On Tuesday, 21st April, our Prime Minister announced the tightening of Circuit Breaker (CB) measures till the 4th of May and an extension of the CB period till the 1st of June. It’s implications on the general public are widespread for sure. For one, bubble tea fanatics may soon start to experience withdrawal symptoms within the next 2 weeks. The June school holidays have been shifted to May as well, and with good intentions – To minimise the disruption to curriculum. However, no one can say for sure how such a move will impact the psychological well-being of our students who would have to experience the torment of 14 weeks of school separated by a mid-term break from July 20 to 26. We also ought not to presume that these students will feel equally well-rested cooped up in their own homes which varies drastically according to their family’s socio-economic status[1].
How can we say for sure that the student living in a 1-room rental flat with little to no money to spare will be as rejuvenated as his peer who had the opportunity to immerse himself in online courses, active lifestyle programmes or simply a wider array of entertainment platforms? To be sure, even without the CB measures, these contrast in lifestyles hold true. However, they are very likely exacerbated during this period for the more disadvantaged student would have otherwise spend a greater proportion of time away from home. Corresponding with Ms Rachel Tan, Group Lead for Youth Development, Singapore Children’s Society (SCS), she revealed that the youths had experienced greater frustration from simply living at home with their family to having to shift to Home-Based Learning (HBL). For instance, some reported the lack of financial security due to the loss of income from not just their parents but themselves. Others experienced increased friction with their family members which should be expected if all Singaporeans, including broken families, are forced to inhabit the same home 24/7. Running along invisible socio-economic lines again, there are many more who unfortunately do not have the requisite technology to participate in HBL. Taking China as a case study, I fear that the feedback that Ms Rachel Tan collated are not just an anomaly but a sign of a more disturbing trend if nothing is done to support them. It is widely known by now that China has since reported an increase in divorce rates following the coronavirus quarantine.[2] If scientific statistics or socio-emotional intelligence are to tell us anything, it is that for those stuck in an unhealthy marriage, all parties will be adversely affected. Yes, including and perhaps especially, their innocent children.
Thankfully, there have already been efforts being undertaken by existing Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Government Agencies and increasingly, Singaporeans all across the island. Ms Rachel Tan added that SCS has been utilising technology to reach out to their youths whilst providing additional financial assistance and resources. Social workers have begun connecting with youths over common interests like cooking, dancing and gaming by conducting weekly livestreams on Instagram for instance, thereby helping them cope with boredom. For the more financially disadvantaged, SCS has also partnered with Engineering Good to source 41 laptops for their youths. More generally, a portal (Sgunited.gov.sg) has even been created for all Singaporeans to play their part in supporting a multitude of causes. While there have been xenophobic and other less civic-minded behaviour exhibited by Singaporeans including racist remarks targeted at our migrant workers[3] and of course, panic-buying, Singapore has indeed been privileged to have both the resources and manpower to support the most vulnerable in society. However, as President Halimah wrote, all of us will need to be on board to effectively combat the spread of the virus and to ensure that they but more importantly, that our most vulnerable, do not become the weakest link in the chain[4], evident by the current rise in cases amongst migrant workers.
On the other end of the spectrum, Singapore is on its way to having the oldest population in the world by 2100[5]. It is hence crucial that we not only have the individual responsibility to age healthily but the social responsibility to support those in their golden years. Arguably, this group of people are at a greater risk. Their dependency on others is similar to that of a child but are often more neglected for a multitude of reasons. Some may have been abandoned by their children long ago due to quarrels and challenges experienced decades ago. Others simply do not want to trouble their children who are often working adults with more than enough on their plates supporting their own family. In fact, caring for the elderly may simply bring less joy to the caregiver because they are not as cute.
To be sure, from a more practical viewpoint, the aged amongst us have a wealth of knowledge and experience and are not just a liability or to put it more crudely, a waste of societal resources. It is thus paramount for us to tap into their cumulative wisdom and unique life stories before they are lost for good. Prior to the Internet, those who lived to a ripe old age were once revered as the correlation between experience, knowledge and wisdom were much stronger. Essentially, the longer you lived, the wiser and more educated you were likely to be. Furthermore, the more accomplished who were able to accumulate vast amounts of material wealth held even more power over their descendants as they had the authority to decide how exactly their material possessions are to be distributed to their children. Will the first child inherit everything? Will the assets be distributed equally amongst all children regardless of how filial they have been? Or will the assets simply be donated away to charity for their children ought to learn how to amass their own wealth? Moreover, families of the past once had many more children, amounting to more than what one’s two hands could count. All these factors, coupled with the fact that one’s life expectancy was considerably lower previously, made caring for the aged much more manageable and worthwhile.
However, with the dawn of the Internet where a fact check could be done with a quick Google search and a declining birth rate where having more than 4 children is equivalent to both a miracle and self-imposed financial suicide, it is only natural (Practically speaking) that we see more of our pioneers being neglected for the sake of our next generation. Those living their golden years are no longer regarded as knowledgeable for they are unlikely to be equipped with 21st Century skills (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration) though they are still unquestionably rich in wisdom[6] that withstands the test of time. Working adults are also far less likely to be able to support their aging parents with lesser children (Declining birth rate) to distribute the workload over a longer period of time (Increasing life expectancy). Perhaps only the most blessed amongst us today may continue to be revered as they are the ones loaded with material assets or who remain highly productive and influential in the new economy.
Without falling into the rabbit hole of analysing what exactly makes the most ideal social policy to implement in Singapore[7], I think due credit should be given to the emphasis on self-reliance coupled with the ‘Many Helping Hands’ approach adopted by the Singapore Government[8]. Minimally, this has ensured a certain level of independence for the majority of retirees for they are still able to draw out a monthly cash pay-out from their own Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts. And for those who are unable to rely on their children and still fall through the cracks, there are numerous other policies and measures introduced, albeit with varying terms and conditions to ensure that pay-outs are given only to the ‘most deserving’. Thankfully, the abundance of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have helped to tighten the cracks further still. Under normal circumstances, they have provided facilities, manpower and other resources for our seniors to provide company for one another.
Unfortunately, coming back to the CB again, it is clear that there is a gaping hole in the support for our pioneers now[9]. For the majority of us, we have our jobs and studies to keep us occupied. Even when we feel bored, we are more than capable of harnessing the advances in technology to catch-up with our friends via Skype / Zoom, take up online courses on Coursera / Udemy / Khan Academy as a hobby or simply entertain ourselves by gaming or binge-watching Netflix. Our pioneers unfortunately do not engage in such activities. While more could be done in the future to allow them to harness the power of technology, I foresee that the majority will use them reluctantly at best for many of the technology we use today do not have an age-friendly user interface. Even if they do, changing their preferences of interacting with their friends face-to-face requires a snowball effect amongst their peers and may incur unforeseen consequences such as resulting in an even more sedentary lifestyle amidst our elderly.
Personally, I was given the opportunity to conduct my own incredibly small and biased field study interacting with my grandmother and her friend. In a nutshell, they are indeed more bored than before. Notwithstanding the novelty of speaking to my grandmother and her friend through a video call, it was interesting to observe that they still seemed to display genuine happiness plausibly due to the concern we were showing all of a sudden.
Also, I was surprised at how infectious their joy was, finding myself mirroring their emotions. In the midst of the interview, I experienced admiration and respect at how they seemed to be handling the situation with acceptance and equanimity. From my 2 case studies, I came to a conclusion that they were amongst the more blessed for they were living with loved ones who (still) cared for them and were healthy enough to be independent. However, they did still experience restlessness and boredom like the rest of us. For our seniors hit with a double whammy, more dependent but living with less dependants, they are no doubt at a greater risk of loneliness and mental health disorders.
Understanding that there already have been numerous commentaries published and awareness about the disadvantaged raised, I am ending off with a plea. A plea to all Singaporeans, in spite of our own difficulties and challenges, to take a few moments of our lives to help them out. No, I am not requesting you to donate money, gifts or material resources of any kind. I am asking for time. I am asking for every Singaporean with the privilege to be in contact with their aging loved ones, to pick up the phone and give them a call.
For those of us who may feel far too disconnected from our aging pioneers, an Instagram Bingo and daily challenges have been put up on a website for one to discuss interesting topics with their aging loved ones. So, before you even reach out for your phone, set a goal to find 1 similarity between your aging parents’ / grandparents’ childhood and your own. A leader board has also been set-up for the more competitive or gregarious amongst us. Personally, I experienced significant inertia in dialling my grandmother’s number as well. However, I can guarantee that the conversation you will subsequently have will be worthwhile and perhaps even the best moment of your day. It most certainly will be your grandparent’s best moment. At worst, these conversations will be awkward. But again, will you really die of awkwardness?
With all this in mind, I am well aware that so much more can be done, especially for the aged who may no longer be in contact with any family members. While I do hope to engage them later on in this initiative, I think it would be a small but momentous step if we were to all come together to call our own grandparents daily first.
Update: For those who would like to serve our elderly who have lost contact with their loved ones, you may sign up here!
[1] https://www.ricemedia.co/current-affairs-commentary-zombie-apocalypse-homework-due-5-pm-covid-19-hbl/ [2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-31/divorces-spike-in-china-after-coronavirus-quarantines https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/singletons/202004/more-babies-or-more-divorces-after-covid-19 [3] https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/letter-on-dorm-cases-xenophobic-shanmugam [4] https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/every-singaporean-needs-to-help-break-covid-19-transmission-chain-president-halimah [5] https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/silver-the-new-gold [6] https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/business/retirementspecial/the-science-of-older-and-wiser.html [7] https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/gia/article/social-welfare-are-we-missing-the-point [8] https://fee.org/articles/what-america-could-learn-from-singapores-social-welfare-system/ https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/all-hands-on-deck-needed-for-social-good [9] https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-loneliness-isolation-among-elderly-safe-distancing-12611158 https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/helping-singapores-seniors-cope-covid-19
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