Le [Leo]nology; Dior a la haute couture!

Friday, July 07, 2006

Good afternoon honorable adjudicators, ladies and gentleman, members of the house. I will now highlight the disadvantages of youth blogging, where I would concentrate on the possible discrimination and threats resulting from blogs in my speech. But before I start my case proper, I have a few points of contention with the opposition’s case.
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Now, let me start my case proper by stating my first main point.

The purpose of an online blog is to allow public viewers to view at blogger's posts and journal entries. This allows people all around the globe to know them further. However, i emphasize again that blogging has defeated its purpose as a web dairy as mention earlier by my first speaker.

Many youths have made used and abused the benefit of global publicity by posting content that clearly discriminates and insult others. The term discriminate suggest the biases treating of oneself worst than the other. Obviously youth bloggers have not reach a certain stage of maturity to understand how others feel, or show compassion to them. By discriminating them for their flaws on a large scale is certainly unacceptable for it is no difference from personal attacks, which harms the other party both emotionally and mentally. These bloggers are harsh in their words and clearly do not think twice before posting such material. Apparently, such materials are extremely influential which mostly likely cause the souring of friendship. This also link to the spamming of tag boards. There are many cases whereby people impersonate others by using their name as the user to post messages that clearly insult or backstab others. This is a major cause for misunderstandings between both parties, especially when most of the messages are either untrue or exaggerated. Such messages would only mislead others even more and cause more tensions. Are these bloggers fit to be in the position to spark such discontentment?

By doing so, these impersonators would not be exposed but in turn cause misunderstandings to the ones they impersonate as. Where does integrity lies? Where is the dividing line to differentiate blogs from a center or source of discrimination? Apparently blogs are only websites that encourages and nurture dishonesty, instilling a mindset to public viewers that hurting others is a common and right thing to do!

Next, Racism. Blogs widen the gap between two or more races, splitting them into individual societies. Bloggers tend to call other races names and insult them in whatever ways, ranging from their looks to their skin colour, and to their language accent. Such content is widespread, extremely sensitive and shows no respect to both parties. This will not just cause commotions among themselves but spark off racial riots and conflicts in the matter of time. Schools, together with the government in Singapore emphasize a lot in the importance of racial harmony. Yet bloggers are splitting this concept by treating other races as a laughing stock. According to the law of Singapore, anyone who does not respect other races by posting insulting comments of all sorts shall be dealt with severely under legal actions, either with a fine or a jail term. What have these bloggers the right to discriminate other races or breach the law? By focusing on a democratic society, such content is intolerant and unacceptable among the people.

Now I shall move on to my second main point which concerns threats to national security, social safety and the individuals. As technology advances, there would bound to be an increase in disagreements between countries. As a result, the number of jeopardising terrorist increases. As such, many of these terrorists are recruited at a very young age. For that, blogs allow them to notify the next terrorist activity, or worst still, spread terrorism to public viewers, corrupting the minds of the innocent, causing them to look at things regarding the government in a different perspective. Worst still, it might even encourage more to join forces with the terrorist. If that were to happen, national security and social safety is heavily threatened. Where does the people stand?

Also in youth blogging many are risked being exposed to meeting dangerous characters such as sexually deprived lecturers and perverts. Youth bloggers are often requested to meet up by anonymous bloggers or viewers. It is the responsibility of bloggers to bear in mind the rules and regulations stated by www.blogger.com, where bloggers are discouraged to meet up with an anonymous when requested. According to a Straits Time article, it was reported that blogs are like NRIC chartrooms, where people are often requested to meet up. Topping to that, it also mentioned about a case of a teenager meeting up with an anonymous, who seemed to care for her a lot in her blog. However, she ended up being sexually abused, raped. From this, youths are to bear in mind that they are risked being physically insulted, by means of sexual harassments, sexual abuse and even rape. Apparently, there is a noticeable increase in number of teens facing such problems, mostly in the name of blogging. Thus, youths must be mature and sensible enough to determine what's right and what's wrong.

Now that I have proven the infringement of social and individual discrimination, the social and individual disadvantages of youths blogging, it is very obvious that the subject concerning discriminations are prior to one sided face only and that blogging not just post as a threat, but also promotes immorality. Thus, for the welfare of not just the public viewers, but also the yet to be matured youths, this house believes that blogging by youths should be strictly regulated.

11:46 PM

strut your stuff!