5 alternative things Singaporeans can "STOMP" about
Hi guys! :)
I think everyone has seen this go viral on social media a couple of months back- basically, a Singaporean soldier in uniform does not dare to sit on an empty train in fear of being targeted by the public and having his photo posted on STOMP.
(For the benefit of my non-local friends, STOMP is an online portal for citizen journalism. It is increasingly being misused as a online vigilante platform. Singaporeans behaving badly in public get their photos taken unknowingly by members of the public, and the photos submitted to STOMP.
'Bad behaviour' can range from something as trivial as dangerous driving to something that can really threaten the future of our country, like soldiers taking up seats on public trains.)
I can attest to the fact that uniformed personnel have made significant changes to their behaviour while being in uniform in public. These days, many things they do in uniform are being deemed as 'bad behaviour', such as eating, sitting in buses and trains, being out of camp during office hours. I'm actually scared this list will soon include breathing and existing. Nobody is spared, not even a Brigadier-General refuelling his car at a petrol station.
As a feminist, I am always for the idea that you do not teach people how to prevent themselves from being raped, you TEACH people not to rape people.
By the same token, I believe we should not be teaching our Singaporean soldiers how NOT to be STOMP-ed; instead, we should teach STOMPers NOT to STOMP.
But how is that possible when users of STOMP seem to only know how to catch 'bad behaviour'? How do we teach them not to target uniformed personnel unfairly, when we don't even give them other ideas of what they can submit to STOMP?
So today, I'm pitch to Singaporeans 5 ideas of alternative things they can submit to STOMP, instead of photos of uniformed personnel.
1. Photos of people in need
One reason I believe Singaporeans should not upload photos of misbehaving people onto STOMP, is that it has no net benefit to society. Sorry, I'm really pragmatic, I'm Singaporean after all. Say you take a photo of someone not giving up his reserved seat on the bus and train, and upload it to STOMP. 3 outcomes will ensue:
1) Your audience thinks you're retarded
2) The person in the photo, if identified, may receive reprimanding from their bosses/mothers/whatever
3) Because you did not personally approach the person to request that they give up their reserved seats, the elderly/pregnant women/injured passengers will still not get a seat.
And since I assume you definitely care very passionately about the elderly and disabled in our nation, why not make your STOMP entry mean something? Now you can take a photo of a disabled/elderly person who is in need of help (face censored of course, their privacy still matters), and upload it to STOMP, directing Singaporeans to help these needy people! :D
An example: "STOMPer XYZ recently saw an old, wheelchair bound, 80 year old man at Ang Mo Kio MRT station selling packets of tissues, He is unable to walk due to diabetes and has no children or spouse to care for him. Will Singaporeans who live near Ang Mo Kio MRT please please buy some tissues from him if you see him?"
(Of course please also buy tissues from him yourself la)
2) Submit photos of cute babies
I believe most people, except psychopaths maybe, love pictures of cute animals/babies, so if you've got one, why not share the picture to the world?
You see, when you STOMP a uniformed personnel, you not only don't make yourself famous, you are making someone you don't even know or like famous (the uniformed guy).
Why not make a loved one (your baby/pet) famous instead?
Think about it- when you come back from a long hard day at work, a nice funny video would help you unwind and relax. Singapore is stressful enough as it is, nobody likes to come online to a STOMP post that is unfunny, unintellectual and not cute (i.e. a post about a uniformed serviceman sitting in the bus. I mean it's a different thing if the serviceman is cute la, but it's still an overall negative post). If you wouldn't read something like that, what makes you think others want to read it?
Baby photos will never go wrong.
3. Submit a beautiful, inspiring love story.
Everybody likes happily ever afters. Of course, it is ideal if it's a true story la! But what if like me, you have no true love story to tell? Make one up! >:)
Reading STOMP's description on wikipedia, it appears that it does not have a habit of verifying submissions before publishing them. I say, use that to your advantage! Grab an opposite sex friend, never mind if you're actually dating, write a beautiful, inspirational story and if you cannot make it sound realistic at least sound funny, and submit your entry!
"STOMPer Dels recently got engaged to her deadweight but handsome, intellectual, devoted and morally upright (like every other person who uses STOMP) fiance.
She says, 'It was tough at the beginning, he was just released from prison for vandalising a dustbin and I was an aspiring film maker with no income or inspiration. The only inspiration I could ever get was from behind my eyelids while I'm high on cider.'
But we Made It Against All Odds, it Must Have Been Love, and Our Fates Intertwined and now we're living Happily Ever After."
Or a touching, real story about your relationship with your family/best friend of 10 years is also a great idea.
4. Give an aspiring local writer/photographer/artist some prominence through STOMP.
Pragmatic Singaporean me says there's plenty to gain from this- you get your $50 reward for your submission, he/she gets a lifetime of fame and potential side income from your little feature.
Here's an example: "STOMPer ABC came across a lot of photos taken by ordinary Singaporeans featuring our aerial flypast rehearsals for NDP! We really have very skilled local photographers don't we?"
Our arts scene can afford to be more prominent and a lot of local artists deserve a platform to pursue their passions. Do help them out!
And if you die die have to submit something that is gossipy, b!tchy and controversial,
5. Make it about you.
It's healthy for us to laugh at ourselves once in a while. Come on, for so many years Singaporeans who use STOMP have been laughing at others' mistakes, particularly foreigners and National Servicemen. But let's face it, no one is infallible. We ourselves have done stupid things that we laugh about with our friends. And if you really think loser-ish behaviour by other people is worth publishing on STOMP, why not publish your own loser-ish behaviour and let the whole nation laugh along with you? :)
In all seriousness
This entry hopes to help Singaporeans explore more beneficial, helpful, productive ways they can go about earning that $50 from STOMP. Everyday we're given a choice of what we want to put out in the world. You can choose hatred and negativity, or you can make it positive and hopeful.
Money is money- to some Singaporeans, $50 may not mean a lot but to others it can mean the next utility bill paid, the next meal settled for or new uniforms for their children. And because submitting nonsense to STOMP is an easy way to get this money, I don't blame the needy for resorting to this. And to others, it might be a way of letting off steam after facing some injustice they have no courage to confront on the spot. But really? Inflicting so much long-term damage to society just for a short-term gain?
It's not that difficult for us all to co-exist, especially with people (like unformed personnel) who don't mean any harm to you and are just going about their lives, minding their business. They might even turn out to be really nice people when you know them, you don't need to pick for bones in an egg. Try being nice to people on STOMP, it is possible. :)
Coming up:
1. Tomato pasta recipe
2. How I stay happy all the time
3. On "intellectual bloggers", Singapore history and the late LKY. Promised a friend to write this, but couldn't due to exams :(
I think everyone has seen this go viral on social media a couple of months back- basically, a Singaporean soldier in uniform does not dare to sit on an empty train in fear of being targeted by the public and having his photo posted on STOMP.
(For the benefit of my non-local friends, STOMP is an online portal for citizen journalism. It is increasingly being misused as a online vigilante platform. Singaporeans behaving badly in public get their photos taken unknowingly by members of the public, and the photos submitted to STOMP.
'Bad behaviour' can range from something as trivial as dangerous driving to something that can really threaten the future of our country, like soldiers taking up seats on public trains.)
I can attest to the fact that uniformed personnel have made significant changes to their behaviour while being in uniform in public. These days, many things they do in uniform are being deemed as 'bad behaviour', such as eating, sitting in buses and trains, being out of camp during office hours. I'm actually scared this list will soon include breathing and existing. Nobody is spared, not even a Brigadier-General refuelling his car at a petrol station.
As a feminist, I am always for the idea that you do not teach people how to prevent themselves from being raped, you TEACH people not to rape people.
By the same token, I believe we should not be teaching our Singaporean soldiers how NOT to be STOMP-ed; instead, we should teach STOMPers NOT to STOMP.
But how is that possible when users of STOMP seem to only know how to catch 'bad behaviour'? How do we teach them not to target uniformed personnel unfairly, when we don't even give them other ideas of what they can submit to STOMP?
So today, I'm pitch to Singaporeans 5 ideas of alternative things they can submit to STOMP, instead of photos of uniformed personnel.
1. Photos of people in need
1) Your audience thinks you're retarded
2) The person in the photo, if identified, may receive reprimanding from their bosses/mothers/whatever
3) Because you did not personally approach the person to request that they give up their reserved seats, the elderly/pregnant women/injured passengers will still not get a seat.
And since I assume you definitely care very passionately about the elderly and disabled in our nation, why not make your STOMP entry mean something? Now you can take a photo of a disabled/elderly person who is in need of help (face censored of course, their privacy still matters), and upload it to STOMP, directing Singaporeans to help these needy people! :D
An example: "STOMPer XYZ recently saw an old, wheelchair bound, 80 year old man at Ang Mo Kio MRT station selling packets of tissues, He is unable to walk due to diabetes and has no children or spouse to care for him. Will Singaporeans who live near Ang Mo Kio MRT please please buy some tissues from him if you see him?"
(Of course please also buy tissues from him yourself la)
2) Submit photos of cute babies
Picture credit to Xiaxue
You see, when you STOMP a uniformed personnel, you not only don't make yourself famous, you are making someone you don't even know or like famous (the uniformed guy).
Why not make a loved one (your baby/pet) famous instead?
Think about it- when you come back from a long hard day at work, a nice funny video would help you unwind and relax. Singapore is stressful enough as it is, nobody likes to come online to a STOMP post that is unfunny, unintellectual and not cute (i.e. a post about a uniformed serviceman sitting in the bus. I mean it's a different thing if the serviceman is cute la, but it's still an overall negative post). If you wouldn't read something like that, what makes you think others want to read it?
Baby photos will never go wrong.
3. Submit a beautiful, inspiring love story.
Everybody likes happily ever afters. Of course, it is ideal if it's a true story la! But what if like me, you have no true love story to tell? Make one up! >:)
Reading STOMP's description on wikipedia, it appears that it does not have a habit of verifying submissions before publishing them. I say, use that to your advantage! Grab an opposite sex friend, never mind if you're actually dating, write a beautiful, inspirational story and if you cannot make it sound realistic at least sound funny, and submit your entry!
"STOMPer Dels recently got engaged to her deadweight but handsome, intellectual, devoted and morally upright (like every other person who uses STOMP) fiance.
She says, 'It was tough at the beginning, he was just released from prison for vandalising a dustbin and I was an aspiring film maker with no income or inspiration. The only inspiration I could ever get was from behind my eyelids while I'm high on cider.'
But we Made It Against All Odds, it Must Have Been Love, and Our Fates Intertwined and now we're living Happily Ever After."
Or a touching, real story about your relationship with your family/best friend of 10 years is also a great idea.
4. Give an aspiring local writer/photographer/artist some prominence through STOMP.
Seen some nice photos on Facebook by some obscure, aspiring photographer with a good lens but very little fame? Read a nice blog by a good writer who doesn't seem to have a large online following? You are reading one right now Make their dreams come true- contact them and ask if you can feature them on STOMP!
Pragmatic Singaporean me says there's plenty to gain from this- you get your $50 reward for your submission, he/she gets a lifetime of fame and potential side income from your little feature.
Here's an example: "STOMPer ABC came across a lot of photos taken by ordinary Singaporeans featuring our aerial flypast rehearsals for NDP! We really have very skilled local photographers don't we?"
Photo Credit to Jensen Chua
Photo credit to Chadwyn Goh.
Photo credit: geopoteet
(For more fan submitted photos of our SG50 flypast rehearsals check out this album and like the RSAF Facebook page!)
And if you die die have to submit something that is gossipy, b!tchy and controversial,
5. Make it about you.
It's healthy for us to laugh at ourselves once in a while. Come on, for so many years Singaporeans who use STOMP have been laughing at others' mistakes, particularly foreigners and National Servicemen. But let's face it, no one is infallible. We ourselves have done stupid things that we laugh about with our friends. And if you really think loser-ish behaviour by other people is worth publishing on STOMP, why not publish your own loser-ish behaviour and let the whole nation laugh along with you? :)
In all seriousness
This entry hopes to help Singaporeans explore more beneficial, helpful, productive ways they can go about earning that $50 from STOMP. Everyday we're given a choice of what we want to put out in the world. You can choose hatred and negativity, or you can make it positive and hopeful.
Money is money- to some Singaporeans, $50 may not mean a lot but to others it can mean the next utility bill paid, the next meal settled for or new uniforms for their children. And because submitting nonsense to STOMP is an easy way to get this money, I don't blame the needy for resorting to this. And to others, it might be a way of letting off steam after facing some injustice they have no courage to confront on the spot. But really? Inflicting so much long-term damage to society just for a short-term gain?
It's not that difficult for us all to co-exist, especially with people (like unformed personnel) who don't mean any harm to you and are just going about their lives, minding their business. They might even turn out to be really nice people when you know them, you don't need to pick for bones in an egg. Try being nice to people on STOMP, it is possible. :)
Coming up:
1. Tomato pasta recipe
2. How I stay happy all the time
3. On "intellectual bloggers", Singapore history and the late LKY. Promised a friend to write this, but couldn't due to exams :(
Comments
Post a Comment