Updates

The recent debate over two controversial advertisements highlighted the need for media literacy training.While the industry’s self-regulatory group (Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore - ASAS) acknowledged indecency and called for it’s removal, it was ironically some man-in-the-street who feel otherwise. Studies show that only 8% of advertising messages are processed by our brains, with the remainder influencing us in ways we do not even begin to realise. That means that 92% of advertising messaging influence us without our awareness!  Women take in unrealistic ideals of beauty and slimness; body parts (especially of women) are objectified and influence attitudes towards sex and violence. Continue Reading

Mobile gaming is fast becoming the dominant past-time of kids in IT-enabled Singapore. From mealtime to bedtime, it’s rare to find a child who is not connected to either the iPhone, Nintendo Gameboy, Playstation Portable or a mobile device of some sort. Many parents worry about the impact of such a radical change in the development of the child. However, no one actually knows the actual long-term impact of such activities on our kids. From a research perspective, short-term experiments are inadequate and there are also significant ethical issues involved in testing children. Anecdotal evidences abound but research is relatively Continue Reading

Kingmaker is in the news! With over 20 years of experience in cross cultural integration and exchange, Kingmaker’s Principal Consultant Mr. Tan Hee Guan shared with Lianhe Zaobao about his various initiatives to engage and befriend foreign students, overseas volunteering trips and numerous ways he has kept in touch with his cross-cultural friends these years. Mr. Tan emphasised the significance and effectiveness of inviting cross-cultural friends to our own homes for meals. The very notion of ‘home’ is particularly meaningful to those who come from other countries and cultures; it not only gives them opportunity to experience the warmth and Continue Reading