Basket.

Singapore's youth has once more been verbally assailed in the media. Apparently we are guilty of being "self-centred", "not hungry enough" and are "getting soft". This, as usual, has been attributed to Singapore's growing affluence.

So, it's more of that "they are so lucky, all they need to do is study" spiel again. Apparently, the older generation continues to persist in its narrow and myopic view that material well-being equals greater happiness, equals to "having it good". I do not deny Singapore is now more affluent than it used to be; that fact is obvious. What I contest is that we actually "have it good" just because we are materially better off.

Because we don't, from what I see. The education system is incredibly stressful, and Education Minister Tharman admitted as much in the selfsame speech that he criticised Singaporean youth. It is a very competitive system, and getting more so as time passes. Standards and requirements are much higher than what they were when the older generation was still schooling. I'll be the first to admit the vast majority of them were not as comfortable materially as we are now; yet they must recognise that they never had anything resembling IPW (an incredible amount of extra work over and above the syllabus), or had to stay back in school for CCA well past sunset.

So, no, I stress again, we do not only have to study. We have CIP obligations to fulfill, CCA work to handle, stuff like IPW which is mandated by the government and over and above all these, the demanding A-Level syllabus. The older generation only had the last, and maybe a less intensive version of the second thing mentioned. They have absolutely no understanding over what we are going through, and they are not fit to criticise us. It works the other way, of course, but how often do you see a youth complaining publicly in the media that his parents "had it good"?

So, we are "self-centred", "not hungry enough" and are "getting soft". That is one of the biggest piles of bullshit I have yet heard. "Self-centred"? Hello, this is Singapore. We are a bastion of capitalism. Our economy thrives on self-interest. No one, absolutely no one, gets rich without being self-interested most of the time. So you want us not to be self-interested, but still become rich and successful entrepreneurs and contribute greatly to Singapore? Another case of the government wanting the best of all worlds.

"Not hungry enough"? Oh come on, another stab at the fact that Singapore has not seen many young emerging entrepreneurs. I'm sorry, but it's the fault of the system you created. It's still largely rote-based. I mean, guidelines for creativity. Why has no one in the government yet realised how stupid that sounds?

"Getting soft"? A steaming pile of crap. You do not survive in this education system if you are "soft".

Well, guess the Minister was right after all; such judgements are not too harsh, indeed. They are utterly ludicrous and have no basis in reality. The older generation has completely no right to say we "have it good". They do not know, they do not understand, they never will experience it, and so they should shut the hell up and never bring that hackneyed line into play ever again.