Stomp is a local website popular for providing the latest news and gossips of happenings around Singapore. It is a user-based website which generates chat discussions and topics from what it's users post, acting like a hybrid between a discussion forum and informative page. We had to visit Stomp during our lesson, familiarizing ourselves with the how citizen journalism works. Citizen journalism is basically the concept of members of the public community playing an active role in collecting and contributing news and information, and that is how and why Stomp snatches all the spotlight in our local internet popularity. Being a website totally organised and moderated by the common public, not necessarily having the need to be professional, allows everyday readers like us to instantly connect with the issues that are presented in the website. The encouragement of audience participation also gives readers a sense of authority and belonging, giving them the mindset of having an important role to play in the society.
However, each and every person has his/her individual views on every little thing on the face of the planet. And being a frequent patron of individuality, i feel that Stomp has a negative effect on the mindsets and behaviors of us Singaporeans. Using the topics posted on Stomp for instance, they are accurate examples of how Singaporeans think and how they approach issues, be it everyday ones or those of major priority. Stomp has become a representation of our petty complains and childish mindsets, ranging from irrelevant and miniscule posts about how people drive on the road to how teenagers dress skimpishly in public, all which i feel are a waste of time for those visitors who have an apt for actual news that makes a difference.
With that said, i've tried proving my point that a handful of Singaporeans have too much time on their hands, finding the need to stir up gossip and antagonize emotions just for the sake of public recognization. Afterall, we're all Singaporeans, and being in a country like this all our lives, these upsetting attitude of ours actually finds the frequent need for these sort of emotionally agravating issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment