Singapore's growing generation gap: Divide between young and old along social and political lines

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If you're doing the 2018 GP AQ on youth's interest in issues and causes, this article is a good read...

baby-boomer generation (born between 1944 and 1964) ....millennials (1980-1995)...Generation, or "Gen", Z (1996-2000s).

The gap on LGBTQ issues also seems to be growing....felt that gay marriage was not wrong...in 2018, the figure for the younger cohort, aged 25 to 29, had doubled to 49 per cent. But the corresponding figure for the older cohort (60 to 64 years old) only inched up three percentage points to 14.7 per cent.

physical interconnectivity, such as the availability and frequency of overseas travel, has helped expose younger generations to global ideas...Mobility and access, now at their peak, combined with much higher levels of tertiary education among millennials, could account for more liberal attitudes

young people are exposed to a wider range of ideas from more diverse sources because of social media and the Internet

the affluence and comfort that younger Singaporeans today generally enjoy may also increase their capacity to engage with "higher order" issues of social justice.

A 19-year-old may be more concerned about social justice issues, including climate change, rights and inequality.

"To strengthen this trust (between the Government and people), especially among younger Singaporeans, it is no longer enough to promise future performance based on (the Government's) past track record, but requires additionally convincing Singaporeans that their views will be heard,

wanted a more consultative over a paternalistic government. .. 77 per cent wanted alternative voices in Parliament.

The country's fourth-generation political leaders seem aware of the shift in the political landscape, with many making public speeches in the past few months that emphasise the Government's willingness to partner Singaporeans in decision-making - especially young people.

To encourage youth involvement in a more targeted manner, Mr Baey's ministry has been spearheading initiatives like the SG Youth Action Plan, which has engaged more than 40,000 young people since May last year to help articulate a vision for Singapore in 2025.

paying "lip service" will not be enough and that real platforms and opportunities for engagement and change are needed.

realistically speaking, those 30 and below will not have much sway for one simple reason: They form only a fraction of the voting bloc....But while "majority wins" may work for politics, this may not be the case for society as a whole.The rift in views about issues like same-sex marriage, for example, seems like it will only widen... the needle on such issues is moving, but slowly.

One challenge is that the use of social media by younger people can widen the gap on such issues, creating online "echo chambers"...Similarly... social media can amplify selective views and sentiments. "People can get trapped within certain ways of thinking,"...An obvious solution is to go offline and have different generations spend more time with each other in real life...