Young Singaporeans afraid of social media shaming if they try to help others: Survey
2019 Graciousness Survey says state of kindness and graciousness here has improved but almost a quarter those polled aged 15 to 24 said fear of being ridiculed is a barrier to helping
Youngsters are well aware of the growing influence of social media and how it can shape a narrative and their actions.
The 2019 Graciousness Survey results, released yesterday by the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), indicate that while many young people aspire to have a positive impact on society, they fear being made to look silly or being shamed online.
The study polled over 2,000 respondents and almost a quarter of those (23 per cent) aged 15 to 24 said the fear of being embarrassed and ridiculed is a barrier that prevents them from helping others.
Offering the scenario of a possible confrontation with a molester, one student interviewed said: "I don't want to get slapped so I don't want to hold him down. And if the molester punches me and the whole thing goes on video then I would become a laughing stock."
Dr William Wan, general secretary of SKM, said ugly behaviour online, like shaming, is easier because of the anonymity the perpetrators get.
"I am sure the negative people online make up only a small number. It's just that the people who have nice things to say don't comment," he told The New Paper.
"If every time you see a mean comment online, you and your friends write something nice, it's one way to drown out the negative noise."
He added: "Hopefully, the new generation of Internet natives will be able to balance out this negativity. I like to believe that they will do better."
Overall, SKM said the state of kindness and graciousness here has improved, with more people engaging in charitable acts like volunteering and donating, as well as making simple gestures like greeting each other.
The survey results also showed that there has been significant improvement in relationships between neighbours.
While many neighbours continue to have casual relationships, numbers have grown of those who are more polite and friendly with each other.
Public hygiene remains a problem, though. According to the survey, Singaporeans remain reluctant to clear their trays or keep common spaces clean.
Dr Wan said SKM will continue to support the relevant agencies and councils to try and make Singaporeans do better.
The behaviour does puzzle him, though. "After so many years of campaigns on anti-littering and tray returning, we still find that such behaviour scores are very low," he said.
"Hygiene is so important for health reasons, and yet people still find it hard to clean up after themselves."
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