SINGAPORE: My love for instant noodles began when I was a teenager. A latchkey kid through my secondary school and junior college years, instant noodles was something that I could whip up in a jiffy as a late lunch when I returned home from school.

These days, my culinary repertoire extends beyond instant food. However, the love affair continues. My kitchen cabinet is stocked with at least five different types of noodles for when the craving hits.

Whenever I travel, especially in Asia where there’s a mind boggling variety of instant ramen, I make it a point to visit a convenience store or supermarket to pick out a few local flavours to try and even bring home as souvenirs.

In the 61 years since its invention – Japanese entrepreneur Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles in the post-war era as a way to ease the country’s food shortage – this humble item has become a global staple, a fast and easy meal for everyone from poor college students to overworked individuals.

But even more fascinating is that today, instant ramen has come to represent so much more than just convenient and tasty chow to keep the hunger pangs at bay.

EATING RAMEN HELPS YOU STRETCH YOUR CASH

Earlier this year, a young South Korean worker was killed in a workplace accident during a night shift. Among the meagre worldly possessions he left behind were three packets of ramen.

This struck a raw nerve in the country, where many saw his main means of subsistence as an indication of his dire financial plight.

More broadly, this pocket friendly dish is a symbol of frugality in many parts of the world, including Singapore. NTUC’s recent prize freeze of 100 FairPrice housebrand products which comprise popular daily essentials of average households here include instant noodles, which costs just S$1.45 for five packets.

When I was younger, more foolish and living on a smaller income during my college days and when I first started work, I would eat instant noodles in an attempt to save money.

I am lucky that wasn’t doing it to make ends meet, but rather to accumulate extra dough to spend on things I wanted, like nice shoes and handbags. 

It is a funny story to retell today and I do wish I had channeled more of that savings into investments other than material goods, but I suppose this method of keeping my finances balanced did work out, sort of. I’ve never accumulated credit card debt because I was careful to spend within my means.

READ: Saving too little, starting too late, do we have enough for retirement? A commentary

Still, those of you out there who are considering this frugal diet, take it from me – don’t spend all your money. Put away at least a portion of the money you have saved by eating instant noodles instead of fancy gourmet meals into a bank account and your older, wiser self will thank you.

INSTANT NOODLES FUELS SINGAPORE’S WORKAHOLIC CULTURE

During my busiest phases, when I am glued to my computer for interminably long hours in an attempt to meet multiple deadlines, I often rely on instant noodles to keep me going.

It seems I am not the only one. Convenience stores are well stocked with instant noodles, presumably to feed the hungry masses and big companies like Facebook even have a stash of instant cup noodles in their snack pantries.

In time-starved Singapore, where workers are among the hardest working in the world in terms of number of hours clocked, instant noodles are not surprisingly, a quick fix for those who don’t have time to maintain a reasonable work-life balance.

READ:A culture of overtime is costing us dearly, a commentary

According to the latest available statistics by marketing research firm Nielsen, there was a 7.9 per cent growth in the instant noodle market size in Singapore from 2015 to 2016. In that same year, Singapore residents clocked 45.6 hours of work a week, second only to Hong Kong at 50.1 hours.

Sure, there are likely to be other factors that has led to the increasing popularity of instant noodles in recent years, such as a greater variety of flavours available in the market, but it is not difficult to draw the conclusion that the convenience of instant food appeals to those who have no time to spend on preparing meals from scratch.

IS INSTANT FOOD ENTIRELY UNHEALTHY?

For the longest time, instant noodles have been much maligned as a junk food with little nutritional value. I am under no illusion that instant ramen could ever be considered healthier than a salad, but there are ways to ensure you are at least not consuming empty calories.

These days, there are different types of noodles that are touted to be healthier, such as sun dried noodles or those made with wholegrain flour. Even back when I was a kid cooking for myself, my mum made sure to keep the fridge stocked with simple ingredients like eggs and meatballs that I could easily add to my ramen.

In fact, the possibilities are endless – just about any ingredient can be thrown into a pot of boiling water to jazz up a simple bowl of noodles.

For inspiration, check out the Instagram accounts of local chefs like Willin Low, Shen Tan and Jeremy Nguee. Their fancy versions of instant noodles will surely have you salivating for this comfort food.

When Ando created instant noodles, he did so with the aim of inventing a food that would provide sustenance in the toughest of times.

He may not have imagined that instant noodles would end up being so intrinsically linked to workaholics – whether by choice or by circumstance – but for those who rely on this food to get them through the late nights and long hours of work, his invention has certainly helped to tide them through their tough times.

Karen Tee is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer. Six years ago, people thought she was crazy to leave the security of her full-time job. Today, most want to know how she does it. 

SINGAPORE: The bill proposed on Monday (Apr 1) to tackle the spread of online falsehoods in Singapore includes a comprehensive set of measures that emphasises the importance of correcting a “false statement of fact”.

It seeks to compel, among others, publishers, internet service providers, social media platforms and individuals who have shared the false statement to put up a correction, rather than remove the post, though that option is also available.

The bill also provides for the possibility of requiring the publication of a correction not only online but also “in a specified newspaper or other printed publication of Singapore”.

READ: FAQ – How will the new law stop deliberate online falsehoods from spreading?

This is a clear recognition of the importance of debunking disinformation and assumes that corrections are the most effective in combating falsehoods.

However, research shows this is not always the case.

CORRECTIONS MIGHT REINFORCE DEEP-SEATED BIASES

First, studies have found that corrections only work on some groups of people, such as those with higher cognitive abilities. For others, corrections might backfire.

In some cases, individuals exposed to corrections just dismiss them outright and hold onto their pre-existing misperceptions. In other cases, individuals might believe in the correction, but ultimately regress back to their prior beliefs and attitudes.

For example, news organisations and fact-checking organisations in the United States have repeatedly debunked fake news that link vaccines to autism, and yet some individuals still object to vaccinations, which have contributed to the ongoing measles outbreak in the United States and other countries.

READ: This hesitation with vaccination is creating a global threat, a commentary

It is possible some misperceptions fit some individuals’ deep-seated biases, so they believe in falsehoods consistent with their belief systems despite corrections.

Confirmation bias also makes individuals select information that support, rather than contradict, their existing beliefs. For example, those who strongly believe that climate change is not real would point to freezing temperatures in winter as evidence, but would keep quiet about severe droughts or heat waves.

Worse, to protect their own biases, some individuals also label sources of corrections as biased sources and question corrective information, a risk that might be heightened if platforms and intermediaries are compelled to run corrections.

Dealing with falsehoods that prey on a certain psyche is an uphill climb when corrections run the risk of repeating the false claim they try to debunk.

A 2018 US study found overriding adverse effects of message repetition that corrections cannot unseat. The scope and impact of repetition of falsehoods on people’s beliefs are so huge that individuals repeatedly exposed to a piece of fake news are less likely to believe in a third-party fact-check of that fake news story.

Compelling the publication of a correction is therefore no silver bullet.

What certainly helps is where intervention can tackle a falsehood at scale. The bill proposes asking website owners and service providers to ensure corrections reach all those exposed to a piece of falsehood and are included in copies where the false statement is carried. This is a useful intervention, as studies have found that current fact checks published in a fresh post or news report rarely reach their target audiences.

But the bill also refers to publishing corrections even in traditional news outlets, which will increase the reach of the correction — as well as the falsehood it tries to correct.

Traditional outlets have amplification effects. Corrections, then, might also become another way for the original disinformation to reach a wider audience, which brings me to my second point about how effective a correction can be depends on how the correction is crafted.

CORRECTIONS MUST BE CRAFTED CAREFULLY

Second, the format and language of the correction matters. A US study found that video-based corrections are more effective than print-based corrections.

A final year project by a group of students I supervise at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University Singapore also found that less ambiguous corrections work better.

Ambiguity in corrections is reduced by providing detailed but easy-to-understand accounts, such as in the form of infographics. Corrections should not just tag something as false, like what many fact checks shared on Twitter do. Instead, they should refute the false claims by explaining why these claims are false.

Another study involving over 1,000 participants published in the British Journal of Psychology in 2019 found that detailed refutations which provide the alternative, factual account have a more sustained effect on reducing belief in false claims than retractions or merely labelling a claim as false.

So it’s worth rethinking the approach of a simple one-line correction that states that the subject of a statement is false.

CORRECTIONS CANNOT UNSEAT DEEP-SEATED BIAS

Third, issuing a correction is a reactive measure that might work only in the short term.

Online falsehoods appeal to deep-seated biases and fears. A correction to a false account that the HPV vaccine causes autism, for example, might quickly reduce belief in this specific fake news article, but another false account might surface weeks after that makes a similar claim on the same broad subject, for instance, in claiming that the measles vaccine causes autism.

So the impact of corrections still largely depends on the ability of media users to distinguish between credible and questionable information on a routine basis, as and when they arise in different contexts.

Equipping media users with the literacy and motivation to be critical of the information they see online is a better long-term solution.

LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE

Fourth, issuing correction and stop directions also presents a logistical challenge and has the potential to expose authorities to criticisms and questions.

The bill targets operations of online bots, which have played a significant role in the spread of falsehoods online. This is an important measure, and social media companies have started to crack down on these inauthentic accounts, which exhibit behaviours that can be automatically distinguished from human users.

READ: How one school is fighting fake news, a commentary

But compelling social media companies to issue corrections to online falsehoods has limitations, because falsehoods can also travel over private messages exchanged within their platforms.

There is no stopping users from cutting and pasting a fake statement, and transmitting through private direct messages. This presents a challenge to social media services which have private messaging apps, like Facebook, as well as direct messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, with end-to-end encryption that ensures message privacy.

With the volume and range of falsehoods that originate within and outside Singapore, from conspiracy theories, sensational health-oriented disinformation, to political propaganda, selecting which ones to require corrections to, based on public interest, also needs a consistent and clear set of guidelines.

READ: Smartphones a double-edged sword but many think they’re great sword wielders, a commentary

While having a system to mandate corrections when needed will be helpful, when so much news and information also arise from foreign sources, what happens to falsehoods left not corrected?

This is an important question to tackle to set expectations. If citizens mistakenly think all falsehoods will be corrected for them, they might become more vulnerable to falsehoods that stand uncorrected.

Still, the last thing we want is for Singaporeans to exclusively rely on the Government to tell them what is true or not. While we want social media users to be more cautious in sharing information online and limit the risk of sharing falsehoods, we also do not want to limit the range of discourses online.

EMPOWERMENT OF A THINKING SOCIETY IS STILL KEY

Thus, while corrections can help in tackling the spread of falsehoods, more research is required to determine the best format, style, and dissemination strategies to make them effective and avoid any backfire effects.

READ: Critical thinking, a needed nutrition to resist the virus of falsehoods, a commentary

Indeed, governments around the world have the responsibility to protect their citizens from the harms of online falsehoods.

This should be carried out, however, not by taking the responsibility away from citizens, but by empowering them with information and media literacy skills to deal with online falsehoods.

Associate Professor Edson C Tandoc Jr is the PhD and Masters by Research programme director at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at NTU. His research focuses on online news production and consumption. He is also involved in several projects analysing the problem of fake news.

SINGAPORE: A tree fell and hit an HDB block at Jalan Dua, near Old Airport Road, during a heavy downpour early Wednesday (Apr 3) morning, damaging windows and air conditioning units on the building.

A spokesperson for Marine Parade Town Council (MPTC) said the incident near Block 97, Jalan Dua, happened at around 5am. 

Block 97 resident Selvam Steve, 52, said he was woken up by the sound of his window pane shattering at about 5.20am. He told CNA that his family had found broken glass shards up to his living room.

Mr Steve, who has lived in a unit on the fifth floor for 13 years, said this was the first time something like this had happened.

A 60-year-old resident, who wanted to be known only as Madam Tan, also said she woke up to a “loud noise”.

“It sounded like something very heavy,” said Madam Tan, who lives alone in a unit on the 6th floor.

She said she counted herself “lucky” that her windows were not damaged, even though the tree was leaning against it. The windows in the unit next to hers were in a bad state, she added.

The spokesperson for MPTC said a horticulture contractor was called to the scene once they were alerted to the incident.

“Our contractor [has] since removed the tree and cleared the debris, and there were no reported injuries,” the spokesperson added.

“We are currently liaising with the affected residents and assisting them to repair the damages.”

IndoChine Supertree, the elevated restaurant and bar seated atop the 50m-high Supertree at Gardens By The Bay, will serve its last meal at the end of April.

The IndoChine Group shared the news on Facebook on Monday (Apr 1), along with a link to the Facebook event page of two farewell parties to be held in the restaurant and bar in April.

Michael Ma, CEO of the IndoChine Group, shared the news on his personal Facebook page on Wednesday (Apr 3), stating that IndoChine Supertree’s lease has not been renewed.

According to Ma, Gardens By The Bay plans to convert the space into an observatory deck.

Speaking to CNA Lifestyle, Ma said IndoChine was given an initial lease of three years, which was then renewed for another three years in 2015. 

The renewed lease for the restaurant and bar was supposed to expire at the end of October last year, and the six-month extension was the result of a negotiation between the owners and Gardens By The Bay, said Ma.

“A lot of people line up for [the OCBC Skyway], so maybe that’s why they want to convert our space into an observation deck,” said Ma about the redevelopment plants. “But if you don’t serve food or drinks, how long will the guests stay?”

“We have about 40 staff, both part-timers and full-timers included, and many people have been made redundant by this,” he added.

CNA Lifestyle has reached out to Gardens By The Bay for comments. 

IndoChine Supertree will be holding two farewell parties on Apr 13 and 20 before closing at the end of April.

Located at the top of the tallest Supertree in Gardens By The Bay, the Indochinese fusion restaurant seats up to 80 in its main lounge and up to 40 on its rooftop bar. Since opening in 2012, the ambitious restaurant and bar has seen “exceptional” business, wrote Ma in his Facebook post, saying that IndoChine Supertree “exceeded the best sales expectation by three times”.

Besides the Supertree eatery, IndoChine has five other locations in Singapore, including the IndoChine restaurant and bar at CHIJMES and the tapas bar #WTF at Holland Village.