Firstly, the oldest make the best teachers. Truly, being around for the longest time, the older generation has definitely amassed experience and knowledge in their own pursuits, more so than middle-aged people or youngsters, whom may be equally driven but have not spent as much time in their pursuits. What better example than an educator himself? New, young teachers may be bursting with ideas and passion to educate our leaders of tomorrow but they themselves may not have experienced enough to be able to share foresight on what our younger generations can expect out in the world. In contrast, older teachers will have amassed a bank of knowledge and experience in their field of study, having spent years teaching students and learning from them. The ball lies in the court of the older teachers, as knowledge can be imparted but only taught when the teacher has experienced it himself. Thus, due to their experience with age, the older generation is a treasure in being the best educators for our young.

Next, in the field of the workforce and economic progress, the older generation undoubtedly gives you more bang for your buck. Research has indicated that older workers are more loyal, and less turnover means less cost. For most older workers, having had the drive to pursue their chosen field of work for several years at a time indicates that the job holds a sense of purpose and meaning for them, extended far beyond the receiving of a paycheck. That sense of purpose, combined with the satisfaction and readiness to settle down that most older workers would have experienced after several years spent in a particular field of work generally renders them acceptable to varying salaries with the economy, whilst youngsters and middle-aged workers have a higher chance of “abandoning ship” when the economy looks dismal and their salaries are bearing the brunt of the damage. Trainers of relevant work skills are an example; while the number of companies applying for skills training may dwindle with a weak economy, older trainers tend to stick with their trade and do not abandon it for other pursuits, keeping that field of work going. Thus, with stronger loyalties and purpose found in pursuit of a field of work, the older generation is definitely a treasure in being more consistent, lower-cost workers.

While I undoubtedly view Singapore’s older generation a treasure, I can empathise with the naysayers at the other end of the spectrum who view the seniors a bother. One obvious reason is that some older Singaporeans remain obdurate towards the global age of technology. My grandfather, despite all his contributions to society and years given to the country, has always frowned upon the rise of technology. He holds on stubbornly to traditional ways of doing things, and has an evident penchant for “the old days”, as he calls them, when technology was basically primordial and people spent much more time having face-to-face interactions with one another instead of texting away or sharing with the cyber world on social media. I can imagine how he felt, having heard countless stories about his life in the old days, but I must agree with the naysayers that people like my grandfather are hindering Singapore from developing further into a Smart Nation; one of the biggest factors preventing the government from further implementing technology into public facilities and transport is the resistance of the senior generation to the fancy new technology, choosing to hold on to older and more reliable ways of life. Additionally, the resistance towards technology may prove to be a handicap for many older workers, preventing Singapore’s workforce and economy from keeping up with other countries that have much more advanced technological approaches, such as Japan. Thus, I too agree that the resistance of the older generation towards the rise of technology makes them rather bothersome in light of national progress.

Another reason why naysayers may call Singapore’s aged generation a bother is because they may slow down the nation’s economic progress with increasing demand for healthcare and social services. Inexorably, many of our senior generation, against their will, will develop weaknesses both physically and psychologically. This leads to an increased demand for healthcare, as age often engenders illnesses and common disorders such as amnesia and osteoporosis- and with the increased demand for healthcare and social care, the government is forced to prioritise efforts towards caring for the older generation, devoting more funds and resources towards ensuring they receive enjoyable retirement coverage and the like. Resources that could have been devoted towards pushing the country to progress even further. Recently, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced that Singapore’s aging population has become a worry, and it has evidently become a primary concern. Thus, I can imagine why naysayers may call Singapore’s older generation a bother- when they age beyond being able to participate and contribute in Singapore’s workforce, they may hinder Singapore’s progress with their necessities.

After juxtaposing the views from both ends of the spectrum, I still stand strong with my view that Singapore’s older generation is a treasure. The majority of those who can work are loyal, devoted workers without extravagant demands for rewards. Those who cannot have the ability to impart knowledge and experiences onto several generations after them, improving the skills and relevant knowledge of Singapore’s up-and-coming workforce. While their needs that come with age and their preference of older ways of doing things may slow down our nation’s progress a little, the contributions they can give and the rewards they can bring are so much more; that they easily overshadow the setbacks they may cause. Nothing is perfect- just as every little thing has its own imperfection, our older generation has theirs- but more than that, I believe they truly are a treasure to us, and perhaps we should all treasure them more before it’s too late.

I agree that the media- social media, in particular- has negatively influenced teenagers’ idea of external beauty at some time in their lives. An anonymous poll executed by Cambridge University late 2016 showed that many youngsters- a whopping 86%, in fact, derived their idea of beauty from social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, where popular pages would spread misconceptions of beauty in the form of attention-gathering posts. An example of this would be a shot of a supermodel, captioned “I wish I were as beautiful her- ‘like’ if you agree” or something to that effect. By parading that impossible standard of beauty, layered with digital editing and heavy makeup on teenage girls, they naturally develop and impose unrealistic beauty standards on themselves, leading them to starve or force-feed themselves to meet that “ideal body size”, often harming their health in the process. Just as well for teenage boys, male models bring the bar of “beauty standards” to an all new high, leading many to overwork their bodies day by day to try and reach that standard. Social media has definitely negatively influenced teenagers’ idea of beauty today.

Print media has its very own influential sphere of negativity and is not to be ignored; yes, I do agree that print media has negatively influenced teenagers’ idea of external beauty. My very own sister takes the spotlight in this concern; being someone that has always valued the worlds of literature more than society’s writings on the wall, she prefers to source through magazines and newspaper in search information to prowling social media like most teenagers. In one of her favourite magazines, 8 days, the editors feature interviews and photoshoots of popular local stars on a weekly basis, peppering them with compliments about their looks and success. Nobody in the family noticed her obsession with the glossy looks of superstardom until she began completely changing her own individual style to fit that of Michelle Chong, Mediacorp actress. My parents stepped in shortly after and put a stop to the negative influences of the magazine on her. As aforementioned, print media negatively influences teenagers’ ideas of beauty in its own way, demanding unrealistic physical appearances at an age where the audience often lacks the maturity to judge and understand that they are often inappropriate and unnatural for them to pursue. 

Behind the face of every penny, dime or cent is a flip side which we will now explore. I disagree to an extent that the media has negatively influenced teenagers’ idea of beauty today; the media, on several occasions, has also impacted the lives of teenagers in a positive light. Some social media content can positively influence teenagers’ ideas of beauty with the message that everybody is beautiful, regardless of race, ethnicity or appearance. As a growing teenager myself, I have experienced my own fill of insecurities and self-doubt shrouding my appearance. In spite of my parents’ consistent insistence that I looked fine the way I was, pubertal outbreaks and sleep deprivation made me look like a cross between a panda and a bed of goosebumps in my eyes- unrealistic beauty standards blasted all over social media did not help either. Under the guidance of my older brother, fortunately, I began following social media sites with much more optimistic outlooks on life and people. Daily quotes of colloquial philosophy and positive vibes greeted my eyes day and night and gradually, I regained my self-confidence and self-esteem regarding the boy in the mirror, knowing that I looked fine in my own unique way. Having experienced the magic of positive media influence myself, I can safely say that the media has positively influenced teenagers’ idea of beauty too. 

I also disagree to an extent that the media has negatively influenced teenagers’ idea of beauty today as I believe social media sites that spread positive content can positively influence teenagers’ idea of beauty today- that beauty is not skin deep, but deep into the core. That within every teenager is an amazing core of inner beauty that can shine through when awoken. Many successful people in today’s world, from big-shot blockbuster stars such as Ryan Reynolds to powerful leaders such as former American president Baraack Obama have shared about difficult teenage years, where spirit and optimism were all that kept them going. Positive social media pages can do just that for teenagers today- by reminding them that beauty is more than what people see, but what you are; honest, humble, compassionate, courageous, the list goes on- teenagers will be more aware of their idiosyncratic personalities and values and many lives can be brightened or saved. Hence, I believe social media can positively influence teenagers’ idea, or even understanding of beauty as a whole- not what the world sees, but what they are. 

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder; individualistic and unique- yet it is also fleeting and temporary, crumbling into dust in the wind when a life is lost. If every teenager is able to accept their own flaws, regardless intrinsic or extrinsic, knowing that it makes them special, makes them beautiful- I believe our world would be a much happier place. As aforementioned, social media is a powerful thing- when received and understood properly, it can be a major tool for change for the better. The answer as to how social media influences teenagers’ idea of beauty lies in the hands of the user.