French families sue TikTok over alleged failure to remove harmful content

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Seven French families have filed a lawsuit against social media giant TikTok, accusing the platform of exposing their adolescent children to harmful content that led to two of them taking their own lives at the age of 15

TikTok’s algorithm exposed the seven teenagers to videos promoting suicide, self-harm and eating disorders

Qn: Consider the view that profitability should be the highest priority of a business. (Cam. 2024)

Will South Korea go back to banning phones in classrooms?

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those who use smartphones for more than four hours a day are more likely to develop mental health problems. Prolonged smartphone use was linked to a range of mental and physical issues, including neuropsychiatric disorders, insomnia, blurred vision and musculoskeletal disorders....were found to have higher levels of stress as well as higher rates of drug use, and were more likely to suffer from suicidal impulses

Qn: Do electronic devices, such as tablets or smart phones, help or hinder students in their studies? (Cam. 'O' lvl 2015)

Why the underconsumption trend won’t have much shelf life in Singapore

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including the plushies in the recent “Labubu” craze made popular by K-pop girl group Blackpink’s Lisa?

contributor to Singapore’s particular consumer mania is the never-ending calendar of sales from major corporations and brands.

Many local businesses offer express delivery, which is typically two to three business days, or better yet, same-day delivery on purchases. With the constant influx of push notifications, it may prompt consumers to shop more often because the gratification received is gone as fast as it has come.

Part of the reason for increased spending is the impact of shifting trends. Youth culture is heavily influenced by rapidly shifting aesthetics driven by social media.

Many such brands heavily rely on influencers – or “key opinion leaders”, as some are termed – to flaunt their products and create an inflated sense of living and status. In a 2023 Rakuten Insight survey on social media influencers, nearly 50 per cent of Singaporean respondents stated that they “purchased an item or product because it had been endorsed by an influencer”.

Qn: ‘Online advertisements use increasingly sophisticated methods to target consumers.’ To what extent does this bring more harm than good? (Cam. 2024)

Are bioplastics really the wonder alternative to petroplastics?

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Qns: 

1. ‘It is unrealistic for countries to completely ban the use of plastics.’ Discuss. (SAJC Prelim 2024)

 2. ‘Fossil fuels should no longer have a part in the production of energy.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

How Seunghan’s exit from boy band Riize highlights the peril of K-pop’s global appeal

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Many were in disbelief at how Seunghan was publicly bullied out of Riize for doing what many young people do – date, smoke, live a life. 

idols in East Asia, especially the young ones, have historically been marketed as romantic fantasies for fans. Fans in these markets have come to expect their idols to maintain the image of themselves as single and available in exchange for their loyalty and support.

Qn: Nowadays, we care too much about what people think. Discuss. (ASRJC Prelim 2024)

Moving away from fossil fuels will be costly; but that goes for climate inaction too

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Singapore announced during the event that it had given conditional approval for a company here to start importing solar energy from Australia via more than 4,000km of cables, in a mega project expected to cost US$24 billion (S$31.6 billion).

If Singapore is unable to decarbonise its power sector, the country will risk losing companies that are committed to reducing their emissions related to energy use...This means companies that pledged to switch fully to renewable energy under the global RE100 initiative, from Apple to Google, would likely reconsider Singapore as a base of operations

The cost of action may seem uncomfortable in the near term, but the cost of inaction is untenable in the long term.

Qn: ‘Fossil fuels should no longer have a part in the production of energy.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

China maintains it’s a developing country amid calls to contribute to UN climate fund

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Chinese government officials reiterated at a media briefing on Nov 1 that the world’s biggest emitter of planet-warming carbon dioxide is a developing country, citing that in 2023, 477 million, or one-third of its population of 1.4 billion, were rural.

China is expected to come under fire at the event in Baku, Azerbaijan, for asserting its status as a developing country, which exempts it from contributing to the UN’s pot to help poorer nations curb gas emissions and deal with the worsening extreme weather....

if China could go to the moon, it should be able to pay more for climate action.

In 2009, developed countries agreed that from 2020 to 2025, they would contribute a total of US$100 billion (S$132.5 billion) each year in such funds.

Qn: Consider the view that all countries have an equal responsibility to tackle climate change. (DHS Prelim 2024)

Shine Muscat grapes in Singapore tested and found safe: SFA

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Qns:

1. ‘Eating has never been more dangerous.’ Do you agree? (NYJC Prelim 2024)

2. Discuss the view that eating has never been riskier in today’s world. (SAJC Prelim 2024)

Seniors with swallowing difficulties try special dim sum in pilot project in Singapore

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Consider the impact of sci-tech here on the quality of life for the elderly.....

DPM Heng warns public about fake Facebook profiles impersonating him

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Qn: Education, not censorship, is the solution to misinformation. To what extent do you agree? (ASRJC Prelim 2024)

McDonald’s E. coli crisis reveals why vegetable contamination is harder problem than tainted beef

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the biggest difference is that beef is cooked, while fresh produce, by definition, is not cooked

Large-scale industrial produce is washed, sanitised and tested to a similar degree that beef is, but tests cannot catch sufficiently low levels of contamination, experts say.

Similar rigorous testing is applied to produce, and fast-food chains and other buyers often require it. But tests do not detect everything. The cleaner the product, the harder it is to detect

Qns:

1. ‘Eating has never been more dangerous.’ Do you agree? (NYJC Prelim 2024)

2. Discuss the view that eating has never been riskier in today’s world. (SAJC Prelim 2024)

Move by California governor to block AI safety laws could affect the world

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Can innovation and safety truly coexist, or do we have to sacrifice one to advance the other?

The notion that regulation automatically stifles innovation is misleading. Effective laws can create a framework that not only protects people, but also allows AI to grow sustainably. For example, regulations can help ensure that AI systems are developed responsibly, with considerations for privacy, fairness and transparency. This can build public trust, which is essential for the widespread adoption of AI technologies.

But California’s killing of the AI Bill also raises a wider question on the increasing power and influence of tech companies, given they raised objections that subsequently led to its veto.

Qn: ‘The public interest should be prioritised in scientific research.’ Discuss. (DHS Prelim 2024)

Robots that paint and plaster walls to be rolled out at half of BTO construction sites from 2025

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improve productivity and safety at construction sites

they cost $120,000 each

even as firms transform the way they design and build through robotics and automation, technology cannot replace the human touch that goes into planning, designing and constructing homes.

Qn: To what extent is artificial intelligence replacing the role of humans? (Cam. 2019)

Asean power grid could create new jobs, bring investments to energy sector: Study

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Having countries trade electricity freely through a regional grid would allow them to meet rising electricity demand while being assured of energy security. Such a grid would hedge against the intermittencies of renewables, by distributing energy more efficiently.

Around 99 per cent of the region’s population would benefit from air pollution being reduced by around half, leading to 15,000 fewer pollution-induced deaths annually,

Having greater regional interconnectivity can also create a significant number of jobs – from at least 2,000 to 9,000 jobs annually for the region, ... in the renewables manufacturing sector, which includes cables and other related equipment.

Qns: 

1. To what extent is international cooperation effective in addressing global concerns? (SAJC Prelim 2024)

2. How far does a country's geographical location influence its success in the modern world? (TMJC Prelim 2024)

India introduces new guidelines to curb greenwashing

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“Greenwashing” refers to tactics companies use to make false eco-friendly claims or exaggerate the environmental benefits of their products and services to increase sales while downplaying or concealing their harmful attributes.

consumers’ understanding of what qualifies as “green” or “eco-friendly” can differ from that of manufacturers, creating a gap where vague claims by advertisers can exaggerate the environmental benefits of a product or service. 

retail chains Kohl’s and Walmart for marketing rayon fabric as bamboo

uncovered 20,000 tonnes of “fake organic cotton” in India, with substantial evidence of “systematic fraud and abuse” of the government’s certification system for organic cotton.

Qn: 'Technology has given us a false sense of hope in solving problems. To what extent is this true? (RI Prelim 2024)

Singapore gives conditional nod to import solar power from Australia via 4,300km of subsea cables

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Qns: 

1. To what extent is international cooperation effective in addressing global concerns? (SAJC Prelim 2024)

2. How far does a country's geographical location influence its success in the modern world? (TMJC Prelim 2024)

Bad news: We lost control of our social media feeds. Good news: Courts are noticing

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the platforms’ algorithms prioritised outrageous, provocative content from anyone with internet access over more neutral, fact-based reporting. 

the wild popularity of TikTok’s “For You” algorithm, which selects bite-size videos to be fed to the passive viewer, social networks are increasingly having us watch whatever content their algorithms have chosen, often pushing to the sidelines the posts of accounts we had actually chosen to follow.

TikTok ...its algorithm, which disseminated dangerous videos promoting a “blackout challenge” showing people trying to strangle themselves until they passed out. TikTok delivered a video of the challenge to a 10-year-old girl named Nylah Anderson, who tried to emulate it and killed herself.

the company’s “personalisation algorithms” were designed to be addictive for children, as are other harmful features such as infinite scroll and frequent alerts.

the tech companies’ longstanding argument that the problem with social media is what we are doing to ourselves – not what they are doing to us.

Qn: Should the state bear the greatest responsibility for the ethical development of technology? (JPJC Prelim 2024)

TikTok is changing how Gen Z speaks

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TikTok is changing how young people talk....Members of Gen Z say “yapping” instead of “talking” and trim “delusional” to “delulu”. New words have also become popular. Take “skibidi”, a term popularised by a meme of an animated head singing in a toilet; it means “cool”, “bad” or “very”, depending on the context.

the platform is changing not just what youngsters are saying, but how they are saying it. A “TikTok accent”, which includes “uptalk”, an intonation that rises at the end of sentences, may be spreading.

Linguistic code has emerged, dubbed “algospeak”, to dodge content-moderation algorithms. It includes euphemisms (sex workers are called “accountants”), and misspellings (“seggs” instead of sex).

Qns: 

1. ‘The quality of written language is being destroyed by social media.’ What is your view? (Cam. 2017)

2. 'Social media plays a great role in shaping youth culture.' What are your views? (Broadrick Sec Prelim 2024)

Existential alarm: New government report outlines challenges faced by Japan bookshops

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Qns: 

1. Does the book still have a future? (Cam. 2003)

2. The book has no place in modern society. Discuss. (Cam. 2010)

Chinese tourists take the road less travelled in S’pore, thanks to Little Red Book

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About 60 per cent of customers of newcomer Yu Cookies, which opened its pop-up store at Jewel in June 2024, learnt about the local brand through Xiaohongshu.

Qn: To what extent has social media influenced financial decisions among people today? (RI Prelim 2024)

Are school-issued iPads and Chromebooks becoming a distraction in S’pore classrooms?

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Qn: Do electronic devices, such as tablets or smart phones, help or hinder students in their studies? (Cam. 'O' lvl 2015)

On the Nuclear Trail: The dawn of a global renaissance in nuclear energy

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there are at least three reasons countries are keen to start or ramp up nuclear power production. He said: “First, (it’s) zero-carbon energy. Second, domestic energy security, and third, stable low prices.

Around 95 per cent of Singapore’s power supply comes from natural gas, a fossil fuel

The scarcity of land for solar panels and cloud cover limits the amount of energy the island state can squeeze from sunshine.

Nuclear energy requires the least amount of land per unit of electricity

The Gosgen nuclear power plant in Switzerland needs to run for just 60 seconds to meet a person’s electricity needs for a year....One thimble-sized uranium pellet produces as much energy as one tonne of coal, 564 litres of oil or 480 cubic m of natural gas, according to the US Office of Nuclear Energy.

Unlike burning fossil fuels for electricity, nuclear plants do not emit any greenhouse gases and use fewer natural resources to produce large amounts of energy.

In the US, it is 0.0001 mSv of additional radiation a year for someone living near a nuclear plant, says the country’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That is equivalent to the radiation received from eating one banana.

It is impossible for a reactor to explode like a nuclear weapon

Qns: 

1. ‘Fossil fuels should no longer have a part in the production of energy.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

2. Is modern technology a benefit or a threat to the environment? (YIJC Prelim 2024)

17-year-old self-radicalised Singaporean arrested weeks before planned attack in Tampines

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The teen had also planned to travel to Syria to fight, said ISD. He had got in touch with an online foreign contact for travel advice and researched flight routes.

ISD said the youth came across the teachings of foreign radical preachers in August 2023 while searching for religious knowledge online.

he downloaded materials from an extremist magazine that contained tips on planning an attack or conducting a roadside ambush. ISD said the youth actively shared radical materials promoting armed jihad with followers of his social media accounts, and wanted to influence them into hating non-Muslims and killing them.

Since 2015, 14 self-radicalised Singaporeans aged 20 and below have been dealt with under ISA, including this 17-year-old.

Qns: 

1. To what extent has the digital age influenced the aspirations of young people today? (JPJC Prelim 2024)

2. In today’s troubled world, should governments impose more restrictions over the media? (SAJC Prelim 2024)

Four iconic Penang murals restored by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic after 12 years

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painted the murals to depict Penang’s idyllic lifestyle 

him as Malaysia’s answer to Banksy – while his artworks have become landmarks that draw fans and tourists from all over the world.

Qn: ‘The arts are nothing more than a luxury.’ How far is this true of your society? (Cam. 2021)