BP 2012 Issue 2/3
The 9/11 Decade Issue
Comprehension Answers
1

How does the author illustrate the emergence of 'a generation with a fundamental commonality' (line 3)?
Lifted:

Suggested Response:

transcending borders (½) with

[1]

He describes how the youth rise above physical boundaries and limitations (½)

their unequivocal expression (½) of a to state in unison (½) their desire for connection. yearning/want for connectedness.
2

What is the author showing by using the phrase 'apparently intrinsic' to describe the importance of technology to this generation's youths (lines 11-12)?
Lifted:

[1]

Suggested Response:

shows how apparently (½) intrinsic He is implying that the youths consider
(½) it has become to the youth technology to be clearly/obviously
(½) and inextricably linked to / part of (½) their lives.
3

When the author writes that youths use technology in an 'utterly malleable and instinctive way', (line 16), what is he implying about the perception of older generations towards the use of technology? Use your own words as far as possible. Lifted:

Suggested Response:

Indeed, the youth today see technology as Play-Doh: something they use in an utterly (½) malleable (½) and instinctive (1) way.

[3]

By stating that youths today see technology as something which they can utilise in a completely/totally/ absolutely (½) adaptable/tractable
(½) and natural/spontaneous (1) way, Older generations start with 'what will He is implying that the older this box allow me to do?' generation perceives the use of
(1m for inference) technology as awkward/unnatural/ artificial/contrived (1).
4

Explain how the author justifies his use of the word 'tight-knit' to describe the friendships of the previous generation (line 48). Use your own words as far as possible. Lifted:

[2]

Suggested Response:

Once upon a time, teenagers had a The author justifies his use of the
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BP 2012 Issue 2/3
The 9/11 Decade Issue
Comprehension Answers small group of (½) friends, and within phrase by describing the social lives of this group, young people could express teenagers past as comprising of a few their individuality (½),
(½) friends with whom individuals could be themselves/show how they were different/exhibit their unique characteristics (½). but it was vital (½) that they belonged But it was of utmost importance/ to the group (½). crucial (½) that they were part of the collective/had an affirmative group identity (½).
5

What does the phrase 'out of circulation' (lines 68-69) highlight about the perception youths have of being absent even temporarily?
Lifted:

Suggested Response:

'out of (1/2) circulation(1/2)'

[2]

The phrase suggests that youths perceive being even temporarily absent from their social networks as being removed from/taken away from (½) the popular cliques (½),

Youth fear ... because they worry and this causes them considerable that... (1m for inference) anxiety (1m for inference).
6

How does the illustration of the 'best possible result in social media for young people' (lines 74-75) highlight the means by which social media has impacted the social status of youths? Use your own words as far as possible.
Lifted:

Suggested Response:

The need for approval (½) is almost tangible, (½) and it keeps young people sitting in front of the laptop continuously hitting ‘refresh’, waiting for someone to hit ‘like’ on their updates.

It highlights how social media has made the need for external validation
(½) a real/actual/substantial part (½) of the lives of youth,

Indeed, in the Social Economy it is not good enough to simply do something.
You have to tell people about it (½) and have their acknowledgement (½) before it becomes real.

that all their activities need to be announced to
(½)
and validated/affirmed/approved (½) by others. Thus, it is no wonder that the best possible result in social media for young people is when someone else uploads a photograph of you looking cool and

Thus them them their [3]

to have someone else present in a favourable light enables to get validation/affirmation of status/gain merit (½) while
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BP 2012 Issue 2/3
The 9/11 Decade Issue
Comprehension Answers then tags you. In this scenario, you get maintaining the appearance all the credit (½) without looking modesty/humility (½). overly vain or full of yourself (½).
7

of

Suggest one reason for the author ending the passage with the comparison of the youth to Narcissus (lines 85-86).
Lifted:

8

Suggested Response:

As the Social Economy increases its reach, could we find an entire generation irreparably impacted by social status anxiety so much so that, like Narcissus (1), they lose themselves in seeking to see themselves reflected (½) in the approval of the masses (½)?

[2]

He is suggesting that the social economy makes the youth vulnerable to over-indulgence (½) in their selfabsorption/search for external validation (½), just as Narcissus who persistently dwelled upon his own image (½), and that this will ultimately prove to be selfdestructive (½).
(Inference from reference to Narcissus must be drawn out.)

Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the passage. You may write your answers in one word or a short phrase.

[a] emergence (line 2)

evolution / development

[b] mould (line 30)

form / design / pattern

[c] benign (line 42)

gentle / kind

[d] vanguard (line 47)

forefront / spearhead

[e] flip-side (line 81)

[5]

opposite / reverse / in contrast

9

Using material from paragraphs 2-5, summarise what the author has to say about how technology enables and has come to shape the way young people sense and make sense of the world and others around them.

[8]

Write your summary in no more than 120 words, not counting the opening words which are printed below. Use your own words as far as possible.
Technology has become intrinsic to the life of youths today because...
Lifted:

Suggested Response:

technology represents: all the friends It helps them 1. fulfil a variety of you could ever want, all the needs and pursuits knowledge you will ever need, and
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BP 2012 Issue 2/3
The 9/11 Decade Issue
Comprehension Answers all the entertainment you could desire. For young people, technology is and is 2. relied upon for 3. perceiving more than a useful tool or an and 4. understanding the world around enabler; it truly is their sixth sense. them.
/
Technology enables young people to sense the world and make sense of the world.
Indeed, the youth today see They use it 5. flexibly and 6. naturally, technology as Play-Doh: something they use in an utterly malleable and instinctive way. this generation starts with 'what do I to 7. bring their desires and ideas to want to do? Where can my reality. imagination take me?'
It is this deep relationship with Their 8. dispositions towards society technology that is shaping their and fact are influenced, as are their 9. attitudes towards community and ideals of fairness. truth, and allowing them to reimagine justice for a new era.
If we truly want to grasp the power of They want their 10. legacy to be 11. connection for this generation, we can excellence in bonding and caring for look at how they want to be others. remembered: not for their beauty, their power or their influence, but simply for the quality of their human relationships and their ability to look after those around them. young people seek to define 12. Identity is mainly about themselves not only by what they interaction own or what they do but primarily by their ability to connect, to share and to broadcast.
Any young person with access to in a 13. perpetual social network. social media will tell you that their friends are increasingly 'everpresent'. in China and India, two-thirds of 14. Peers supersede family in young people admit that their friends affecting decision-making

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BP 2012 Issue 2/3
The 9/11 Decade Issue
Comprehension Answers have more influence over their decisions than their family does. things nowadays are more complex. and friendship networks are 15. more
Using social media, a typical teenager intricate and inter-related. is likely to manage and maintain multiple, intersecting groups of friends. In this sense, 'connecting' to a Having a 16.large network of friends broader network of friends has invariably boosts one's standing in replaced the singular need to society
'belong' to a tight-knit group of friends. /
In this new world of infinite connections, the quantity rather than quality of one's friends becomes an important indicator of one's social status and value.
The downside to amassing so many But when 17. superficial / insincere
'friends' is that you're bound to pick friendships / connections 18. abound up a rack of fakes along the way. worldwide,
This is truly a global phenomenon, known as 'stranger friends' in India,
'obligation friends' in Australia, and
'recyclable friends' in Chile
Of course, an additional downside the young find it 19. difficult to tell to maintaining such a large network /discern 20. who their genuine friends of so-called friends is that are. sometimes it becomes harder to figure out who your real friends are.
(117 Words)
20 points; full marks for any 16.
10 In this article, Brendan Thomas makes a number of observations about how the social expectations and experiences of youths have changed, given the technology that they are growing up with. How applicable do you find his observations to yourself and your own society?

[8]

Brendan Thomas observes that youths and their use of technology has caused their understanding and experience of relationships to shift because identity and notions of social status have simultaneously shifted. He highlights the differences between the generations, as well as noting some of the challenges of maintaining such broad but superficial social networks.
How are youths experiencing and using technology in Singapore? How does the context of Singapore contribute to the amount of access they have to
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BP 2012 Issue 2/3
The 9/11 Decade Issue
Comprehension Answers technology and what is their relationship with it? How are the perceptions and attitudes of the young in Singapore affected by their use of technology, and how does this affect the outlook for our ability to manage challenges which are emerging for our society (i.e. ageing population, need to sustain our economy, etc.)? In what way have some of the social shifts mentioned by Thomas manifested in
Singapore and what are the ramifications of those shifts for Singapore in the long run? Are the observations of changes in relationship dynamics and social status requirements valid, or do we have certain values/beliefs that safeguard us from losing intimacy for apparent popularity? How are we seeing these changes in our daily lives and what are the short and long term benefits or costs for our society?
When Thomas mentions the social economy and how it gives insight to hard economic value, how do we see this in action in Singapore? In what ways are the concerns for public image and the need for external validation emerging in our economy, and how conscious are our youth of such phenomenon and why?
How do we expect this to affect the future economic development of Singapore?
Are there particular aspects / components of technology that have greater influence over our youth than others? What platforms are our youth most exposed to and what sort of impact has that had on the development of their perceptions and beliefs about the world around them and about themselves? Is the suggested vulnerability of the youth of the present technological age a valid concern where Singaporean youths are concerned? Why or why not, and what are the possible ramifications of this?

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