SINGAPORE: Last month, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) released Singapore’s annual Population in Brief report.

The report showed that the proportion of singles in most age groups had gone up, with the biggest increase among Singaporean women aged 25 to 29.

Many have questioned whether the government’s social development programmes have been effective as a result. Some have asked whether they were just a waste of time and money, and should be discontinued.

READ: Want more babies? Help couples build stronger marriages first, a commentary

ENCOURAGING MARRIAGES

The Government established the Social Development Unit (SDU) in January 1984 to encourage greater social interaction and marriage among graduate singles, on the back of the 1980 population census which revealed an increasing trend of singlehood among graduate women.

Policymakers at the time were concerned of the implications for Singapore’s future talent pool if more well-educated women remained single. 

The SDU was conceived to fight this trend by providing opportunities for graduate singles to meet and interact through dinners, outings and other events and reducing the costs of searching for a life partner.

Since 1984, SDU has undergone several changes, including catering to both graduate and non-graduate singles as the renamed Social Development Network.

Though some of its functions have evolved over the years, its primary objective remains to foster interaction and relationship skills among singles to improve the nation’s marriage and birth rates.

DID SDU MISS ITS MARK?

Despite the introduction of SDU in 1984, the trend of singlehood seems to be increasing, leading some to question the effectiveness of SDU and a few calling the scheme a failure.

But it would not be correct to conclude that the SDU has been ineffective based on the rising trend of singlehood alone.

This increase may have been due to other factors such as a greater proportion of women entering the labour market, resulting in more time spent among women at work and less time spent on dating activities.

Indeed, data shows that female participation in the labour market has been on the rise. While the female labour force participation rate in 1980 was only 44.3 per cent, this figure had grown to 60.4 per cent by 2016.

To evaluate whether the SDU had been effective, we would also need to know the counterfactual – that is, what Singapore’s singlehood rates would have been in the years after 1984, had there been no SDU.

Although the percentage of single females in the 25 to 29 age bracket experienced a rise from 40 per cent in 1984 to 64 per cent in 2017, there’s no knowing how this trend may have evolved, had the SDU been absent.

Despite this, it is still possible to estimate the effectiveness of SDU. 

One potential low-cost method would be to compare the actual evolution in singlehood rates across two groups of women – unmarried citizens who had completed secondary education who were eligible for the activities organised by SDU (or by the equivalent Social Development Section) and unmarried citizens who had not completed secondary education who were ineligible – before and after 1984.

If SDU’s programmes had a visible effect, we would see the singlehood rates between these two groups plausibly evolving similarly in the years prior to 1984 but then diverging significantly in the period after 1984.

Yet such a study would require access to individual-level birth records and educational attainment data, which is currently only available to selected governmental departments.

STIGMA AGAINST MATCHMAKING ACTIVITIES THE KEY

As the discussion above indicates, more empirical research is needed before we can arrive at a conclusive answer on whether the Government’s social development programmes have been effective.

However, my personal view is that the social development programmes has not been as ineffective as most pessimists might think.

Indeed, the work done by the current Social Development Network (SDN) and its accredited dating agencies – which include matching singles to potential partners based on their profiles and preferences, enabling them to date online, coordination of physical dates, and provision of courses and information to equip singles with the relationship skills needed to hitch a partner – have enormous potential to foster romantic relationships. 

These provide singles with access to potential partners they are unlikely to meet over the course of their normal lives and lay the foundational skills necessary for maintaining such relationships.

Much as the process seemed engineered, it’s useful to keep in mind that this was Singapore’s Tinder before the age of dating apps and artificial intelligence.

READ: The age-old currency of modern dating, a commentary

READ: Finding love in Singapore, one swipe at a time, a commentary

The SDN has also since moved into accrediting dating agencies, leveraging the private sector to solve this public problem.

Although we do not have data on how many children or couples got hitched because of SDN, dating agencies accredited by the SDN have reported that more men are participating in these events.

But not everyone eligible for the SDN programme is making use of it. Part of the reason might be the social stigma involved in participation.

People fear that they will be perceived by others as “unwanted” and “undesirable” if they have to resort to matchmaking. The pool of singles engaged in the SDN programme inevitably shrinks this way, so that the number of marriages which form as a result of the programme is not as large as it could potentially be. 

The key is therefore to ensure that singles buy-in to the idea of such activities and do not see involvement in these activities as a social stigma. One approach to this is through public education and advertising, to shift mindsets and normalise the search for a life partner, even before people hit the eligibility age of 20.

This way, people are less likely to be misinformed by negative stereotypes and will have a more positive picture of what the network can do for them.

REMOVING AGE RESTRICTIONS IN ACTIVITIES

Another way SDN can extend its outreach is by not limiting its activities to certain age groups. Currently, some activities stipulate an age restriction. One such event on the agency’s website for a dinner date imposed an age restriction requiring participating males to be 32 to 45 and females aged 22 to 35 to participate.

While these age restrictions may be motivated by certain economic considerations and preferences, they are ironic given that they preclude older females, who are the most likely group to be actively seeking a long-term partner.

It might be useful for policymakers to undertake a rigorous study that considers behavioural science, economic and social factors to figure out how best to nudge singles, and determine how well our social development programmes have been doing, as well as how the SDN can benefit more singles going forward.

Until such an exercise it done, it would be premature to label our social development efforts unsuccessful. 

Kelvin Seah Kah Cheng is a lecturer in the Department of Economics, National University of Singapore and a Research Affiliate at the Institute of Labour Economics in Bonn, Germany.

SINGAPORE: Trials for air taxis will take off in Singapore in the second half of 2019, with German company Volocopter to conduct flight tests.

The company announced this at the Autonomy and the Urban Mobility Summit in Paris on Thursday (Oct 18).

The trials are aimed at verifying whether the electrically-powered aircraft, called Volocopters, can operate in Singapore’s urban environment. 

The aircraft take off and land vertically, and can fly two people for distances of less than 30km. Although they look like helicopters, the aircraft is based on drone technology. 

The trials are supported by Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Economic Development Board (EDB).

Volocopters can be flown with varying degrees of autonomy – fully autonomous with a pilot on a joystick, or remote-controlled from the ground. The company told Channel NewsAsia that part of the project will be to determine which flight mode will be most appropriate for the trials in Singapore.

The trials will assess if there are feasible air taxi routes that would make sense in Singapore, and how such a service can be implemented using an air traffic management system, said Volocopter.

Other elements to consider would be Singapore’s humidity and tropical climate, as well as where the air taxis can land.

Public demonstration flights will be conducted after the trials.

In response to Channel NewsAsia’s queries, MOT and CAAS said the trials will be conducted in controlled locations that will be identified at a later date, and that these will not be areas with human traffic or property.

Noting that safety will be a priority, the joint statement said: “CAAS will work with Volocopter to establish the scope of the flight trials and develop operational guidelines for such flight tests in Singapore. CAAS will set strict guidelines for the conduct of these trials to ensure public safety at all times, and ensure that the necessary requirements are met before flight tests are allowed to commence.”

The authorities added that they were exploring a third dimension to urban mobility through aerial vehicles, and that such drone technologies are “safer, quieter and potentially cheaper than conventional helicopters”.

Apart from passenger rides, air taxis also have the potential to transform mobility and logistics in urban environments.

EDB is supporting Volocopter in its efforts to set up a local product design and engineering team. The company also hopes to work with real-estate developers, mobility providers and businesses in Singapore.

Volocopter said it flies regularly in Germany, where it has held a preliminary permit since 2016. It is working towards a full commercial licence with the European Aviation Safety Agency.

It also performed a public unmanned test flight in Dubai in September 2017. 

SINGAPORE: A man received the Singapore Police Force’s public spiritedness award on Friday (Oct 19) for taking the initiative to direct traffic when he saw that the traffic lights were faulty. 

The incident happened last Thursday at about 6pm, at the junction of Paya Lebar Road and Macpherson Road. 

Mr Sukarno Arsad was riding his motorcycle along Paya Lebar Road at the time and decided to step up to manage the situation. 

“He was concerned that motorists may not be able to make their right turn safely and exercised his initiative to direct traffic,” said the police in a media release.

Mr Sukarno won praise from netizens last week after photos of his efforts made their rounds on social media.

A woman who was at the Paya Lebar-Macpherson Road junction when the traffic lights failed later shared photos on Facebook of Mr Sukarno directing traffic.

“I was pretty sure he was hungry and tired, just like all other drivers and pedestrians. However, he sacrificed his own time and volunteered to be a guide to all the road users,” the woman wrote, adding that she was in the car with a crying infant.

“You are a great hero! From the bottom my heart, thank you very much. You saved all our time. And I could hug my crying girl earlier because of your selfless sacrifices.”

Mr Sukarno was lauded by the police at a ceremony at the Traffic Police headquarters on Friday.

“Hopefully, Mr Sukarno’s positive example of good ‘RoadSense’ and keen sense of awareness for road safety will motivate other road users to look out for one another when travelling on the roads,” said Commander of Traffic Police, Senior Assistant Commissioner Gerald Lim, who presented the award.

“Together with the community, we can make our roads safer,” he added. 

SINGAPORE: Principals for four merged junior colleges (JCs) were named on Friday (Oct 19), as part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) announcement to officially appoint 66 principals in an annual reshuffle exercise.

MOE in April announced a mass restructuring of schools for 2019, among which eight JCs, 14 primary schools and six secondary schools will be paired and merged. This is the first time JCs are being merged.

According to MOE’s press release, the principals of the newly merged JCs next year will be:

1. Anderson Serangoon JC (merger of Anderson JC and Serangoon JC): Mr Manogaran s/o Suppiah, the current principal of Serangoon JC
2. Jurong Pioneer JC (merger of Jurong JC and Pioneer JC): Dr Hang Kim Hoo. the current principal of Jurong JC
3. Tampines Meridian JC (merger of Tampines JC and Meridian JC): Miss Yoong Nyok Ke Pamela, the current principal of Tampines JC
4. Yishun Innova JC (merger of Yishun JC and Innova JC): Mr Michael Nelson De Silva, current principal of Innova JC

READ: MOE announces names of merged junior colleges

READ: Merged JCs carry out finishing touches to new college identity and campus

In addition to these four principals, MOE also announced that 10 out of the 66 school heads named will be taking up the role for the first time. Seven of them will be posted at secondary schools, and three at primary schools.

The schools that will have newly appointed principals comprise: Bedok Green Secondary, Bukit View Secondary, CHIJ Secondary School (Toa Payoh), Jurong Secondary, Nan Chiau High, Ngee Ann Secondary, Punggol Secondary, Anderson Primary, Jiemin Primary and Tampines North Primary.

The schools that will see new principals rotated from other schools include: Anglo-Chinese (Independent), Holy Innocents’ High, Tanjong Katong Girls’, Cedar Primary, Red Swastika and St Margaret’s Primary.

“For the 56 current principals and HQ officers who will be assuming new principalship appointments, it is an affirmation of MOE’s confidence in their abilities to continue guiding our teachers and students in schools,” said MOE.

“For the 10 newly appointed principals, this is an important career milestone as they assume bigger responsibilities as leaders in education.”

READ: School mergers in 2019: 5 questions answered

The ministry said that the process of appointing and rotating principals allows schools to benefit from new perspectives, and enables experienced principals to share best practices across schools.

“Our principals will have the opportunity to take on new challenges, and contribute by shaping and strengthening the work of the schools that they are newly appointed to.”

The principals will receive their letters of appointment at the Appointment and Appreciation Ceremony for Principals on Dec 27. Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung will be the guest-of-honour.

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) is working closely with hawker centre operators and their tenants to address issues concerning cost and contractual terms, said Senior Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor on Friday (Oct 19).

“I have asked NEA to quickly iron out the problems and to do a stock-take of the social enterprise model,” Dr Khor said in a Facebook post. 

Her comments come amid concerns hawkers have raised about the social enterprise management model, which was introduced with the aim of keeping food prices low while making the hawker trade sustainable.

Under this management model, operators also provide services like centralised dishwashing and cleaning.

However, some hawkers have complained about the extra fees levied on top of rental and other compulsory charges. 

At Jurong West Hawker Centre, for instance, stallholders had to pay for a tray-return programme that rewarded customers with 20 cents for each tray they returned. The issue has since been resolved between operators Hawker Management and stallholders.

READ: Koufu meets Jurong West hawkers over tray-return fees

READ: Jurong West Hawker Centre customers to pay deposit when using trays: Hawker Management

On Friday, Dr Khor said authorities have noted the concerns raised. 

“NEA will not hesitate to take operators to task if they are found to be errant. NEA is already reviewing the contractual agreements with the view to prescribe some of the terms used by operators in these contracts,” she added.

“We will continue to fine-tune the management model, to safeguard the interests of Singaporeans – patrons and hawkers – and achieve the objective of ensuring that Singaporeans have access to affordable food and hawkers can make a decent living.”

READ: Alternative social enterprise hawker management model still being evaluated: Amy Khor

Of the 114 hawker centres in Singapore, seven new centres are run by social enterprises. Dr Khor said some time is needed to evaluate and improve the management model. 

“New hawker centres take time to establish themselves,” said Dr Khor.

“Having social enterprises run seven of our new hawker centres is one of the ways we are trying to address the many challenges of the hawker trade such as renewal and manpower constraints, and at the same time meet the evolving dining needs of residents.

“Some flexibility is given to these enterprises to try out different ideas and innovative practices, to bring about vibrancy in our hawker centre scene, and benefit both patrons and hawkers,” she added.

In terms of ensuring affordable dining options, Dr Khor said NEA sets controls on food prices, assess operators whose bids offer the lowest total cost to stallholders more favourably and ensures that operators cannot increase stall rentals during the tenancy period.

“This is to ensure that Singaporeans continue to have access to affordable food in clean environments, and that our hawkers can earn a decent living,” she said.

In her Facebook post, Dr Khor also highlighted NEA’s Incubation Stall Programme which supports aspiring hawkers as a way to renew and sustain the trade. She shared a photo of young hawker Michelle Yee, who went through the programme, and said she was very happy to see her doing well running her stall at Chinatown Complex Food Centre.

READ: ‘I don’t even cook at home’: Young hawker starts his career without any culinary experience

READ: New programme launched for aspiring hawkers

SINGAPORE: ASEAN defence ministers inked the world’s first multilateral air guidelines on Friday (Oct 19), in a move aimed at managing unexpected encounters between military aircraft especially over contested areas like the South China Sea.

The ministers also strengthened regional counter-terrorism cooperation and established a network against chemical, biological and radiological threats.

The defence chiefs were gathered at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore.

At the signing of a joint declaration, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the Guidelines on Air Military Encounters will help “reduce the risk of miscalculations and de-escalate tensions during unplanned encounters among our militaries”.

These air guidelines follow the adoption of a similar set of naval protocols, called the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, at last year’s ADMM-Plus, which includes Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.

At the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in August, ASEAN and China also agreed on a single draft document that will form the basis of negotiations for a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

The adoption of the multilateral air guidelines is a “significant achievement which demonstrates our leadership to enhance peace and security in our region”, Dr Ng added.

AIR GUIDELINES

The non-binding and voluntary guidelines apply to unintentional encounters between military aircraft over high seas, ensuring safe separation to avoid creating a safety hazard.

According to the guidelines, “military aircraft should refrain from interfering with the activities of other states”.

“However, military aircraft always enjoy the rights and freedom of navigation, overflight and other internationally lawful uses related to those freedoms in high seas,” it added.

When military aircraft intentionally approach other military planes for the purpose of identification, interrogation, verification or escort, pilots should also operate with professional airmanship and avoid reckless manoeuvres.

In addition, pilots should avoid aerobatics and simulated attacks in the vicinity of other military aircraft, and discharging signal rockets, weapons or other objects in the direction of other military aircraft, except in cases of distress.

“Military aircrew should refrain from the use of uncivil language or unfriendly physical gestures,” the guidelines stated.

COUNTER-TERRORISM COOPERATION

The ASEAN ministers also agreed to adopt Indonesia’s “Our Eyes” initiative to improve strategic information-sharing on counter-terrorism.

A new network of experts to defend against chemical, biological and radiological threats will be established in order to share best practices and make quick contact during crises.

“The ministers also welcomed Singapore’s 3R – Resilience, Response, Recovery – counter-terrorism framework to guide our efforts,” Dr Ng said.

The announcements come after the ADMM Retreat in February, when Singapore – which is chairing the ADMM – told members it wanted to pursue these initiatives.

“The successful initiation of these programmes underscores the centrality of ASEAN, as collectively we have set direction and built the momentum to ensure stability in our region,” Dr Ng added.

This is the second time that Singapore is chairing the ADMM since it started in 2006.

SINGAPORE: A five-hectare site at Bay East Garden will be the home of the Founders’ Memorial, as the development to commemorate the values and ideals of Singapore’s pioneers enters a new phase.

The memorial site will include a garden, within which an indoor gallery will be built, the Founders’ Memorial committee said in a press release on Friday (Oct 19). 

The next stage of the development, which will span two years, will focus on the memorial’s design and content. It follows a two-year-period spent gathering views from more than 32,000 people that culminated in the recommendations the committee made last year.

READ: Founders’ Memorial to be at Gardens by the Bay

The memorial will focus on stories and events in Singapore’s growth as a nation, the committee said, adding that it aims to take visitors on a journey that is “moving and inspiring, educational and reflective”. 

“It intends to also capture the context for key milestones in Singapore’s nation-building history, the experiences and dilemmas of our leaders which shaped their values and principles, and how these affected their actions, policy deliberations and decisions,” the committee said.

“The site at Bay East Garden will reflect Singapore’s journey as a nation through elements such as the panoramic view of the evolving cityscape, which is a nod to Singapore’s urban planning.”

That it will be on reclaimed land along the Marina Reservoir would serve as a reminder of how Singapore dealt with water and land constraints, while the Gardens is also associated with the country’s development as a Garden City, it added. 

The committee said it is already in discussions with key organisations like the National Heritage Board, Gardens by the Bay and Urban Redevelopment Authority.

READ: Lessons for Founders’ Memorial from a few modern cities, a commentary

The memorial’s scope will cover the period before independence to the first few decades of Singapore’s independence.

Educational programmes are being developed, and the memorial is also expected to have permanent and temporary galleries, a viewing gallery and a visitor centre. 

An open design competition in January next year to call for proposals will kick-start the various project milestones for this phase, and more details will be released in the future, the committee said. 

NEW FACES IN COMMITTEE

The 15-member committee will continue with the Founders’ Memorial development efforts, with chairman Lee Tzu Yang remaining at its helm. 

Nine other members will also stay on for this period from May 1, 2018 to Oct 31, 2020, while five new faces will replace those stepping down.

The five new members are: Mr Jeff Cheong, president of Tribal Worldwide (Asia), Ms Sharany Hassan, founder and director of Legal Matters, Professor Tan Tai Yong, president and professor of Humanities (History) at Yale-NUS College, Mr Wong Siew Hoong, director-general of education at the Ministry of Education and Ms Yeoh Chee Yan, chairman of the National Heritage Board.

They will replace Madam Par Bee Gek, Mr Ong Keau, Madam Haslinda Zamani, Ms Lina Chong and Mr Zahidi Abdul Rahman.

BRUSSELS: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday (Oct 18) welcomed the upcoming signing of the European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) when they met on the sidelines of the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit in Brussels. 

The landmark trade deal – which aims to remove import duties and taxes, improve protection and market access for services providers, investors and firms, among other things – is set to be inked by Mr Lee with European Council president Donald Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday evening in the Belgium capital. 

During their meeting, both leaders also reaffirmed the strong bilateral relations between Singapore and Germany that spans trade and investment, science and technology, education and cultural sectors, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

Both Mr Lee and Ms Merkel also underscored their shared commitment to multilateralism, free trade and the rule of law, and had a frank exchange of views on developments in their respective regions. 

Mr Lee also met UK Prime Minister Theresa May, whom he last met in April on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London. 

They reaffirmed the close and excellent ties between Singapore and the UK, and welcomed closer cooperation between the UK and ASEAN. 

Regional developments were also discussed and both leaders reiterated their shared belief in the rules-based multilateral system, according to the PMO statement. 

Mr Lee also had his first meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Thursday.

With both countries serving as gateways for their respective regions, both leaders looked forward to closer economic cooperation. 

Mr Lee arrived in Brussels on Thursday morning after a one-day visit to Vienna, where he witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Singapore and Austria. The newly signed agreement aims to bolster the exchange of information and best practices in key areas of digitalisation and information and communications technology (ICT). 

Apart from the ASEM summit, Mr Lee will also attend a leaders’ meeting between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brussels.

SINGAPORE: As a teenager who uses live-streaming apps, she was alarmed to find her 10-year-old niece watching disturbing content on one such app one day: A person stripping in front of the camera.

The 18-year-old also came to know of a girl around her age who was asked to take off her clothes while using one of these apps.

Ms Koh, who declined to give her full name, is now deeply concerned about whether the app moderators are able to “moderate the live streams 24/7 (for) obscene and sexual content”.

She alerted the programme Talking Point to such activities on these apps, fretting that her niece may not know that online stripping is wrong.

READ: China busts live-stream porn app gang: Report

Live pornography, however, is not the only thing taking place on these streams. Teenagers are spending hours on these platforms, running the risk of giving out their details and being enticed by “virtual gifts” to do stuff in return.

And these apps, which let users broadcast whatever they are doing in their private space – whether it is idle chatter, singing or just their homework – are growing in popularity.

Globally, internet videos will command 80 per cent of consumer traffic by 2020, according to forecasts from Cisco Systems. In China alone, almost three-quarters of the 450 million Chinese watching videos online are live-stream users.

China’s top live-streaming celebrities can even earn more than US$700,000 (S$960,000) a year. That means their viewers, teenagers or otherwise, are not only watching but also spending on them.

As Talking Point discovered, after monitoring the popular sites for two weeks, there is more to the world of live streaming than meets the eye. (Watch the episode here.)

VOYEURISM MADE EASY

In Singapore, the top grossing live-streaming networks are not Facebook, Instagram or YouTube but apps like Bigo Live, 17 Live and Uplive, which boast features such as social networking, live video chats and trivia games.

These apps have a recommended minimum age limit, for example above 17 on Bigo Live and 17 Live. On apps like YouNow and BeLive, however, it is 12 years old.

Live-streaming teenagers such as Kyra Yew, 18, and Ryan Francisco, 19, typically spend about three hours on such apps every day. The attraction lies in “meeting new people every day”, explained Mr Francisco.

They see live streaming as a means to expand their social circle, be part of a community and, sometimes, meet up in person besides online. They have, however, also had nasty encounters online.

For example, one guy exposed his genitals to Ms Yew, and a couple showed themselves having sex. Although this kind of streaming is not allowed, “the thing is, the administrators can’t stop what they can’t see first”, she said.

Mr Francisco, who encounters sexual content about twice a month, added: “We can’t do much (to control it) because … any Tom, Dick or Harry can stream whatever he wants. So it’s more of watching the stream at your own risk.”

Talking Point host Brendon Fernandez saw for himself what happened on one teenage girl’s live stream while she was singing and doing her homework.

A viewer called her “baby”, asked for her number and, after being ignored, asked if she wanted to see his genitals.

UNAWARE PARENTS

So what are the streaming companies doing? M17 Entertainment said its technology can monitor content that users post, while BeLive – with about 500,000 registered users, of whom 60 per cent are Singaporeans – has a team moderating the content.

BeLive chief operating officer Ken Ang is not surprised that nudity and sexual acts occur occasionally.

“After all, it’s live stream; it’s raw content. So that’s the reason we have moderators to monitor 24/7,” he said. “We also develop our own image recognition tools (to detect nudity).”

Bigo Live, too, has a team of “censorship officers” inspecting the streams. To further protect minors, it has a censorship function that uses artificial intelligence to scan for facial definition and determine the user’s age.

Most of the parents Talking Point spoke to were not aware that such apps existed, and many were troubled when they found out what the teens were exposed to on the live streams.

“This is very upsetting. You have people from all over the world who can access you … in your private space. This is something we need to find some solution to,” one mother said.

While one father was discomfited by those messages the children were getting from the “wrong people”, what struck another father was that some students were giving their location away by live streaming in school and wearing their uniform.

“People can easily pick up where you are. So it all smacks of danger,” he said.

That is a concern Ms Yew’s parents have also expressed, along with the warning that her live streaming should not affect her studies.

She said: “They’re worried that, potentially, if I share something about my personal life, it could backfire and harm me.”

READ: Commentary: Live life without having to prove it on social media

Live-streaming host Jo Ann Chen advised teenagers to be streetwise. “You can set your location to private so that people don’t know where you are,” she said.

“Don’t share your personal details and … where you’d be, if you don’t want to be stalked.”

MAKING MONEY FROM IT

Ms Chen, who is in her 20s, learned how to protect herself especially because live streaming is her full-time job.

She started last year and has a fan base of over 100,000 viewers, making money from the virtual gifts they buy for her.

These gifts, from students as well as working adults, range from a few cents to a few hundred dollars and can be redeemed for cash.

Ms Chen did not divulge her income from cashing out these gifts but disclosed that some of them may come with requests. Some people would ask her to dance, for instance, before they send her something.

“I don’t (do it) because I’m quite stubborn. So when they ask me, I’d just say I wouldn’t,” she said.

Former technology journalist Oo Gin Lee, who runs a public relations agency now, said he would be very cautious if his three girls, two of whom are teenagers, were to start using live-streaming apps.

While live-streaming technology is neutral, there is cause for concern, he said, drawing a comparison between these apps and sex webcams in the past, whereby the audience could pool their money for the woman to do things such a strip.

“I’ve not seen anything like that, but I’m just saying that’s the kind of danger,” he added.

To monitor his children’s digital activities, he installed the parental control Family Link app on their mobile phones. It can set screen time limits, lock their devices and block apps until he grants an approval request.

Although parents could forbid their children to use live-streaming apps, the youngsters could find other platforms that are harder to monitor. The alternative? An honest discussion with them about precautions they could take, for example restricting location services.

Watch this episode of Talking Point here. New episodes every Thursday night.

SINGAPORE: Three hotels with 839 rooms in all will open on Sentosa from April next year, operator Far East Hospitality announced on Thursday (Oct 18).

Two, Village Sentosa and The Outpost Hotel, will open in April 2019 while The Barracks hotel is set to open in August.

The hotels, first announced last year, will target the mid-tier segment, such as families and young adults on staycation as well as business travellers, in the backdrop of a market saturated with high-end accommodation, CEO Arthur Kiong told Channel NewsAsia.

“Out of 3,200 rooms in Sentosa, approximately 90-odd per cent trade in the luxury tier,” said Mr Kiong. “So that provides us with an opportunity – not only to come in with a mid-tier proposition, but also to have a niche product to cater to a more diverse base of mid-tier travellers.”

READ: Three new hotels to open in Sentosa in mid-2019 

The hotels, found in the Palawan area of Sentosa, will be located two minutes from the Imbiah monorail station and across the road from Universal Studios Singapore. They span about 45,000sqm – or the size of 4.5 football fields.

The largest of the three will be Village Hotel at Sentosa, which will house 606 rooms targeted at families, business travellers and groups. Its facilities include themed pool zones, such as a children’s play pool and lazy river pool. 

The Outpost Hotel will add 193 rooms catering to individual travellers and adults. It will feature a rooftop pool and bar, as well as a hall for wedding celebrations. 

Meanwhile, the smallest of the three – The Barracks Hotel – will be “highly exclusive” with 40 rooms. 

It will be housed in a refurbished conserved colonial building, which formerly served as a military outpost and tourism academy.

The new hotels could help draw more locals to have a staycation on the resort island, said Mr James Walton, who is the transportation, hospitality and services leader at Deloitte Southeast Asia. 

Currently, an average of 19 million people visit Sentosa annually, with about one-third locals.

READ: It’s confirmed: Singaporeans love to go on staycations, according to a survey

“There’s a steady stream of people coming to the island, and what (Far East Hospitality) is looking for is more staycation opportunities for Singaporeans to boost the domestic tourism trend,” said Mr Walton. “Because that will help address capacity issues during off-season and earlier in the week.”

He added: “As long as they can continue to offer good rates for Singaporeans to take staycations on the island, that can have a multiplier effect as people come for the staycation but stay for other entertainment as well.”