Topic: Youths’ Aspirations

Roles:

Name Roleplay Character

Jayden Asian Mum (Angry and stubborn)

Hazael Psychologist and Data Analytics (Factual and Blunt)

Kang Bo Average Youth (Has agency to do whatever he wants at home)

Shahyaan Host (Engage the audience, adding occasional witty humor to

lighten the mood)

The main aim of this talk show is to shed light on the struggles of youths, more specifically
youth’s and their aspirations in life. One issue that is commonplace amongst youths in
Singapore is that their future are confined to societal and familial expectations, which hinders
their progress in life, resulting in future problems such as being forced to stick to a job that one
does not like for a lifetime.

Arguments:

Jayden

My son’s future determines me and my husband’s future. If he earns little, how will he have
enough money to feed us when we are old and frail. Our retirement plan will be messed up,
no food to eat, no house to stay, how can we survive? The only way for him to earn enough
money, is to become a lawyer or doctor or government. But my son wants to become an artist,
stays at home and paints every time. Even after I confiscated all his painting materials, he
always hides in his room to paint. I get so angry every time. I told him many times to study
well, get a good grade, enter a good university, get a good job and live a happy life. But he
doesn’t listen, always wants to do what he wants. I am the mother, I know what is best for
him, if he fails, he will become like those beggars on the streets, those grab food drivers,
earning such meager salary. How can he even start a family like this, you mean that I can no
longer bear a grandson? Now with inflation, economy is very bad, finding a good job is getting
harder. The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. Yet he still doesn’t want to work
hard. It’s not that I am being unreasonable, I do manage my expectations of him, I just want
the best for him. I just believe that he should “suffer now” so that he can enjoy later. Maybe
my expectations are a bit high, but without high expectations, how can one even set the
standard? I am not saying that being artist is bad, there are some artists who indeed become
very successful, but how many of the successful ones can you name? Do you know any local
artists from Singapore? Very few right? So becoming doctor is the safest route. It is okay if he
feels stress, everyone will feel stress, even I as a mother feel stress. He just must learn how
 to manage.

Hazael

According to a study conducted by Thomas Curran in 2022, young people’s

perceptions of their parents’ expectations and criticism has increased over 32 years.
This caused a rise in perfectionism of said youth. Perfectionism was also found to
contribute to various psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety, self harm,
and eating disorders. Mr Andrew Hill, professor of Psychology at York St John
University, added that the pressure for youth to meet certain expectations was higher
than before. This could also be a basis for a public health issue. Curran observed that
Parental expectations could come at a high cost if seen as excessive. Youths
internalise those expectations, and anchor their self esteem onto them. If they fail to
meet those expectations, they start blaming themselves and try to be perfect to
compensate. This fall in self esteem could be detrimental to their mental health, which
is pitiable and can easily be avoided.

Kang Bo
Even though having expectations may be good, a study found that parents’ educational
expectations for children can have a positive effect on mental health and marks. However,
when parents’ educational expectations are excessive, children can experience negative
effects and do worse in school!

Shahyaan

Welcome to tonight show where we will be discussing about youths and their aspirations,
owing to the recent events of increase stress rates in singapore, we have dethroned India in
being the world’s most stressful country. What’s truly the underlying cost in having the best
education system in the world?

[Introduction]

Brainstorming

Teens aspirations = their dreams

Parents should not restrict teens aspirations
Teens should have the freedom to chase their dreams
Restricting their freedom to do so will result in mental health issues.

Script

Host:
Welcome to red Island where we will be diving deep into a new topic about youth and their
aspirations, with the aspirations of youth on the line there’s been a recent increase of stress
rates in singapore, with our workers and students being the most overworked individuals in the
world, we are 7% more stressed than the global average. What’s truly the underlying cost in
having the best education system in the world? And what are the consequences and benefits
that come with youths pursuing their aspirations?

(Turns to presenters)

Today we are bringing you with the esteemed presence of doctor Haz. An expert in the field of
psychology, he taught in NUS and is the most sought after psychologist in south east Asia. Then
we have, Tsai Choo, a concerned mother about the current state of her son. Last but not least,
Kang Bo, an average youth who is passionate to speak about the viability of non-conventional
careers.

What do you feel about the aspirations of youths and what’s your opinions on it since you have
a son currently going through the Singapore education system.

Mother:

As the quote goes, “The younger generation is the biggest investment of the older generation”. I
believe that the future of my son determines the future of my husband and I. All I ask of my son
is simple: do well in school, get a good job, earn a decent salary, and feed my husband and I.
After all these years of hard-earned money spent on his education, I would naturally want him to
excel academically. However, my son recently said that he wants to pursue a career in the arts.
This really came as a shock to me, because he has always been doing well in Secondary
school, getting consistent GPA 4.0s. My husband and I have already crafted his future for him,
aspiring him to be either a lawyer or a doctor. Right now, all we want him to focus on is his
studies, and anything else is merely a distraction. Personally, I believe that his passion for the
arts is more of a hobby, and cannot be pursued as a job. After all, I am his mother, I know best.

Host:

Dr Haz, what is your opinion on Tsai Choo’s idea on how her son’s choices now will affect his
career path, job opportunities and the money he makes in the future?

Psychologist:

If her ultimate concern is the salary of her son, I think that can be allayed. A study conducted by
the NTUC task force looked into youths who chose more “unconventional” jobs, per se. 2,000
youths were found to be struggling with their “traditional” jobs, and the government was stepping
up to assist them to pursue their own job choices. These include entrepreneurship, sports et
cetera. This goes to show that even the government recognises that people can make a living
from different jobs, not just being a lawyer or doctor. Thus, your son can definitely provide for
you and fulfill your wishes, even with a job as an artist in these times.
Average Youth:

I agree. Since your son being an artist can support you and your husband financially, why force
him to be a doctor or lawyer when he doesn’t want to be one?

If your son pursues a job that he has no interest in, it would not be good for your mental health
as being forced to work without any motivation will be monotonous and depressing. Would you
really want your son to go through that? Mental health is very important! I don’t think he will go
far in his career if he doesn't like his job.

Your son might be very stressed by your academic expectations, so you should not be an
overbearing parent and give unnecessary pressure.

Mother:

It’s not that I am setting unrealistic expectations of my son, or ignoring his aspirations. I just
believe that there are times where one has fun, and right now is not the time. Stress is
inevitable, and everyone experiences stress, but it is just how one learns to cope. While some
might argue that painting acts as a way for him to release his stress and that confiscating his
painting materials is unjust, I believe that there are other ways to destress. This can be in the
form of doing mathematics questions, listening to classical music and much more. I believe that
at this stage, his hobby of painting is distracting him from his studies, and it's practically a drug
that I have to stop feeding him.

Average Youth:

But painting is not just a hobby to your son, it's his passion and interest! It is possible for him to
earn money as an artist in the future, and since he already has a 4.0 GPA and can maintain it,
why not let him paint as long as he keeps his grades up? If you keep on pressuring him in
academics, his stress may pile up as subjects get more difficult. And if that stress goes too high,
his grades will suffer. Hobbies and aspirations can even indirectly help students with their
grades. Stress may be good, but too much is bad.

When I was in Sec 1 and 2, my parents wanted me to study triple science to pursue a job in the
science field. But since I had no interest in it, my grades were a struggle to maintain and I found
it hard to focus when studying. However, after starting to pursue art, my mental health and self
esteem improved a lot more and I started doing well in the subjects I took. Letting him pursue
his dream job will let him be much happier.

Psychologist:

Yes, that is one-hundred percent true. Having passions outside of school has been linked to a
better self esteem in youth. This self-esteem goes a long way. Aside from merely improving
mental health, it also can help grades. As a psychologist for 25 years myself, I have personally
seen many such cases. One youth i talked to had similar concerns such as yourself. However,
he was able to maintain his passion, which is coding, while still excelling in studies. That is
certainly not out of the question for your son.

Mother:

Say I allow my son to pursue his passion in the arts, and support his decision to become a
painter. What are the chances he can succeed? How can we be sure that he will not become
yet another failed artist in Singapore? Frankly, how many successful local artists can you name?
Very few indeed. This is because choosing the art stream is very unconventional, and to a
certain degree dangerous. Especially now when the state of the economy is so bad, inflation is
exponetially high. Money is king and everything. We certainly cannot afford for our son to be
poor. As the common saying goes, “the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer”. Hence, I
still hold the premise that choosing a career in the direction of science is the safest route.

Host:

[question mother’s premise, saying how there are some artists who develop overseas]

If he pursues a career in science, disliking the stream and not enjoying the job or career he has
taken route in, won’t that lead to dull and boring life for your son? adding on to that, Very few
people succeed and excel when studying in Singapore, won’t a suitable choice be to send your
son overseas to further his studies with the various resources that could be found beyond
Singapore.

Psychologist:

Another point we must consider is the youths’ mental health. A study was conducted by Dr.
Thomas Curran on youths’ mental health after parents’ expectations. It gives some insight into
this issue. “Parental expectations have a high cost when they’re perceived as excessive,”
Curran said. “Young people internalize those expectations and depend on them for their
self-esteem. And when they fail to meet them, as they invariably will, they’ll be critical of
themselves for not matching up. To compensate, they strive to be perfect.” This perfectionism is,
of course, inevitable. No one can be truly perfect. When the youths eventually find out, the
effects are adverse. Why force them to adhere to impossible expectations when the result is this
bad?

Mother:

So you are saying that I’m making my son have mental problems? Are you serious? If someone
can be so mentally weak that they get depressed when they cannot solve a mathematics
question, then he is not my son.
Host:

Right ,well,Moving on, Kang Bo What is then your opinion on mental health issues correlating
with youths and pursuing their aspirations.

Average Youth

I agree with Dr Haz, mental health of youths is of utmost importance.

I read about a study where they found that when educational expectations are too high, the
chance of having depression and anxiety increases.

Last time when my parents wanted me to score high marks and pursue triple science, I was
always very anxious when coming to school as I was always scared that I would fall behind. But
when my parents allowed me to pursue the arts, my mental wellbeing improved a lot. One of my
role models is a popular poet and playwright Alfian Sa’at, who has written many books, with
some of these books even appearing in Literature assignments. Following my dreams and
looking up to my role model, my journey through the arts have been smooth sailing.

That’s why I think you should give your child more freedom to choose his own career. It will let
him have better mental health and still be able to achieve success with hard work.

Psychologist:

Societal pressures also have an adverse effect on youths. Pressure from parents is enough, but
a large society “against” them? Traditional jobs are seen as superior to other jobs. Thus, people
who take more unconventional jobs will be cast aside by society and considered inferior. This on
its own is already detrimental to the mental health of youths. Combined with parents’
expectations, youths may feel even worse. All of that for taking an unpopular job?

Mother:

Precisely why my son should choose a more conventional science career.

Average Youth:

I think what Dr Haz is trying to say is that unconventional jobs should be normalized and that
can be done by encouraging more youths who are interested in arts to take unconventional job
careers. Youths should stand up against societal pressure to have more freedom and parents
play a pivotal role in supporting their children in this journey.

Host:
So, we agree that societal expectations, pressure and parent’s expectations should be managed
to ensure youths can thrive in pursuing their aspirations without the feeling of guilt and
disappointment of letting down their parents and being able to be free to choose what they want
to do.

Average Youth:

I agree, we should learn to take the first step in normalizing unconventional jobs, and allow
every youth to have the freedom to choose their own careers. Parents should never feel let
down when their child pursues art.

Mother:

So you guys are saying that, if I were to give my son more freedom to choose what he wants in
his career, it is guaranteed that he would excel, and not fail?

Average Youth:

Even if he fails, that doesn’t mean that he won’t excel in the future. As we all know, failures are
not the end of the world. Failure is a crucial part of success, and he should know how to accept
occasional failures. Everyone encounters failures, so those who learn to accept failure will
ultimately succeed.

Mother:

I do recognise that my son is not perfect, and he does have flaws, and he will encounter failure
one day. However, I am just afraid of the repercussions of his failure. If he were to fail, do we
have the money and effort to provide him with the necessary support?

Average Youth:

You should have more confidence in your son. Even if he encounters minor failures along the
way, that does not mean that he can’t succeed. If you support him fully through his journey, he
can and will succeed!

Mother:

Perhaps I do have to learn to have confidence in my son, recognising that failure is a part of
success and he has to learn how to pick himself up when he fails. Maybe I will have a talk with
him one day, to discuss about what he truly wants and his aspirations. And I will share my
opinion and view on this matter, but give him some freedom to choose what he wants.

Host:
All in all, based on what’s been said so far, youths feel stress from expectations that are too
high. Thus, “overzealous” parents should learn to respect their decisions at times. Ultimately,
parents should give freedom but still be there to guide their child. Youths undergo a lot of stress
at this period of their lives, and are old enough to be given free rein of their own passions and
interests. Of course, parents can still give suggestions as they wish, but should not try to derail
the youths from the paths they want. Let them take charge of their future, and they’ll be there to
take care of yours. And that’s a wrap on Red Island talks, Thank you Doctor Haz, Mrs Tsai
Choo, Kang Bo and viewers for tuning in. This is your host, Zaza signing off. Goodnight

Resources (Links to articles, videos etc)

Title Brief Summary + Relevance Link

to Topic

NTUC launches task force to Data on how youths are https://www.channelnewsasia

look into work-life aspirations feeling in their current jobs .com/singapor]l.
of young people and their future aspirations \\\\\\\\\/ntuc-youth-task-force-e
ngage-
Talks about how youths who youths-work-life-career-aspira
(Jayden) chose non-traditional jobs are tions-2830856
doing well (rebuttal to Asian
mum)

Commentary How parental expectations https://www.channelnewsasia

affects a child’s growth .com/commentary/youth-ment
(Jayden) al-health-parenting-style-emo
tional-skill-teach-2994061

“Success” or “Failure”? It’s All Expectations are good as it https://businessadvance.com/

How you Shape Expectations sets standards leadership-effectiveness/shap
ing_expectations/
(Jayden)

”Parents, Do You Save For
Your Own Retirement Or Pay
For Your Children’s College?”
(Jayden)
Only fair for parents to plan
for their child’s future, as it
affects the parent’s retirement
plan
https://www.forbes.com/sites/
ericbrotman/2023/05/24/pare
nts-do-you-save-for-your-own
-retirement-or-pay-for-your-ch
ildrens-college/?sh=6acf2de3
6feb

(Shahyaan) expectations are required to https://www.youtube.com/wat

Rising to high expectations build a child up and for him or ch?v=Elav44kQYUo
her to succeed

Rising Parental expectations parental expectations that the https://www.apa.org/news/pre

child thinks are “extreme” can ss/releases/2022/03/parental-
Linked to Perfectionism In
give the child perfectionism, expectations-perfectionism#:
College Students which has damaging mental ~:text=“Parental%20
health consequences. expectations%20have%20a%
(Hazael) 20
high,themselves%20for%20n
ot%20matching%20up.

(Kang Bo) Children should decide on https://www.straitstimes.com/

How early career exploration their own what their singapore/jobs/how-early-car
programmes are giving the aspirations and dream job will eer-exploration-programmes-
young a head start be are-giving-the-young-a-head-
start

(Kang Bo) Parents should not force their https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

The Effect of Educational children to conform to their pmc/articles/PMC9655286/
Expectations on Children’s expectations and instead give
Cognition and Depression them more freedom