Why Are So Many Young Men Prone To Mental Illness?

All images provided by Pangdemonium. It’s difficult to be a young man these days. And The Son agrees. Zachary Pang stars in the titular role of Pangdemonium’s latest play, which explores how a modern family deals—or fails to deal—with their son’s depression. Adolescent mental heal

by Dennis Chen

February 13, 2020

The Case For Not Spending Chinese New Year At Home

It’s that time of the year again.  A time of endless feasting, steamboats and pineapple tarts, of getting together with your favourite cousins; of red packets from that rich uncle padding your piggy bank.  These are a few of our favourite things. But as we’ve gotten older, we’ve starte

by Dennis Chen

January 23, 2020

Every Generation Insults Each Other in Its Own Unique Way. How is Gen Z Doing it?

Top image from Unsplash by Igor Miske. “Gonna yeet myself outta here.” “Oof. Fat mood.” “Weird flex but okay.” “Damn, she’s thicc af.” “Ok boomer.” If these sentences sound like an aneurysm given sentience, it means you’ve been long unplugged from the collec

by Dennis Chen

December 27, 2019

Where Should Youths Stand On The National Budget: Apathy or Involvement?

Top image: Unsplash, by Goh Rhy Yan. One of the surest signs you’re a grown-up is when you start to tune in to the annual Budget. As nascent taxpayers, you would be curious about how your hard earned money might be cycled back to ease your financial burdens. This signature utilitarian mindse

by Dennis Chen

December 20, 2019

Is Religion Traumatic Or Empowering? It Depends On How We Interpret It

All images taken by Jeff Busby. Like all dreams, it began in the middle. Parachuted into the school hall, stuck behind an exam desk or amongst faceless students waiting to collect their results. I was always in school uniform. Next, the lurch. The Mathematics or Chemistry (or both at once?) pa

by Dennis Chen

December 10, 2019

We’re Taught That Most Relationships Are Transactional, So We Treat Nature the Same Way

All images by Cheryl Tang. Like many Singaporeans, my first lesson in economics was learnt at my primary school canteen. For the first time I had to buy my own food—money in exchange for a good; $0.50 for a bowl of fish ball noodles. For much of the developed world, transactions are the way

by Dennis Chen

December 5, 2019

How Do You Manage A Media Franchise? Pokemon Answers: Compromise and Nostalgia

My one and only stuffed toy is a Charmander I got from a Happy Meal. This 17 year old chou chou substitute has seen me through crushes and national exams and NS, constantly reminding me of my abiding love for Pokemon. I’m not this global phenomenon’s only fanatic. Pokemon is the largest, high

by Dennis Chen

November 22, 2019

Why Is There So Much Sponsored Content? The Broken Economics of Content Creation

Screenshot from Naomi Neo. Sponsored content. The scourge invading social media feeds everywhere. When I last wrote about the homogenous state of Singapore’s YouTube scene, my interviewees wouldn’t shut up about the disdain they had for influencers as vehicles for advertising. And you, our

by Dennis Chen

November 10, 2019

Flipped Cars and Getting Stranded: Travel Stories That Went Out of Hand.

Top image from Unsplash by Felina Hung. Singaporeans are a crazy adventurous bunch. Our claustrophobic city state leaves us yearning for the wider world. More sights! More food! More experiences! You might think: what could possibly go wrong? Well, we have three stories from Singaporeans on

by Dennis Chen

November 9, 2019

Are Environmental Lifestyles Only For The Wealthy and Privileged?

Top image by Cheryl Tang. I hate metal straws with a burning passion. It’s not that I want more sea turtles to suffer, but metal straws capture the essence of a particularly insidious mindset when it comes to combating environmental issues: rampant ecological consumerism. You know the tre

by Dennis Chen

November 8, 2019

Will Today’s Young Adults Be The Last Generation To Grow Up With Hawker Centres?

All photos by Cheryl Tang. The article has been amended for clarity. “My mother told me that a woman is most beautiful when she is sitting alone and eating.” Tan Hui Er’s cryptic statement takes me aback. At first glance it sounds like another trite hipster aphorism, but if I squint with

by Dennis Chen

November 7, 2019

4 Horror Stories Scarier Than Your Insecure, Micromanaging Boss

Top image from Unsplash by @neonbrand. The first time I landed in a hospital was at Disneyland. Aged six and the furthest I’ve been from home, my foolish father made two mistakes. One, he asked for warm water, which in the wilderness of the United States got translated into boiling hot water

by Dennis Chen

October 30, 2019