Communication

In our very first article for this column, we have decided to focus on the theme of communication. The first in the series will evaluate the utilization of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a tool of communication amongst youngsters. The next three articles will deal with communication via mobile phones, communication between parents and their teenage children and communication between teenagers and their grandparents.

The Internet as a tool for Communication

The issue: ‘Blogging' (posting of thoughts; much like writing a diary online) and chatting online are all the rage now. Youth are spending more and more time online and less and less time interacting with the rest of the world. Parents bemoan the fact that their kids are spending less time on their studies. In this article, we interview two teenagers A and F, age 18 to obtain their take on this issue.

Critical Q&A:

1. Is chatting really necessary?

A: Perhaps when you hang out with the same friends so often, it gets kind of boring after a while. The friends I am talking about refer to acquaintances and not close friends (because we don't really ever tire of close friends). In fact, Internet chat rooms offer a window of opportunity to make more acquaintances. And the concept of more rather than less seems to be an appealing one. Besides obtaining social security from having a large circle of friends, it is practical to create “guan xi” (the Chinese word for contacts) that we may find beneficial in the unforeseeable future. In fact, romanticists and idealists see the Internet as a vista to many worlds beyond their physical constraints and boundaries, much like experiencing a certain culture or interaction with its people without ever leaving your room.

F: Chatting online is not really a necessity. I know of many people who limit their chatting time to the bare minimum and utilize the messenger systems like MSN only when absolutely necessary. However, neither is chatting online a bad thing. It can be an avenue for the relief of stress that exerts a cathartic effect. In addition, it satiates the innate desire of youths to share their problems and thoughts with their peers. Finally, there is an increasingly practical function of messenger systems. The rising popularity of such systems corresponds with the emergence of project work as a fundamental facet of academia.

2. Is it safe to chat?

A: It is actually quite safe to chat as long as you know the identity of the person you are chatting to. Personally, I have heard about the horror stories of online sexual harassments and pedophiles preying on teenagers. However, I believe that in an increasingly globalized world where the rapid advancement of technology has almost erased all geographical boundaries, it is necessary, and in my opinion, beneficial to be outward-looking and to embrace the inter-connectedness of countries. Chatting per se, is safe, as long as the individual practices self-restraint. Any attempt by the government to control avenues of communication will earn them the label of an autocratic regime. In particular, Singapore , already the owner of the ignominious title of a “nanny sate”, would do well to practice censure over censor. Parents, teachers and the society as a whole should denounce online predatory behaviour and advice children and teenagers about proper usage of the Internet, but the restriction of chatting should never be an option.

F: Yes, I agree with A. Chatting online on programmes like MSN messenger, ICQ and Yahoo messenger is in fact, fairly safe, as they work on a system of adding contacts. Therefore, you usually know the person you are chatting to. Should a person obtain your contact without your knowing, you have the prerogative to reject his request to be added as a contact (a person must first be a contact on one's list to initiate conversation). Some may argue that the ease of a stranger obtaining your contact is an invitation for curious youths to interact with people they do not know, thereby removing the safety barriers that are purportedly present in such programmes. However, we must emphasize self-control here, as A mentioned earlier. With freedom, comes responsibility.

3. Why ‘blog'?

F: ‘Blogs' are usually a collection of personal musings or writings that reflect and vent out teenage angst. Many aspiring writers also use ‘blogs' as a platform to publish their pieces for public viewership and to receive constructive criticisms.

4. Is it safe to put your thoughts online where everyone can gain access to them?

A: Most youths who ‘blog' realise the fact that their ‘blogs' are publicly accessible to anyone who can obtain an Internet connection. Hence, self-censorship takes place naturally. It is logical to deduce then that whatever one puts online should be things that you are allowing friends and voyeurs with less-than-honorable intentions alike to view. It will be naïve to believe otherwise.

F: Yes, what A says is true. I own a ‘blog' myself and a feature of the ‘blog' server allows me to place my personal entries that I may allow access to only a few restricted viewers under a password-lock. Hence, there is in fact, little worry of any sort with regard to the safety of keeping a ‘blog'.

Compiled by: Sherlyn and Shermyn; Written on: 08.02.05 © Medhospital Foundation

The authors have no formal medical training and the opinions expressed here are their own. They undertake no responsibility for any harm to individual(s) caused by direct or indirect utilization of material posted here. Please see conditions for use.