SINGAPORE: A recent study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) has revealed alarming statistics about the extent of problematic smartphone use among Singaporean youth. Nearly half of individuals aged 15 to 21 exhibit behaviors indicative of smartphone addiction, a condition closely tied to poorer mental health outcomes.

IMH researchers define problematic smartphone use by examining dependence, time spent on devices, and the resulting problems. Indicators of such behavior include feelings of impatience or distress when separated from smartphones, obsessive thoughts about device usage, and physical discomfort such as wrist pain or neck strain from prolonged use.

Moreover, this condition can lead to significant disruptions in daily activities, such as missing work or having difficulty concentrating during lessons.

The nationwide study, the first of its kind to explore the correlation between smartphone use and mental health among Singaporeans aged 15 to 65, uncovered that 46.4% of youth aged 15 to 21 exhibited problematic smartphone use.

For the broader age group of 15 to 65, the prevalence was 30.2%. This data was gathered as part of the Health and Lifestyle Survey, aimed at understanding behavioral and substance addictions among Singapore residents.

The study involved 6,509 participants and spanned 15 months, from April 2021 to July 2022, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The research, published in the August issue of the Asian Journal Of Psychiatry, revealed that individuals with problematic smartphone use are at least three times more likely to experience moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia compared to their counterparts without such behaviors.

The researchers suggest that youth are particularly susceptible due to their greater reliance on smartphones for social interactions and generally lower levels of self-control.

Participants were assessed using various questionnaires designed to measure the extent of smartphone addiction, psychological distress, anxiety, sleep disorders, and overall mental health. These questionnaires were administered through an online survey, where respondents indicated their agreement or disagreement with statements related to their smartphone use.

The findings align with international research suggesting that excessive smartphone use, particularly before bed, contributes to reduced sleep quality.

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SINGAPORE: A recent survey by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) has listed HardwareZone as a significant platform where Singaporeans have encountered harmful content. The SPH Media-owned online forum is the only site on the list that is not a global social media giant.

The annual Online Safety Poll, conducted in April 2024, surveyed 2,098 Singapore residents aged 15 and above to understand their experiences with harmful online content and their actions in response to it. According to the survey, about three-quarters (74%) of respondents encountered harmful online content in 2024, a marked increase from 65% in 2023.

A significant finding of the survey is that two-thirds (66%) of respondents encountered harmful content on social media services designated by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) under the Code of Practice for Online Safety. This percentage is an increase from 57% in 2023.

In comparison, 28% of respondents reported encountering harmful content on other platforms, consistent with the previous year’s levels.

Among the respondents who encountered harmful content on designated social media services, close to 60% cited Facebook as the source, while 45% mentioned Instagram. HardwareZone was ranked sixth on the list of platforms with harmful content, with 6% of respondents reporting instances of encountering such content there.

The MDDI acknowledged that the higher prevalence of harmful content on these platforms could be partially attributed to their larger user bases. However, the ministry emphasized that this also underlines the greater responsibility these platforms have in ensuring user safety.

HardwareZone has a noted history as a prominent online community in Singapore. It was launched in August 1998 as an online magazine by five engineering students from the National University of Singapore. Initially a hub for computer enthusiasts to discuss hardware and software news, the site quickly gained popularity, attracting two million page views a month by 2000.

The founders had ambitious plans to turn HardwareZone into a full-fledged portal and even considered an initial public offering (IPO), which would have made them the first undergraduates in Singapore to launch one.

However, in 2006, HardwareZone was acquired by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for S$7.1 million. The acquisition included all the magazine titles published by HardwareZone, such as HardwareMAG (HWM), GameAxis (a computer games magazine), and PHOTOVIDEOi (a digital photography magazine).

Today, HardwareZone is operated by Hardware Zone Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of SPH Media, and remains a popular online forum in Singapore. As the MDDI continues to monitor and regulate online content, platforms like HardwareZone and major social media sites could face increasing pressure to enhance their safety measures.

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SINGAPORE: Singaporean influencer Xiaxue has apologised and issued a clarification video following a backlash over comments she made about Thai and Vietnamese women.

The controversial remarks were part of a response to a viewer’s question during a video posted on the YouTube channel “Ladies First”. The full video as well as abridged versions which were shared on TikTok and Instagram have since been removed and are no longer available to view.

In the original video, a viewer asked, “Why are Singaporean men so attracted to women who are from Thailand and Vietnam? The amount of friends that I have who had their exes cheat on them with these women is astronomical. What do you think they have that we don’t?”

Xiaxue’s response sparked outrage for its perceived disparagement of Thai and Vietnamese women. She had said:

“This is a huge issue. Really, seriously. Is this a thing for younger guys? I feel like maybe for my age people, it’s the I’m here and you’re here thing. Yeah, it really is. Because they are from like, a less well-off country, they may work at some job that is generally frowned upon. Because you’re the one providing for their lifestyle so you get to say ‘I say do what means do what’, ‘I say go where means go where’, ‘I say don’t wear this means don’t wear this’.”

The controversy escalated to the point where a police report was filed against Xiaxue.

Acknowledging the backlash and the police report, Xiaxue posted a follow-up video in which she said that her comments have left a friend’s wife, a Thai woman, feeling “quite hurt”. This prompted Xiaxue to issue an apology and clarify her comments.

“This really affected me because I like and respect Patty a lot, and if a reasonable and calm person like her, who knows me personally, felt attacked, I’d better clarify,” she explained.

She apologised but said her comments were taken out of context. Xiaxue said: “Let me just say that if you are Thai and you felt hurt or attacked, I’m sorry and that’s not my intention. You guys know me. If I have an opinion, I say [it] and I do not apologise. This time round, I’m apologising because I realise that what was posted indeed sounds horrible, but that is because it was taken completely out of context.”

Xiaxue explained that her comments were specifically about Singaporean men who date foreign sex workers, not all Thai or Vietnamese women. “I am not talking about all Thai girls or regular Thai girls at all,” she clarified. “I am specifically referring to girls who are working in the sex industry.”

While acknowledging that she called Thailand a “less well-off country,” she also noted, “There are people who are Thais who are way richer than Singaporeans.” She emphasized the economic hardships faced by many Thai citizens, stating, “It is also undeniable that many Thai citizens are living in poverty or close to it, and many of the girls there realize that if they work regular jobs, they can only earn very little money, and the fastest way to accumulate wealth is to go into the sex trade.”

Addressing why she made such statements, Xiaxue said, “Because I’m answering the audience’s question of why so many Singaporean men end up dating women from Thailand or Vietnam. And my answer, in short, is that many of these girls come to Singapore and work in the sex trade. They want to change their lives and hope to marry a rich guy so they try very hard to please the men, or seduce the men, and the men, in return, love to date these girls because it gives them a sense of superiority that they are the provider for these girls.”

Xiaxue concluded by emphasizing that there are “plenty of decent Thai girls” and not all Thai women who date Singaporean men are involved in the sex trade. She condemned the behavior of some foreign sex workers in Singapore, calling them “trashy and disgusting,” and recalled instances where Singaporean men abandoned their families for these women.

The incident has sparked significant debate online, with many criticizing Xiaxue for her initial comments and calling the incident a stunt calculated to keep her relevant, and others accepting her apology and explanation.

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