microfinancing refers to loans and other financial services to help low-income individuals get
out of the poverty trap. The duo started the Microfinance (Singapore) Society in June. It meets monthly and wants to
become a registered entity by the end of the year. "We want to raise awareness of microfinance in Singapore, grow and
build resources for it, and support related initiatives here," says Mr Bhadana, an information systems and finance major.
These days, there are plenty of resources available. In addition to NYC's Young ChangeMakers, platforms like the CitibankYMCA Youth for Causes provide mentors and funding to young social entrepreneurs. Last year, the programme enabled
undergraduates Eunice Liu, 24, Yvonne Han, 23, Gay Ling Fang, 23, and Jeremy Peh Kim Hua, 23, to organise an art
auction and sell greeting cards for the St Andrew's Autism Centre. The group, mentored by Mr Lim Kian, 24, a former Youth
for Causes participant, used seed money of $1,600 to mobilise 160 volunteers and artists who raised more than $25,000 for
the centre.
Smaller youth-oriented groups like The Mentoring Academy and Syinc train leaders. Syinc also connects volunteers with the
right groups. People keen to get involved are not confined by Singapore's borders. Activism thrives in a globalised world, as
NUS Associate Professor Ho Kong Chong observes. "A lot more travel that young people and professionals are doing is
volunteer travel – what I call 'tourism with a cause'. I think it is then that their imagination gets fired up and they develop an
affinity with the issue," he says.
Between 2006 and 2008, a fifth of primary schools, half of all secondary schools and almost all junior colleges had
organised overseas community service trips for students. A further 17,500 young people have volunteered to help out
overseas with the Youth Expedition Project since its launch in 2000. One such project is Singapore Polytechnic's partnership
with the L V Prasad Eye Institute. It began in 2007 and each year involves 20 optometry students visiting communities in
Hyderabad, India, to conduct free eye screenings and treatment.About half have gone on to volunteer with local groups such
as the Singapore National Eye Centre and Alexandra Hospital, while others like Mr Chen have become advocates in their
own right.
And new media tools and sites like Facebook have become a key tool for mobilising and engaging the young. Mr Jared
Tham, 31, who co-founded a youth society, The Choice Initiative, in 2004, says: "Social networks have acted as an
aggregator to draw together youth who would otherwise have very eclectic interests."
With young people challenging the status quo and lobbying for change, some may wonder if their causes will cross into
politically murky waters. It was the mass activism of young people armed with mobile phones and linked up on Facebook
and Twitter that played pivotal roles in the election of US President Barack Obama and opposition politicians in Malaysia,
and in getting news of the Iran uprising to the outside world.
18
But Dr Terence Chong, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, feels what matters is not the issue in question
but the way in which it is approached. "If an anti-censorship, non-governmental organisation is happy with writing long,
pleading letters to the authorities, then it will always be politically safe," he says. "If, however, a welfare group for the elderly
parades old people in front of the Istana with banners drawing attention to their plight, it would meet with what the
Government calls a 'robust' response. "Unlike many other societies, there is little state sympathy for civil disobedience in
Singapore, regardless of the cause."
That, and the belief that the Government knows best, is perhaps why social activism here thrives among a select few.
Environmentalist Geh Min, 59, formerly a Nominated MP and Nature Society president, feels that while there is a small but
passionate minority who become activists, young people tend to rely on the Government. "They ask questions like 'Why
doesn't the Government do this and that?', but the question really should be 'What can we ourselves do?'," says Dr Geh.
"The Government is not a superhero that's going to come and save you from everything. If you can't take the initiative to find
solutions, where are our leaders going to come from?"
Mr Yip agrees: "Activism is a vision about a society created 'from below'. It is not an alternative to government, but rather,
the free space in which democratic attitudes are cultivated. "Democracy requires activism. A democratic society depends on
the informed and active involvement of all its members – and its success depends on the space provided for such a
participation."
For Article 11
1. ‘Young people nowadays have no direction in life.’ What do you think? (IJCST06Q3)
2. ‘Self-absorbed and clueless.’ Is this a fair assessment of young people in your country today? (NYJCPE06Q7)
3. ‘The young in Singapore lack social awareness.’ To what extent is this a fair comment? (NYJCJC1MYE07Q3)
#12
Wanted: strong wings, deep roots The Straits Times 26 Jun 2009
More than one in five of the top students from the 1996-1999 A level graduating cohorts are not working in Singapore today.
And of those from the same batches who went on to universities overseas without a scholarship bond, more than one in
three are today carving out careers outside the country.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong gave these statistics yesterday to illustrate the urgency of getting young Singaporeans to
sink roots here even as they become more entrepreneurial and break out into the global economy. "If more and more of our
bright students do not return, this begs the question whether our success in giving them wings to fly far and high will result in
our eventual decline as a nation, especially as we are not even reproducing ourselves."No nation will be able to sustain its
growth and prosperity without sufficient talent, much less a small country like Singapore without natural resources," said Mr
Goh.
He was speaking to more than 1,000 guests at the 70th anniversary dinner of Chung Cheng High School last night. He
urged schools to help students retain their emotional bonds to Singapore, "so that they think of Singapore as the home
which nurtured them, and want to contribute in some ways to the country of their birth".
To do this, he suggested that schools inculcate in the young certain values, such as being appreciative of those who help
them advance in life; and not taking for granted the academic, sports and arts programmes they can enjoy here and abroad,
when many children elsewhere cannot. Mr Goh hoped that the end result of such teaching would be students who have
strong links with their schools, close ties with their friends and a strong sense of responsibility to their families – even if they
choose to live, work and even settle down overseas.
Switching to Mandarin, Mr Goh said: "I hope Chung Cheng and our schools will give two lasting bequests to our children.
One is strong wings; the other, deep roots. "Like wild geese that migrate each fall, young Singaporeans should be equipped
19
with the courage, strength and adaptability to venture to distant lands in search of opportunities. But when spring returns,
they will come back, as this is their home."
Indeed, Mr Goh further argued in English, helping young Singaporeans stay rooted here was the most important challenge
facing the Education Ministry. This is because the number of young Singaporeans working overseas will grow, given that the
education system is producing more and more students equipped with the right skills to go global. He noted: "Our continued
investments in schools have produced more bright students with each passing year. In 1996, the number of local students
with at least 4As and a B3 in General Paper was 541. By 2008, this number has more than doubled to 1,263."
Even as he made it clear that he supported the push to equip the young to go global, he said: "But here we face a
conundrum. When we prepare our students to be entrepreneurial and world-ready, we are also growing wings on them." Mr
Goh's remarks are a reminder of a point brought up in April last year by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, when he also
touched on the brain drain and how it could adversely affect the country's survival. Mr Lee noted that about one in four, or
about 150 out of 600, top A-level students yearly work overseas after their studies. This trend presented a big challenge to
find successors, particularly for politics, PM Lee said then.
Speaking to The Sunday Times last night, the principal of Chung Cheng High School (Main) Mr Lo Chee Lin said that one
way the school keeps its students rooted is by emphasising the need to remember one's roots. This was a key tenet of the
school's culture, he said. It helped too that students could see the examples set by an active alumni, he added. These
include people like top banker Wee Cho Yaw and Hougang MP Low Thia Khiang, who were both present at the anniversary
celebration last night.
For Article 12
How do we keep our youth rooted to Singapore? (CJCPE06Q8)
#13
Young entrepreneurs singled out for good work The Straits Times 23 Oct 2009
IT USUALLY takes years before employees get so jaded with their job they finally take the gamble of chucking it
in to become their own boss.
Miss Elfaine Tan did that in just a few months. The go-getter was only 20 then and was still getting to know the
ropes at an engineering firm – her first job, by the way – when she decided to make the big jump in May last year.
"My parents were sceptical at the time and asked where I was going to get money if I quit my job, but I had a
dream and I wanted to make it happen," said Miss Tan, now 21. The biomedical engineering graduate from
Temasek Polytechnic founded Fr3b, a marketing firm that distributes samples from retailers to potential customers
looking to try new products.
Her grand adventure started with an online platform created on a computer in the corner of her bedroom. But the
business has fast progressed to a store at Stamford House serving more than 100 international brands as clients,
with a database of 40,000 members who get the free samples.
It is no wonder that the Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, singled out Miss Tan at
yesterday's Shell LiveWIRE Awards presentation ceremony at the ITE Dover campus. Mr Lee said he was
inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit shown by Miss Tan and the other 15 participants in the awards. "More than
half of these budding entrepreneurs started their businesses in the past 11/2 years, right in the midst of the
economic downturn," said Mr Lee, who is also the Minister-In-Charge of Entrepreneurship.
The biennial awards, jointly organised by energy giant Shell and ITE, in partnership with the ITE Alumni and
20
Singapore Press Holding's Chinese Newspapers Division, recognises entrepreneurs under 30 who have
developed creative and effective business models. Miss Tan won the most promising business concept award,
while Mr Leonard Tan, the founder of online marketing firm PurpleClick, was the overall winner.
PurpleClick has grown from a two-man show to a company employing a staff of 20 in just three years. "We
managed to break the $1 million mark within the first 12 months of our operations and achieved a compounded
annual growth rate of 57 per cent year-on-year in the last three years," said Mr Tan, 30.
PurpleClick had a turnover of about $2.6 million last year.
For Article 13
Do you agree that young people make good entrepreneurs? (MJCJC1MYE07Q6)
Mr Lee also commended Mr Richardo Chua, founder of Adrenalin Events and Education, for helping at-risk youths
by teaching them some of the skills of his business. Mr Chua, 27, received a special mention at the awards for
championing a social cause through his fledgling firm. "There are more Elfaines and Richardos among our youth
now. We want to encourage more to come forward and make a difference," said Mr Lee. "This is why Spring
Singapore has developed a suite of comprehensive programmes to support entrepreneurship at every level."
Mr Lee also noted that entrepreneurship is not limited to those under 30. In fact, many mid-career professionals,
managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) have attended Spring's entrepreneurship training programmes.
"I am pleased to learn that some 190 PMETs have already benefited from the programmes," he said, referring to
the scheme which was designed to help PMETs start their own businesses.
 Past Exam Questions - JCs
YOUTH
1.
‘A leader must primarily be attuned to the needs of the youth’. Do you agree that this is true in today’s society? (MIPE06Q9)
2.
‘If youth knew; if age could.” (Henri Estienne) Comment. (CJCMY06Q10)
3.
‘Impossible is nothing.’ Should young people live their lives according to this saying? (MJCJC1PE07Q12)
4.
‘Uninspired.’ Is this a fair assessment of youths today? (CJCJC2MYE08Q7)
5.
‘What a price we pay for experience, when we must sell our youth to buy it.’ Is this necessarily true? (IJCPE106Q5)
6.
‘Young people nowadays are gaining knowledge as fast as they are losing values.’ Comment. (IJCJC2PE108Q7)
7.
‘Young people nowadays have no direction in life.’ What do you think? (IJCST06Q3)
8.
‘Young people today are unrealistic and ungrateful.’ Comment. (TJCCT06Q1)
9.
‘Youths today are self-centred and cannot be relied upon to build the future.’ Is this a fair statement? (RJCPE06Q12)
10.
‘Youth looks forward but age looks backward.’ Comment. (TJCJC2CT08Q8)
11.
“Consumerism is the new religion.” How far is this reflected in the values and behaviour of youth today? (NYJCJC2PE07Q11)
12.
“The working mother phenomenon in modern society is the root cause of anti-social behaviour among young people.” Do you
agree? (iJCJC1ST07Q5)
13.
“Young people lead a life of apathy because they have no real sense of self.” Do you agree? (PJCJC2PE08Q12)
14.
“Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope.” (Aristotle) Do you agree? (SAJCJC2BT07Q11)
15.
Can your generation appreciate the fine arts? (CJCJC2PE09Q1)
16.
Do you agree that young people make good entrepreneurs? (MJCJC1MYE07Q6)
17.
Does education always improve young people’s opportunities in life? (MIPU3PE09Q2)
21
18.
Have schools become a dangerous place for our youth? (VJCJC1MYE07Q2)
19.
How far should the media be held responsible for the problems faced by young people today? (RJCCT06Q5)
20.
How important is it for young people to be aware of current affairs? (NJCJC1CT07Q4)
21.
Society is mostly to blame for the crimes of its youth. To what extent is this true? (MJCJC2PE07Q9)
22.
The young have nothing to gain from what they read today. What do you think? (MJCJC2PE07Q1)
23.
What are the challenges facing your generation in today’s society? (YJCJC1BT07Q6)
24.
Young people nowadays are forced to grow up too fast. Do you agree? (NJCPE06Q7)
25.
Young people today know the price of everything but the value of nothing. Discuss. (SAJCPE06Q1)
26.
Youth should take full blame for developing harmful addictions. Do you agree? (ACJCPE06Q1)
27.
“The youth of today are a deprived lot.” Discuss. (SRJCJC1MYE10Q6)
28.
‘Innocence lost.’ Is this an accurate description of today’s youth? (TJCJC1MYE10Q2)
29.
‘The cautious seldom err.’ Is this good advice to give to young people today? (DHSJC1PE10Q1)
30.
‘Young people today face problems which their parents never encountered.’ Discuss. (PJCJC1PE10Q3)
31.
“A young person is powerless to influence today’s world.” To what extent is this true? (SRJCJC1MYE10Q1)
32.
To what extent would you agree that the future holds much promise for young people? (SRJCJC1PE10Q6)
33.
‘They don't connect.’ Does this reflect the relationship between adults and adolescents today? (MJCJC1MYE10Q2)
34.
The generation gap can never be bridged.” Do you agree? (SRJCJC1PE10Q4)
35.
‘It is tough being a teenager today.’ Comment. (MJCJC1PE10Q1)
36.
‘The sky is the limit.’ Is this good advice to youth? (TJCJ2MYE10Q4)
37.
‘Young people today enjoy freedom but are unwilling to shoulder responsibilities.’ Discuss. (AJCJ2MYE10Q5)
38.
To what extent do young people’s magazines deal with things that matter? (MIPU3MYE10Q8)
39.
“Fortune favours the bold.” Is this good advice for young people today? (MJCJ2BT10Q1)
40.
‘Today’s youth are losing the ability to think.’ Discuss. (AJCPE10Q3)
41.
“Every generation of youth is characterised by the need to rebel.” How far does this statement reflect your generation? (CJCPE10Q5)
42.
In youth we learn; in age we understand. Comment. (TJCPE10Q3)
43.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” (Winston Churchill) Is this good advice for
young people today? (TJCPE10Q9)
Youth (Singapore)
44.
‘Affluence breeds political apathy.’ Is this a fair comment on Singaporean youth? (RJCJC2CT08Q9)
45.
‘Discipline is a forgotten virtue among the young in Singapore.’ Is this a fair comment? (SAJCJC2PE09Q9)
46.
‘Self before others.’ Should this be the motto of young people in your society? (IJCJC2PE09Q1)
47.
‘Self-absorbed and clueless.’ Is this a fair assessment of young people in your country today? (NYJCPE06Q7)
48.
‘The Singaporean teenager is attracted to other cultures because his nation lacks its own.’ Comment. (CJCJC1MYE8Q2)
49.
‘The Me Generation.’ How far is this true of the young in your society? (DHSJC2PE09Q5)
50.
‘The young in Singapore lack social awareness.’ To what extent is this a fair comment? (NYJCJC1MYE07Q3)
51.
‘The youth of today have no high ideals or great dreams; just selfish desires and vain ambitions.’ How far is this true of young
people in your country? (HCIJC2PE08Q6)
52.
‘The youths of today are too ready to discard their traditional culture.’ How far is this true of your society? (ACJCJC2PE07Q8)
53.
‘There is no place I would rather be’. Is this the feeling of young people in your country? (AJCJC2PE07Q7)
54.
‘Today’s youths are conditioned to be apathetic.’ How accurate is this description of your society? (CJCJC2PE07Q3)
55.
‘You [Singapore teenagers] are a generation that is especially blessed.’ (Lee Kuan Yew). How far would you agree with the
Minister Mentor’s sentiments? (HCIJC2PE07Q3)
56.
‘Young people today have never had it so good.’ Is this true of youth in your country? (TJCJC2PE08Q8)
22
57.
‘Young people today have only desires but no ideals.’ Is this true of the young people in Singapore? (YJCPE06Q2)
58.
“The new generation is fitter, but less tough.” How true is this of the young people in your society? (TPJCJC2PE09Q9)
59.
"Performing community service has no appeal for the younger generation since it has no impact on their lives." How far is this
claim valid? Discuss with reference to the youth of your country. (PJCJC1MYE07Q1)
60.
“Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” (J.F. Kennedy) Are the youths in your country
able to take up this challenge? (SAJCJC2BT07Q6)
61.
“The stumbling block for young people is their sense of hopelessness.” To what extent is this true with regard to Singaporean
youth today? (CJCJC1MYE07Q10)
62.
“Young people today are selfish and apathetic.” Is this a fair comment on young people in your country? (TJCJC1CT07Q4)
63.
Are avenues for healthy recreation for young people too limited in Singapore? (IJCPE206Q3)
64.
How do we keep our youth rooted to Singapore? (CJCPE06Q8)
65.
How do we keep our youth rooted to Singapore? (PJCJC2MYE08Q7)
66.
How far is it true that teenagers in your country are not making the best use of their time? (MJCJC2MYE07Q10)
67.
How ready are the young in your country for the real world? (SRJCJC2PE07Q10)
68.
Is the future for the youths of Singapore exciting and inspiring? (SRJCJC2PE08Q4)
69.
It is better to be young than old in your society. Discuss. (MIPU3PE09Q4)
70.
It is more important to educate the young Singaporean in science than the arts. How true is this? (NYJCJC2PE08Q5)
71.
To what extent are the values of teenagers in Singapore today shaped by the mass media? (PJCJC2MYE07Q3)
72.
To what extent do the young people in your country take an interest in the arts? (NYJCJC2MYE08Q9)
73.
To what extent do young people in your country take an interest in volunteer work? (NYJCJC2PE09Q7)
74.
What might we do in Singapore to better prepare the young for the future? (RJCCT06Q2)
75.
Young people in Singapore today lack independence. Is this a fair comment? (NJCJC2PE07Q9)
76.
Young Singaporeans are criticised for being too materialistic and self-absorbed. What do you think? (NJCJC2PE08Q12)
77.
“Singapore youth today are too practical for their own good.” Do you agree? (AJCJC1MYE10Q5)
78.
Is it possible for Singapore’s young people to truly live their dreams? (CJCJC1PE10Q11)
79.
‘The youth of today are too sheltered and unable to overcome adversity.’ Is this true of your society? (IJCJC1PE10Q6)
80.
Can we put Singapore’s future in the hands of our youth? (MJCJC1MYE10Q8)
81.
Life for youths today has never been better. To what extent does this reflect the situation in your society? (NYJCJC1MYE10Q11)
82.
‘I don’t care.’ Is this an accurate reflection of youth in your society? (PJCJC1MYE10Q1)
83.
How prepared are the young in your society for the future? (DHSJ2MYE10Q4)
84.
Is it true that the young must always learn from the old in Singapore? (MIPU3MYE10Q1)
85.
‘Far too much attention is given to young people and not enough to the elderly.’ To what extent is this statement
reflective of the situation in your society? (ACJCPE10Q3)
86.
Young people today demand their rights but do not fulfill their responsibilities. Is this true of Singapore youths? (TPJCPE10Q5)
87.
We are too pragmatic for our own good. Is this true of young people in your society? (NYJCPE10Q5)
88.
To what extent is your country an ideal place for both young and old? (VJCPE10Q2)

 Past Exam Questions – GCE A Levels
89. To what extent do young people in your society take an interest in politics? (2006 – Q8)
90. To what extent are the young in Singapore favoured at the expense of the elderly? (2004 – Q1)
91. Was life for young people in Singapore better in the past than it is today? (2003 – Q9)
23
 Multimedia Resources
Helium.com Opinion Articles
 http://www.helium.com/knowledge/25748-the-youth-of-today-a-lost-generation
Singapore 2009: Social Statistics in Brief (MCYS Factsheet)
 http://www.mcys.gov.sg/MCDSFiles/download/social%20stats%202009.pdf
The Youth of Today Movement
 http://www.theyouthoftoday.org/
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
 http://www.unicef.org/
UNICEF’s Stats on Singapore’s Youth
 http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/singapore.html
Youth and the United Nations
 http://www.un.org/youth
And a sub-page full of useful online resources!
 http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/links.htm
Youth Today – The Newspaper on Youth Work
 http://www.youthtoday.org/template/index.cfm
24