Problem-Solution Essay Draft 4

The advent of the Internet and social networking sites has given rise to the condensation of time and space since geographical barriers can now be overcome. However, the unprecedented ease from using the Internet has also resulted in numerous problems among youth in Singapore. One of such problems would be the difficulty to hold a real time conversation with one another because youth rely heavily on online tools for communication. In other words, social media has become youth’s dominant tool of communication.

According to Sproull and Kiesler (1985, cited in Bargh & McKenna, 2004), computed-mediated communication is an impoverished form of communication that will result in a behaviour that is more self-centered and less socially regulated. Accessibility has resulted in over reliance and this over-reliance on the Internet as a tool of communication could eventually erode one’s ability to carry out a proper face-to-face conversation. In addition, social networking sites can make it harder for youth to distinguish between the meaningful relationships they foster in the real world and the numerous casual relationships formed though social media (Jung, n.d.). As such, the imperative issue at hand would be to raise young people’s awareness about the need to form tangible interpersonal relationships though a proper real time conversation. Moreover, actions have to be taken to complement the former approach. Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE) should play an important role in propelling this two-pronged approach – the soft system approach and the hard system approach.

As mentioned above, social media and texting can damage young people’s ability to relate to each other (Titcomb, 2012). Such behaviour will also leave them ill equipped to communicate with the wider world (Barford, 2009). This is especially apparent in Singapore, where students prefer to use the online platforms to ask questions instead of physically consulting their teachers when in doubt. The lack of active participation in class has also resulted in a component for class participation where students are forced to engage in class discussions to get the grades they desire. Although the inability to voluntarily communicate on a face-to-face basis may not pose a problem to youth at that point of time, it may jeopardise their ability to integrate into a society that requires real time interaction.

It is firstly important to raise awareness about the current situation. Schools are the best place for such a purpose since students spend the bulk of their time in schools. Although schools have always been actively promoting the importance of disconnecting from the online community by organising field trips, camps and Co-curricular activities for young people to gather together and form interpersonal relations with one another, youth still failed to see the need of fostering strong and tangible friendship with their peers. They are not fundamentally aware of the detrimental effects of using social media as an alternative form of communication. It is then vital for MOE to propose the need for social media awareness lessons in schools. Workshops provide the most effective platform for information to be conveyed across to people, and schools allow such information to be brought across more efficiently to students. They help to create the awareness about the need for students to disengage from the Internet and form tangible relationships with one another. In addition, they do not only allow for knowledge improvement, but also create a space for networking, thus encouraging real time interactions. In the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG) has made it an imperative for all students to attend a module that will prepare them for their future. Many career and professional development workshops are also conducted for postgraduates to equip them with the necessary skills to get the job they want (Office of Student Affairs, n.d.). The creation of awareness about the need to disengage from the online community is the most vital solution to curb the abovementioned problem. It will set the foundation for youth to understand the reasons behind different actions and thus enable them to be receptive about the need to foster interpersonal relations. Just like the modules introduced by CFG, Singapore schools can also offer compulsory workshop sessions that will emphasise on the need for face-to-face communication. Although workshops can be time-consuming, the knowledge students can gain from such workshops will prove to be beneficial for them in the near future, and as such the advantages of workshops definitely outweigh its disadvantages.

Soft system approach must be complemented with hard system approach to encourage young people to disengage from the online community more effectively. The Internet and social networking sites have become more and more accessible as wireless Internet services are easily available on mobile phones. This can make it even harder for youth to disconnect from the online community, especially when 93% of the Singaporean teenagers own a mobile phone (Chua, 2010). As such, hard system approaches should be taken to propagate the importance of real time communication. In 2012 and 2013, a game known as the ‘Phone stack game’ became popular in many parts of the world (Tell, 2013). The game requires diners to stack their phones in the middle of the table, and whoever touches their device first will have to foot the bill (Tell, 2013). Such a practice will not only allow young social media user to momentarily disengage from the online world, but will also effectively give them the chance to conduct real time communication with their friends and forge a more substantial relationship with their peers. This is only possible after the soft system approach is being employed, as it will teach young users why it is fundamentally detrimental to use the Internet as an alternative form of communication. As young users are equipped with such knowledge, they become more receptive towards change and thus will be more willing to stay away from their phone. In addition to this, applications such as Rescue Time, Minutes Please and Facebook Limiters can serve as an intervention to limit the time spent on social networking sites (French, 2012). Youth who found it hard to disconnect can make use of these applications to set a limit for themselves. Thus, other than raising awareness about the need to conduct real time interaction, it is also important that certain actions are carried out to propel youth to appreciate the joy of talking to people on a face-to-face basis. This will not only improve the youth’s interpersonal communication skills, but will also improve their overall well-being.

As the Internet becomes more pervasive in users’ daily lives, it is important that they identify the possible advantages and disadvantages of utilising the Internet. The paradox regarding social networking sites is that users get more disconnected while being connected. Real time interactions should not be compromised by the use of social networking sites; online communication should be built upon real, physical relations. To encourage youth to disengage from the contrived online world and to form substantial relationships with one another, soft systems and hard systems approaches should be employed simultaneously to achieve the best result. Youth must not only be aware of the potential harm of not being able to communicate on a face-to-face basis; they must also be willing to change their habits readily. Singaporean youth have to start to learn how to strike a conversation with people in the physical world. This is an essential life skill that will enable them to have an edge over people from other countries.

References

Centre for Future-ready Graduates. (n.d.) NUS Office of Student Affairs. Retrieved from http://nus.edu.sg/osa/ncc/students/careerworkshop

Chua, T. (2010, August 2). Study shows young Asians inseparable from their mobiles. Singapore Business Review. Retrieved form: http://sbr.com.sg/telecom-internet/more-news/study-shows-young-asians-inseparable-their-mobiles

Barford, V. (2009, December 8). Mind your slanguage. BBC News. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8388545.stm

Bargh, J.A., McKenna, K.Y.A. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual Review of Psychology,55, 573-590.

French, A. (2012, April 3). Programs that limit your time on social media. Sheknows. Retrieved from http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/955407/programs-that-limit-your-time-on-social-media

Jung, B. (n.d.). The negative effects of social media on society and individuals. Small Business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html

Sproull, L., Kiesler, S. (1985). Reducing social context cues: electronic mail in organizational communication. Management Science, 11, 1492-1512.

Tell, C. (2013, September 20). Step away from the phone! The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/fashion/step-away-from-the-phone.html?_r=0  

Titcomb, J. (2012, May 3). Texting, tweeting and social networking are behind ‘rough behaviour’ of teens, says Pratchett. Daily Mail Online. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2138791/Texting-tweeting-social-networking-damaging-childrens-ability-communicate-says-Pratchett.html