Ugly

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sKpDNI4lMFY

If you found this video funny, wait till you see the real deal:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jlDqDFWW5rs&feature=related

Despite our country being renowned for its cleanliness, efficiency and sleek cosmopolitan image, Singaporeans are making a very bad name for themselves on online communities like Youtube, by posting shocking videos like the one above displaying very ugly behaviour from our everyday lives caught on film. The heated debates under some of the comments sections only make things worse by aggravating and polarising differences in opinions, clearly showing how strongly people feel about these videos.

 What exactly were these people thinking when they posted these videos online? Did they want the entire world with internet access to see how rude, uncouth and uncivilised Singaporeans can be? What were they trying to communicate to the people clicking on these links, beyond the sensational value of such videos?

 I have to point out that a simple search at the Youtube website on the keyword ‘Singapore’ produced quite a few links to these ugly videos. Imagine the scenario of a foreigner who has little or no knowledge of Singapore doing a search on Youtube for Singapore-related videos, and reacting to disgust to these videos. Also, imagine Singaporeans working or studying overseas seeing these videos, or having to answer thorny questions that their foreign friends ask after viewing these videos.

Of course, viewers of Youtube are usually smart, discerning audience. We all know that there are rude and uncivilised people in all parts of the world, whether or not we actually have an experience with such people, or we have seen or heard of them. Based on the limited effects media theory, these viewers have the ability to critically analyse and evaluate what they consume. However, we cannot deny the existence of factors like lasting first impressions and the Mean World Hypothesis resulting from long-term cultivation. After all, one key idea about communication is that it is irreversible. I.e. Audience (Especially heavy viewers) are very likely to remember what they see, and have difficulty erasing what they have consumed.

Excessive or repeated exposure to videos showing off the very ugly side of Singaporeans may result in a misconception of the cultural norms of our culture. Certain prototypes and constructs are formed, which subsequently lead to misled attributions. For example, a foreigner unfamiliar with Singapore but interested in coming here for a vacation who views the videos may think twice about coming, because he has, as a result, formed a bad prejudiced stereotype of how Singaporeans behave. He may attribute it to the cultural norm of our society, because he sees many videos depicting such uncouth behaviour on a single website. Fundamental attribution bias is present here. 

We all know that these videos (presented on Youtube in exagerrating numbers) have gravely misrepresented our culture and society. Nevertheless, cultural miscommunication happens in such instances, and happens very easily and especially frequently through our increasing use of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). Young children are becoming more and more IT-savvy, and this means that they are learning more about the world through the Internet. However, a good percentage of information of the Internet is highly unreliable and misinformative.