Impact of Pop Music on Teens

Almost nine out of ten teens spend a good amount of time listening to music every day. I feel that music contains both positive and negative effects on teens and what really causes the effects is how mature the teen thinks. Let’s say he/she can just listen to a song, enjoy it and relax, forget about it when he/she have to handle something that needs more attention (e.g. School work), there will not be too much of an negative effect on him/her. However if he/she listens to a song, gets all emotional and refuse to come back to reality, delays homework just to listen to songs, he/she will thus get the negative of pop music.

The effects of pop music include the argument of study habits, introduction and development to slang, and damages eardrums. The major difference between popular music and other media lies in music’s ability to enhance or modify mood. Pop music also affects the tempers in examples such as: fast paced techno exciting the actions of teens in parties or slowed down rock mellowing out its listeners. Common slang, when used in popular songs, slip into the vocabulary of teenagers. Popular phrases such as "Yay-yeah" and "Crank" are now used by teenagers in everyday conversations.

I believe that with enough discipline and self-control, impact of pop music on teens will mostly be helping teens to relax during the periods they are stress.

Changing face of Singapore's society

My view :

Because I have been living on this land for all my life, I love and cherish Singapore. When it comes to the topic on changing faces of Singapore, things that came running into my mind is how my grandma used to tell me about Singapore filled with kampongs and what I see now is everything being so urbanised and occupied with machineries. Yes, Singapore is indeed a well-developed country now with constant advancement and creative technologies. I can remember how happy my grandma was when she told me about her kampong carefree life; however, if now I am to ask a stranger how is his life, I can just sum whatever he said to one word, ‘busy’ – always anxious about our economic prospects. People nowadays work so hard to help improve Singapore’s economy that they skipped their time to relax and enjoy; there is always a lost to a gain.

However as Singapore advances, technology gives us an opportunity to interact, learn and live with other citizens on the other side of the world. My grandma use to write letters and now all we need to do is email. My grandma use to walk to find her friends and now all we need is a MRT to take us where we want to go.

Not only there is a major improvement in technology for Singapore, there is also a major increase of people in Singapore. The government may feel that there is necessary to integrate new immigrants but I believe that it is heart landers, the everyday Singaporeans who will play the biggest role in changing Singapore’s society and economy to aid Singapore’s growth.

Education system in Singapore

“The Ministry of Education aims to help our students to discover their own talents, to make the best of these talents and realise their full potential, and to develop a passion for learning that lasts through life.” From http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/

My views :

This is our notion. The Singapore education system definitely did its part by trying to cultivate every child. However is everything too systematic? Will the children really learn what is needed for them to survive in the outside world? Are we feeding them knowledge or rules? Do they know what is happening around them? Are we spoon-feeding them too much?.
Let me begin from the everyday classrooms. This is what usually happens in school when a teacher asked a question. Nobody answers, nobody speaks up, after waiting for a while, the teacher goes on saying, ‘alright, never mind, this is the correct answer …..’ . When I went to Beijing for exchange programs, the students there impressed me, they did not even wait for the teacher to question, they throw questions at the teacher. Look, the only reason behind this difference is the urge to learn. Singapore children rarely lack anything while children in China may be fighting for food. Singapore children may be served by maids while China children have to work as maids. We, tend to take things for granted, even learning. That’s why the urge to want to learn is small.
Everyone is studying the same subjects, at the same pace, in the same method as the rest of their age group in the same stream. Singapore children have to know that they have little choices, and only if they dare to speak up in school, they can get to learn more as an individual.
The system asked for students to keep fit, do at least 6 hours of community work, have national education, have a lesson in creativity and entrepreneurship, learn this, and know that. All these things are stress put upon a child since 6 years of age. Should we not think of reducing the ‘must-do’ items to relief their pressure?
However all in all I have to say we have a strong education system. We have good schools, with good teachers and good facilities and if the students make use of it well, we will have the smartest brains in the world.

Recent Natural Disasters

Deadly tornado and storms hit south-western China

News:
Heavy storms and a tornado have took away lives of more than 39 people near the city of Chongqing in south-western China.

It was reported that a minimum of 150 others were seriously hurt after the heavy rain, a hail storm, gales and a tornado struck two rural areas. Currently rescue work was ongoing in Liangping and Dianjiang, news reports some 70,000 people were temporarily evacuated from areas near Chongqing. The storms ruined more than 1,000 homes, damaged many crops, and caused power cuts. Local reports said almost 1,000 homes in Chongqing had partially collapsed and thousands more were damaged. The hospital there said that many equipments was damaged when power was lost. Local government has announced that it will take about two days to restore power.
The storms were known to be caused by a heatwave from the south colliding with a northern cold front.The worst affected area reported winds of more than 100km/h (62mph).

My personal view:

In a big country like China, there will be definitely some district areas which will be affect by natural disaster -like tornado and storms. Many of these severe incidents caused lost of lives and uncountable injuries. The after effects of all these will be the rebuilding of everything -buildings and house, and also the mental reconstruction of many who lost their love ones. And not all of these are recoverable.
Thus i would like to take this chance to let Singaporeans know how lucky they are to be able to live in such a good location whereby the worst things that could ever happen is just a monsoon season. The value of life should be deeply inserted into every Singaporeans mind, they ought to know that even though they don't lose their lives to natural disasters like how other people in other country does, the ability to value themselves and their love ones must stand strong.

Bullies in school

Bullying in schools

In the past, whenever I see someone getting bullied or teased at, the first thing that hits me is that he or she might have done something wrong. Because I never had problems like that in my primary/secondary school days and I studied at one of the top worst secondary schools. I might not have been one of the good girls in school with straight As but neither am I a hooligan.  However I get my way through school days effortlessly, reasons? First, I avoid. Second, I know how to apologise. Third I never let myself cross their paths.

Now linking the situation back to the topic, I am thinking since we cannot stop bullying, why not preventing it from happening? Yes, of course there might still be some immature kids in school that will bully you no matter how hard you try to hide, but how about learning first, how to avoid those who won’t bully when you don’t annoy them? First, know what kind of bully you are dealing with; bullies that taunt are easier to deal with than bullies who abuse physically and without hesitation. Next, try to avoid them in school. Don't go anywhere near them, but don't show that you are dodging them. They will usually read hiding away as fear, and they will bully you more as a result. Last point to note, you cannot talk sense to an irrational person, just walk away.

Now, youngsters tease for a number of different reasons. It may be to get attention, bullying is a good way of getting negative attention, and, unluckily, for many bullies, negative attention is better than no attention. It could also be peer recognition, for cases like this the need to feel that they belong is strong, it is not unusual to see teenager teasing just because they see it as being a "cool" thing to do and it may help them feel part of a group. Lastly, it may also be the influence of media, youngster are commonly exposed to put-downs, mockery, and a lack of respect in many of the television programs and therefore their actions.

Many may not know what bullying and cause, be it long term or short term. The experience of being bullied can end up causing permanent destruction to victims. It is not necessary to be physically harmed in order to suffer lasting harm. Words and gestures are quite enough. The main wound that bullying victims suffer is damage to their self-concepts; to their personalities. Bullying is an attempt to instil fear and self-loathing. Being the repetitive target of bullying damages the ability to view oneself as a necessary, capable and effective individual. More likely that one will become increasingly vulnerable and depressed or angry or bitter. In short term one may have dangerous suicidal thoughts and feelings or depression.

Youngsters need to learn about the danger and outcomes of bullying. Parents also need to help their children deal with the rebellious state in their life. With all the love and help from their family or any one close, I believe bullying will stop someday.

Animal Abuse

Article: Cruel youngster abuse dog, killed it and post on Facebook.

This animal cruelty case tells about how a young Chinese guy used a plastic bottle to suffocate the poor dog and post the whole process through video on Facebook. Throughout the entire ordeal, the dog was restrained to a pole by its feet.

After reading this articles and other animal abuse cases I wonder, why is there such an increase of animal cruelty cases? Are human beings losing their mortality and compassion for the weaker and more vulnerable living things that are sharing this world? The youth in the video appeared to be thoroughly enjoying what he was doing, showing his grinning face intermittently in the film. It turns my heart cold to read something like this. Basically because it is proof that there are people who can treat a life, even if it is simply a dog's, so casually. Animal violence indicates a deep character flaw in the culprit and ought to be taken very seriously because studies show that such indifference for life will definitely cost the culprit much more in life.

However, from what I read of the animal abuse cases in Singapore, the most we did is to fine the offenders and give them a mere 2 weeks Jail sentence. Don’t society realise punishment of forking out money and spending 2 weeks in jail is not effective and will never be? Just look at the standard answers AVA gives; do they ever pause to think that the effort put in to stopping animal abuse is not sufficient? I think it is completely inadequate and only goes to show how lightly animal abusers escape from their crimes. Besides stricter sentences, animal abusers should go through counselling and empathy training and maybe even do communal service with the SPCA.

From what I see, We Singapore doesn't take adequate caution to animals or animal rights, just because it's not of economic worth. I would really appreciate it if they could amend that carelessness towards animals abuse cases.