Singapore is a multiracial city-state located near the equator. Ethnic Chinese people make up more than three-quarters of the total population followed by Malays, Indians, and other ethnic groups such as Europeans and Eurasians. Most teenagers live with their families in Housing and Development Board flats (apartments) that are bought from the state. For studying teenagers, most do not need to work. Those that work part-time usually do it for extra pocket money.
School Life
The typical teenager worries a lot about education. High school student Jilong sums up what teenagers think of studying in Singapore. “The education system in Singapore is very stressful. Most of my friends worry about test and examination results.” To Singaporeans, the key to a better life is education, but for teens this means a very heavy workload. Thus some are stressed out. To a certain extent, sports or community service are neglected.
Values, Thoughts, and Entertainment
Many teens perceive Singapore as a very safe country and are proud of the country’s stability and achievements. Some feel that Singaporeans are materialistic and practical. Although teenagers like “to live as I like,” they still believe that to succeed in Singapore, they need to work hard.
Jilong said, “The thing I like about school is friends.” Friendship plays an important role in the lives of Singapore teens and for the majority, the hottest trend is to keep in touch with friends by using mobile phones. Dating is common for teenagers, but sex before marriage is typically frowned upon.
As for entertainment, all teens in Singapore enjoy Hollywood, Hong Kong, and local movies. Teenagers also enjoy hanging out at shopping malls. During their free time, they like to surf the net, go to chatrooms, e-mail, play computer games, and play video games at arcades. Music also is very much a part of the life of a teenager, and they will check out the latest CDs in mega music shops like HMV. While listening to radio stations such as YES 93.3 FM and Class 95 FM, they will also call in to chat with DJs and dedicate songs to their friends.
Reading
Going to Borders® or the public library is hip, as you can enjoy a cup of coffee while reading. Magazines that deal with teenage problems and fashion trends for teenagers, entertainment magazines such as I-weekly and 8 Days are very popular. Japanese magazines are also popular. After relaxing with a good read, teenagers in Singapore frequent McDonalds® or KFC® especially during examination period.
Sports and Activities
Some of the sports teenagers like to participate in are badminton, soccer, basketball, cycling, swimming, and bowling. For most teenagers, the games they play and clubs and societies they join revolve around extracurricular activities in school. However, soccer and basketball are two sports that male teenagers like to play outside school, as well as swimming on weekends.
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