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Q6. Can young people truly make a difference in the world today?

Topic : young people making a difference

Issue : in today context

Contention :

-can truly make a difference

1.  due to more influential power as compared to the past

2. Youths are soft , pampered. Therefore their sheltered lifestyle has made them not want to step out of their comfort zone (Two things here: (i) Would need to provide reasons for the claim that "youths are 'soft', pampered." (ii) This focuses on the negative qualities of youth today: How does this reflect that the young can truly make a difference in the world today?)

-cannot truly make a difference :

1.  The actions does not speak to the people - e.g people only listens to the government

2. Younger generation are becoming increasingly innovative (Is there an accidental swop with the point 2 in earlier section?... This is a possible quality/trait of young people today but as mentioned again: justifications for this claim must be made + need to show that the impact/tangible outcome of this innovation that has led to young people making a true difference in the world today.)

*Do also think about what your thesis statement and essay approach/structure would be before you start writing your actual essay.

Context :
- in the world today :

Digitalised generation - easier spread of information such as campaigning online

Young people allowed to have more freedom of expression through online

Young people stepping forward

Keywords :

Truly :

1. What are the impacts of these young people on other people

2. Is there any difference between before their advocacy and after

Examples :

1. MALALA

2. Youth action challenge ( YAC) - platform for youth to stepup

3. 15–year-old Singaporean Aanya Rao is the founder of Art:Connect. Its mission is to connect youths with artistic talent to healthcare centres and senior care homes, providing a creative platform for youths to display their art in healthcare centres.

4. Two youth launched the SOAR Initiative (School of Ability and Recovery), which aims to foster mental wellness and reduce the stigma of mental illness in the community through education.

Able to voice out and advocate for issues more relevant in their society. In comparison, adults may not be aware of the severity of issues now.

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- Valid exploration of ideas.
- Do note that the questions that you pose under "Issues" are valid but these are not issues. Issues are typically the possible topics/problems for debate/discussion. They often explore certain (often contentious) concepts and themes that are relevant to the given question.
So for this question, possible issues that one can explore are:

1. Media Bias: One of the primary concerns is media bias, where media outlets may present information in a way that reflects their own ideological or political leanings. People may be more likely to believe information that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, leading to confirmation bias.

2. Misinformation and Disinformation: The media can sometimes inadvertently or intentionally disseminate false or misleading information. The issue of misinformation and disinformation is particularly pertinent in today's digital age, where fake news can spread rapidly through social media and other online platforms.

3. Selective Exposure: People tend to consume media that reinforces their existing beliefs and values, a phenomenon known as selective exposure. This can lead to individuals believing and accepting information that aligns with their worldviews while rejecting information that challenges their beliefs.

4. Trust in Media: The level of trust people have in the media is a critical factor. Trust in media organizations has eroded in some places due to perceived bias, inaccuracies, or sensationalism, which can influence whether individuals believe what they see or hear in the media.

5. Critical Thinking Skills: The ability to critically evaluate media content is essential. Some people lack the critical thinking skills needed to discern between credible and unreliable sources, making them more susceptible to believing everything presented in the media.

6. Media Literacy: Media literacy education plays a crucial role in helping individuals become discerning consumers of media. The lack of media literacy can contribute to people accepting information at face value without questioning its credibility.

7. Emotional Appeal: Media content often employs emotional appeals to capture viewers' attention and elicit strong emotional responses. When people are emotionally engaged, they may be more likely to accept information without critical analysis.

8. Information Overload: In an era of information overload, people may become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of news and content available. This can lead to cognitive shortcuts, where individuals accept information without thoroughly evaluating its reliability.

9. Echo Chambers: Online communities and social media can create echo chambers where like-minded individuals reinforce each other's beliefs. In such environments, people may be more prone to believing and sharing information that aligns with the prevailing group narrative.

10. Fact-Checking: The availability of fact-checking organizations and tools can help individuals verify the accuracy of media reports, reducing the likelihood of unquestioningly believing false information.

11. Cultural and Regional Differences: Beliefs about media credibility and the extent to which people believe media content can vary across cultures and regions, influenced by local media landscapes, political climates, and historical factors.

12. Psychological Factors: Cognitive biases, such as the availability heuristic and anchoring, can influence how people perceive and believe media information. These biases can lead individuals to accept information presented more prominently or repeatedly.

You would have noticed that some of your points do reflect some of these issues so you are on the right track as your points do generally address the given question :)

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There seems to be some relevant issues explored but the phrasing of your points do not point to an explicit answering of the given contention, for example:

CA: While the issue of freedom of speech is possibly one that you could explore, your sentence here focuses on the current context of challenges in spreading fake news. This no direct relevance to the given question. The question focuses on the people as the recipients of the media and whether they (the people) believe everything the media presents.

R: Your example does not show freedom of speech; disseminating "news" to others via whatsapp etc. is not freedom of speech, it is a lack of media literacy, a lack of fact checking and discernment.

A1: I think this point is on media literacy via education. While valid point, the example "social studies" seem slightly narrow and too specific to the SG context (?)

A2: What is the relevance between laws/regulations such as POFMA with the extent to which people believe everything that the media presents? Lack of clarity on this.

While it is possibly valid that such laws could deter people from posting online falsehoods and in so doing, protect the public against online harm by countering the proliferation of online falsehoods. This focuses on the potential offenders and what is on the Internet and not on whether people (the audience/the recipients) believe everything that the media presents.

Other comments: While valid, there seems to be a tendency to think from purely a SG perspective. This could narrow the range of your arguments and definitely, the range of your examples.

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Comments (with reference to your suggested points): 

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While it is a possible strategy to think in terms of SPECTRAL, this strategy focuses very much on exploring varied areas of domains i.e. areas of discussion for your essay.

What a student needs to be mindful of is:
- whether the points/arguments are too random.
(This seems to be the case for the environmental idea.)

- whether the points/arguments are repetitive i.e. they all point towards a similar argument/reason; just in different areas of domain.