Issue on Teenage Computer Addiction

Dear Ms Quah, please assess me based on this issue and not the one on Mas Selamat. Thank you!
As Science and technology improve by the day, it is inevitable that most teenagers nowadays spend time in front of the computer for various purposes. They surf the internet to search for information and complete their assignments. Unfortunately, they also play games on-line and this is the downside of computer usage.

Recently, there is an increase in the number of reported teenage computer addiction in Singapore and this trend will continue as many highly addictive and fun games emerge daily. Many of those who play computer games excessively have falling grades and worse, they tend to isolate themselves from the 'outside world'. They are also restless and even angry when not allowed to use the computer or when not in front of the computer screen.

From a teenager's perspective, I feel that totally restricting the use of the computer is not possible, as teenagers, like everybody else, wants to have some freedom. However, it is of high importance that parents, together with the assistance of teachers, monitor closely to the teenagers when they are using the computer.

This problem is not only affecting Singapore, but it also pertains to numerous other countries worldwide. In some countries like the United States, majority of the teenagers are sedentary in front of the computer screen most of the time. To make matters worse, living in a country that allows the use of guns for certain purposes, these teenagers learn from their games and vent their anger by means of weapon violence. This had caused a number of fire-arm related deaths in schools there. One such incident is on April 16 last year, when a 23-year old English-major student massacred 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech University, then shot himself.
This brings me to the point of how to prevent play from turning to pain. I am slightly relieved to know that many gaming centres here have installed monitoring system to allow staff members to know what users are doing and how long they have spent using the computer, in order to spot addiction before it gets out of hand. I trust that the staff members of these gaming centres are responsible and they will help to decrease the number of computer addictions here, while still allowing teenagers to have some recreation at these centres.

A classmate of mine used to be addicted to cybergaming too. He suffered the'usual' signs: sloppy work, failing grades, unknowingly isolating himself from his friends and pays no attention in class. I was concerned, but did not know what to do to help him. In the end, I approached my teacher and talked to her about it. My classmate was brought to the school counsellor soon after. Initially, it was difficult for him, but after a couple of months, he got rid of the addiction and was grateful to me that I had not let his obsession get out of hand. I hope that teenagers who notice that their classmates or friends are in a similar situation as my classmate will alert an adult and thus quickly cure the person of addiction.

Cybergaming can be a good servant or a bad master. As long as it is managed properly, it can bring about pleasure and may also improve the attention span of teenagers and even train their mind.

I usually confine my usage of computer to the weekends and seldom play games. I prefer sports and strongly believe that it can bring about the same, or even better, more benefits than cybergaming! Exercising brings me a lot of enjoyment and I also make a number of friends who have the same hobby! Don't you agree?

Whatever hobby teenagers may have, the key to it is moderation. Parents and teachers must always keep a look-out for signs of addiction in whatever activity a teenager engage in.

References:
http://newslink.asiaone.com/user/OrderArticleRequest.action?documentId=nica_ST_2003_2624684&year=2003&month=04&date=16

http://newslink.asiaone.com/user/OrderArticleRequest.action?order=&_sourcePage=%2FWEB-INF%2Fjsp%2Fuser%2Fsearch_type_result.jsp&month=01&year=2007&date=17&docLanguage=en&documentId=nica_ST_2007_5481088

A new blog created!

Hello again to my viewers,

Please go to my new blog at http://www.olympicchampion.blogspot.com/. It is a new blog, but please go there and write about your running experiences, tips, etc! I will update it soon.... Thanks for your patience in the mean time!

Issue on the escape of JI leader Mas Selamat Kastari

~~ A security lapse at Whitley Detention Centre led to the escape of Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat Kastari on Wednesday afternoon. It was reported that Mas Selamat was being taken to the toilet before a meeting at the Family Visit Room when he escaped. He is still at large. A massive force of Special Operations Command officers, gurkhas and police officers were deployed from Wednesday in the manhunt which followed. And as Thursday dawned, the effort continued, with army personnel as well. Security has been tightened at all land, sea and air checkpoints.~~

The escape of JI leader Mas Selamat Kastari made the headlines on Thursday morning. It was reported in the newpapers, the television, the radio, and many other media. It created an uproar and concern among most Singaporeans. Everybody is expressing their views, while some question about the time lag to inform the public.

International terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna described Mas Selamat, who had been detained under the Internal Security Act, as "the most ruthless of the Singapore JI members". Mas Selamat fled Singapore in December 2001 following an Internal Security Department operation against the JI network here. He was arrested in Bintan by the Indonesian authorities in 2003 and deported to Singapore two years ago. "His mindset is more Al Qaeda then JI. He had planned to hijack a plane from Bangkok and crash it into Changi. He presents an immediate danger to the security of Singapore and the region and must be captured," Dr Gunaratna, the head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the Nanyang Technological University, told TODAY.

This is indeed a serious issue as having a terrorist at large poses a risk worldwide. Nobody wants a repeat of a devastating incident similar to the September 11, 2001 attacks. From Malaysia to Indonesia, security checks have been stepped up and the borders are on high alret. At home in Singapore, everybody is making concerted efforts to arrest the detainee under the Internal Security Act.

The manager of a petrol station at Whitley Road was reported as having told two Chinese evening newspapers, Lianhe Wanbao and Shin Min Daily, on Friday that he saw a man resembling the escaped detainee Mas Selamat about one hour after he bolted from the nearby detention centre, his co-worker also provided similar information. It is really commendable for them to render information to the police and I hope that more members of the public will continue to assist the police.

Globally, world police group Interpol has posted "Red Notice" alert for Kastari which allows a warrant to be circulated worldwide with the request that the wanted person be arrested with a view to extradition. I hope that this move will successfuly track down the detainee and lead to his arrest as soon as possible, without any injury, loss of life, or mishap.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/331726/1/.html
http://www.spf.gov.sg/

A warm welcome to my blog!

Hello to viewers of my blog!

Let me make a short introduction of myself. I enjoy running competitively and take part in races in Singapore all year round. I like Biology and Chemistry very much.

However, this blog is meant for my English assignments where I will have to choose a particular issue to write about every term. Feel free to drop any comments and I will also try to create another blog based on my interest of running and Science, will add the link to this blog soon.

See ya!