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June 2011
Editorial
ven as I write, changes are taking place in the world of mobile internet, social media and internet technology. There just seems to be no way to keep absolutely up-to-date.
Imagine then the dilemma for users! While young people seem to have a natural attitude and knack for these technological and communication changes, parents seem to have a harder time just to keep up. This issue of Youth Hong Kong discusses this and other issues related to mobile internet, talking to young people, parents, educators and others about how and where this technology will develop. What emerges is how to respond, adapt and utilize these advancements in a positive and creative way, while remaining vigilant to potential pitfalls as well. We look forward to hearing from you, maybe through your mobile internet!
Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP Executive Director The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups June 2011
Mobile internet:
Highlight
June 2011
The mobile internet is part of youth culture, but for the digital immigrants who were born before the 1980s and grew up without computers, getting going with it and keeping up with its pace of change can be a real challenge. Nevertheless, the mobile internet is a reality and anyone who wants to stay in touch with a young persons world should know about it.
We spend more time connected to the internet than people in China or Britain.
Highlight
teenage sons and daughters. Grandparents, with more time at their disposal, maximize contact with distant family, sharing photo albums and news. There are still more adults than teenagers on Facebook at present and it is used for business purposes, not just social contact, on both smartphones and computers.
Notes and sources 1 Michael, David. The Connected Harbour. Boston Consulting Group, May 2011, p.9. 2 This figure is based on statistics which you can watch changing by the second at http://www.phonecount.com/pc/count.jsp, a source cited in http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Mobile_Internet_growth#cite_note-6. 3 http://www.futuregov.asia/blog/2011/apr/26/jeremy-godfrey-looking-back/ 4 Donald, Stephanie Hemelryk (Dean, Media and Communication, RMIT University of Melbourne.) Youth, Society and Mobile Media in Asia. London, New York: Routledge, 2010. 5 Doerr, John. In Murphy, Matt & Meeker, Mary. Top Mobile Internet Trends. KPCB, February 2011. 6 Collier, Anne and Magid, Larry. A Parents Guide to Facebook. ConnectSafely, 2011, http://www.staysafeonline.org/blog/%E2%80%9C-parents%E2%80%99guide-facebook%E2%80%9D-great-new-resource-connectsafelyorg-andikeepsafe-coalition.
June 2011
Insight interviews
Growing up mobile
Mobile and enabled
Youth aged 15-24 are early adopters of smartphones everywhere but compare Italy, top of the chart at 47%, and India on the bottom at 10%. China is at 29% and Hong Kong at 24%.
communicate from anywhere, in any time zone, in a more collaborative way. 53% 62% 64% 67% 71% 71% 75% 90%
The growth of Chinas mobile internet is one of the biggest trends in China and Asia.
Smartphone
Fortunately prices of new tools like 47% Italy 38% Spain 36% UK 33% US 29% Germany 29% China 25% Russia 10% India smartphones are coming down, partly because of competition. Not only socializing but the economy itself will be based around these new tools. The digital divide will grow between those who use them and those who dont.
Source Nielsen News Release Hong Kong, December 2010 and March 2011
Insight interviews
Presenting yourself
Young people need to understand the consequences of their online behaviour. Learn how to present themselves. But learning how to present yourself online is not the same as learning how in real life. Communications efficiency, scope and quality can been enhanced but body language and eye contact are missing.
Social networking sites (SNS) such as RenRen, the closest mainland social media to Facebook, are used a lot by university students. YouTube equivalents on the mainland are Tudou and Youku, but theyre more like online TV stations. Sina weibo and Tencent are favourites for microblogging.
Giving support
Teachers and parents need to be social media users themselves to be effective mentors, otherwise an essential form of support will be lacking. They need to get mobile and get on Facebook and realize that the old Gutenberg era is over. Get mobile. Get on Facebook.
Insight interviews
Psychological phenomena
The appeal of social media is connecting with people you care about, sharing what youre passionate about, developing individuality and sometimes experimenting with your identity. For this generations teens, the proliferation of social media has made peer competition and comparisons much more acute, personal, visual and intense. A term has been coined to describe a syndrome related to it: FOMO the Fear of Missing Out.
June 2011
How many times a day do you check your email and text messages? Try switching off the computer, leaving your mobile at home and going out for the day. How does it feel? With Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn updates keeping them connected, many young people want to be available 24/7. Many fear that if they dont check their social media during dinner they might miss something far too interesting. Something all their friends are twittering and updating about, even if many of them are only online friends. With everyone telling everyone else what they are doing every minute of the day you can feel left out if you switch off even for an hour. Know the feeling? Join the club. Youve got a dose of FOMO.
Professional use
Young professionals and the organizations that work with them should use social media to best advantage, collecting data via Facebook about page visits, demographics and information most sought. The social web provides an amazing arena for exercising creativity and sending emotive appeals. The young just make the most of it.
Cultural and Creative Industries from from the University of Hong Kong.
100
80
60
40
20
0 Thailand Malaysia Singapore Indonesia Hong Kong Philippines Vietnam China Taiwan Korea Australia India
Insight interviews
40%
30%
20%
10% 0%
Hong Kong
USA
Taiwan
Australia
New Zealand
Malaysia
Thailand
Singapore
Communications from Hong Kong Baptist University and is a former president of DragoNation, The association. Dragon Foundations1 alumni
660 million users worldwide 72.5% aged 13-34 3.65m Facebook users in Hong Kong 34.4% 25-40 years old 37.1% 18-24 years old 41% use Facebook on mobile phones
Sources http://socialmediatoday.com/kenburbary/276356/facebook-demographicsrevisited-2011-statistics (April 2011) Nielsen News Release: Launch of New Generation Measurable Platform, Hong Kong March 2011
Philippines
Indonesia
Pakistan
India
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Insight interviews
June 2011
Smartphone ownership in Hong Kong doubled between 2009 and 2010. Devices include the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch as well as Android and Symbian systems with access to video, social networking, web surfing and other tools via downloaded apps.
60% of all smartphone users are males aged 20-44 32% live in households with a combined income of HK$40,000+
Main Smartphone uses
71%
66%
44%
193% mobile subscriber penetration 97.3% of households with child aged 10 or more have at least 1 87% of youth own a mobile phone, top in Asia 83% of households with broadband connection 69% of youth email: top internet activity (regional average: 53%) 63% of youth do social networking 58% search for information / use search engines 58% listen to music online 56% of Hong Kong youth are bloggers (regional average: 39%) 47% participate in forums or discussion groups, top in Asia 47% read online newspapers, second highest in Asia 46% play online games 9% are microbloggers 13,000+ public Wi-Fi access points
Sources http://www.synovate.com/news/article/extra/20100802/YoungAsians2010_ HKFactSheet_EN_Final.pdf (August 2010) http://www.ofta.gov.hk/common/fn/printOpt.asp?zh=&docsrc=http%3A//www. ofta.gov.hk/en/datastat/key_stat.html (January 2011)
Competitive smartphones
The top 5 smartphone vendors are Nokia, Apple, RIM, Samsung, and HTC. Nokia is currently the world biggest rendor. iPhone sales grew 114% year over year and overall, the smartphone market grew almost 80% in the first quarter of 2011. Smartphones are changing how users choose their mobile phones. Increasingly, they want features such as push email, mobile internet and Microsoft Office as well as a touchscreen and the QWERTY keyboard. In Hong Kong, look and feel is the predominant deciding factor for 32% of consumers purchasing a new mobile device, followed by brand.
Sources http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_ view&newsLang=en&newsId=20110505007011 http://www.zmotion.com.hk/smartpone_usage/
text messaging
web surfing
photography
Insight interviews
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The recent Digital Lifestyle Information Survey 2011 revealed the extent of an information overload syndrome. Half those surveyed said they were connected to the web every moment of their waking lives. 72% described their own data stream as a roaring river. How can that deluge be transformed into a more manageable flow? Filtering by endorsement is one way. Google have introduced a +1 button which allows users to endorse by recommending search results to others.
Sources http://www.slideshare.net/steverosenbaum/the-digital-lifestyle-survey http://mashable.com/2011/05/10/google-1-websites/
Accessories 2% Other 3%
Sources http://www.hktdc.com/info/mi/a/hkti/en/1X073C2Y/1/Hong-Kong-TraderInternational-Edition/Calling-All-Smart-Movers.htm
Comparing Google, Baidu and MSN with Yahoo!, Google is dominant in most countries, but not all. Depending on the statistics you use, Hong Kong is one of the exceptions, as are Japan, The Philippines and Taiwan. However, according to another source, Google Hong Kong became the citys favourite search engine in December last year.
Sources http://royal.pingdom.com/2011/04/29/where-yahoo-still-beats-google/ http://www.agogdigital.com/blog/2010/12/101/
Play More Limited, which grew with support from HKFYGs Youth Business Hong Kong (YBHK), is a third successful apps start-up. Post80s generation young entrepreneurs Andy Chan Yiu-chun and Alex Lau Kwong-lik founded the company and created low-cost iPhone game apps such as Chinese Checkers. The app has become popular around the world. Andy and Alex said of their business: American companies are very keen on making highquality mobile apps with attractive graphics. Rather than competing with them directly, we put more effort into the creativity of the app and keeping costs down. Innovation in ideas will always remain our core strategy in the future.
32-year-old Danny Yeung moved the base of ubuyibuy, a group buying site, to Hong Kong from Guangdong before selling the business to US-based Groupon, known as the worlds fastest-ever growing business. Beecrazy is one of its strong local competitors, Jennifer Cheng, its Vice-President says 70% of its users are women aged 18-40. Team-buying, known as Tuangou on the mainland, has been popular there for centuries. Reported by The Economist in 2006 as a new phenomenon on the mainland, today, it has turned haggling into an internet art-form.
Source http://www.economist.com/printedition/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=7121669
The Cloud Connect Initiative has been launched by Microsoft to help Hong Kong NGOs and schools take advantage of cloud technology, thereby increasing mobile connectivity and digital social involvement. It offers NGOs and schools charity and educational pricing respectively, for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, Microsoft Live@edu with Microsoft Exchange Online, and Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite.
Source http://www.microsoft.com/hk/presspass/viewpress.aspx?yr=2011&mo=06&dy=08
June 2011
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Insight interviews
What's next
While in other parts of the world smartphones are the tools businessmen and the playthings of fashionconscious consumers, in Hong Kong they are already in the domain of the general populace. As the authors of The Connected Harbour say, the internet is indispensable to the territorys position as a global trading hub and is crucial for its future success we anticipate that Hong Kongs adoption of the internet will intensify in the near future, with mobile internet access being one of the key driving forces." Hong Kong people also know that as soon as one novelty becomes familiar another takes its place. iCloud software and Apples Lion operating system were the latest at time of writing but they probably wont be by the time you read this. Something new will have joined the bandwagon and we can all jump at any chance to use what's on that bandwagon, whatever our age.
Sources 1 The Dragon Foundation is administered by HKFYG. Its mission is to support young Chinese people who have demonstrated leadership skills. 2 http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.connectedharbour.hk/en/hk/files/the-connected-harbour-may-2011.pdf
Youth speak
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Social mediath
How do you use your mobile phone?
Tony, 18, Year 1 in Global Business: My smartphone is a good tool for web surfing, email and news. Not so much for social media. I usually do that in my dorm or at home. Rainbow, 22, Year 3 in Business, switched to a smartphone seven months ago: It is attractive and I can go on Facebook and check urgent email wherever I am. But texting and listening to music is still on the top of my list. Clive, a young social entrepreneur: Im using an iPhone 4. Social media, email and electronic news are all equally important. Regis, 19, Year 1 in Accounting and Finance: Texting is the main use of my phone. After that comes checking Facebook and taking photos.
as you like it
Students and young entrepreneurs give views on social media and mobile phones. Facebook and texting are their two main uses and Facebook is the most popular social networking site in Hong Kong. It is used mainly to stay connected, share photos and organize gatherings. True and false online information, cyber-bullying, online social skills, public identity and emotional blackmail, social media for work and parents on social media are discussed.
Facebook
June 2011
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Youth speak
Keeping in touch
Agnes, 19, S7: Photos and written updates tell my friends where I am. Ji-ji, a young design consultant: Facebook helps me to reconnect with schoolmates I havent seen for 10 years. Kelvin, doing a masters degree in sports and leisure management: It makes people feel less lonely and you find people wish each other Happy Birthday more because they know all the dates of birth.
Sometimes its convenient, but sometimes its just too much. Are online friends real or imagined?
Most of these young people have 200-400 friends on Facebook. It seems a lot to the older generation but they say they dont accept all invitations to become a friend. Joyce, 18, S6: Many people just keep adding friends, sometimes without checking their profiles first. A friend of mine thought I was someone else with the same name as mine, said Ken, 17, S5. I also found some advertising where people who called themselves friends were not real people. Julia tries her best to adjust the security level of her account but thinks strangers can still access some of her photos. The idea
Bridging divides
Clive commented, People are both busy and lazy. Facebook is a fabulous tool. It lets you organize events and is especially good for connecting with people in different countries. Lily and Mira, both 16, S4, think that organizing gatherings is an essential feature of Facebook. It is an effective medium to bring long-lost friends together, said Lily.
Youth speak
15
that strangers can get hold of my personal details stops me using Facebook much. Kelvin says, on the other hand, Some people worry that users lie about themselves on SNS. I dont think so. We actually express ourselves more freely and honestly.
people I dont know. All I can do is to control personal information visible to everyone: no mobile numbers, no personal address.
I have over 3,000 friends on Facebook. All I can do is to control personal information visible to everyone.
Disconnection blues?
Clive was disconnected from the internet for 3 months once on the mainland. It was terrible. I felt lifeless. No Facebook messages, no phone numbers. It took a long time to get used to. Kelvin found it difficult: A 6-day train trip from Russia to China was hard. I was totally used to being always connected with my smartphone and computer.
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Youth speak
June 2011
Rainbow Its true! Facebook strengthens bonds between people. It helps celebrities and politicians market their image and get closer to young people. Regis Sharpe is right. Facebook is so charismatic that it connects people quickly. It also represents freedom of speech.
Sherif9282 (wikimedia)
Rainbow I really appreciate your parents efforts. My parents dont use Facebook but they did talk to me about SNS and try to understand. Ken Parents often have strict rules about children using computers. So your parents are great Agnes! Rainbow, we share a common view about parent-child conflict. SNS can be used to reduce both the generation gap and the digital divide. Regis My parents encourage me to use SNS to practise my written English and Chinese, as well as my typing skills. They have a Facebook account too so we can catch up with each other when I stay in the dorm. Connie Youre lucky. My mum has no idea whats going on and my dad shouts at me for doing Facebook.
Paul Walsh (Flickr)
Youth speak
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Agnes Yes! We youngsters should be analytical in order to screen out fake websites and false information. Its especially essential when doing school projects. Rainbow I was really amazed by your statistics Joyce! I really hope that one day, everyone will be disciplined and the internet can be trusted all the time. Regis As university students, we have to stay alert when quoting internet sources for essays. We need to scan and judge the information, especially on wikis. Dont just copy what is useful but evaluate wisely. Ken Fake information can be disastrous! See how widespread the salt rumour was during the nuclear threat in Japan. I agree with Joyces view, as expressed by philosopher Ren Descartes: begin by doubting the truth of everything, then youll see the truth eventually.
Rainbow I agree that peer pressure is involved in cyber-bullying. A friend of mine who had been on his computer for just a few minutes said in that short time, some of his friends changed his Facebook name. This really bothered him a lot! Adrian Cant you see the funny side? Its just teasing. If you dont like it, get off Facebook.
rishibando (Flickr)
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Youth speak
le niners (Flickr)
June 2011
Ken I really appreciate the way you handle posts and notes. It matters because it creates a clean atmosphere for other users. Positive comments definitely enhance relationships.
Zoe I love posting silly photos. The more we all do it, the less it will bother anyone Agnes Dont Facebooks mistakes in facial recognition bother you and your friends, Zoe? I agree with Rainbow. We should consider the consequences of posting photos and notes. Content and wording definitely influence others impression of us.
Agnes Regis is right. More attention should be paid to privacy problems since IT is not 100% safe when it comes to protecting personal data. Computer viruses and breakdowns also pose threats. Rainbow In fact, I cant accept the way an SNS changes privacy settings without telling its users. We need to keep an eye out and remind each other, especially at work. As a professional I may use it less. Ken I cant agree more with Rainbow. Newspapers say that personal information will be disclosed to more than 20 advertising firms through apps! This annoys SNS users like us.
opensource.com (Flickr)
Youth speak
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Notes 1 The young entrepreneurs quoted on this page are all fellows of ECSEL, Empowering Chinese Social Enterprise Leaders. They participate in a scholarship programme in Hong Kong and the US which includes an annual conference supported by The William J Clinton Foundation. 2 GEILI: Global Exchange in Leadership Initiatives
mLearning:
mobile tools in and out of school
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School views
June 2011 Plenty of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom
This article looks at whats happening in mobile learning, Hong Kong style. Some of the advantages and disadvantages for various groups of learners are explored and some examples of projects, apps and devices adapted to local conditions are described.
What is mLearning?
Mobile learning has many different definitions and is known by many different names, including mLearning, uLearning, personalized learning, ubiquitous learning, anytime/anywhere learning, and handheld learning.1 No matter what its name, mobile learning and the tools used for it are an integral part of eLearning. And the concept is here to stay. Some schools ban the use of the personally owned tools that are used for mLearning, such as smartphones, iPads and tablet PCs. Others embrace them. Some schools require students to bring their own gadgets or provide them on campus. The hardware is used for reading websites and electronic books, for completing assignments
School views
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and doing homework, documenting field trips, collecting and analyzing data, and much more. Combine the hardware with educational modules and apps, and youve got mobile learning. It can happen anywhere: in a classroom, on the bus, in the park. Portability is important but the essential is being able to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create. With access to so much content anytime and anywhere, there are plenty of opportunities to learn both inside and outside the classroom and the disengaged learner may become more motivated. As Stephen Fennelly, Vice Principal at the English Schools Foundation Bradbury School said, The unmotivated are not always going to respond. Some young people just prefer to sit quietly and learn by reading on their own. But new technology does have novelty value and lessons become a lot more dynamic.
disadvantages
small screens limit amount and type of information displayed small buttons and stylus pens can be difficult for people with poor manual dexterity batteries have to be charged regularly or data can be lost they can be much less robust than desktops they have limited storage capacity
Whats happening?
Since Youth Hong Kong last looked at eLearning in June 2009 the use of mobile devices and eLearning has grown significantly. Now it is used extensively in Hong Kongs primary and secondary schools and late last year a three-year government pilot scheme was launched to develop and evaluate eLearning and its implications for mobile learning. However, as one primary school IT panel head said, Only well-funded schools can really develop eLearning. I think the best solutions should be available to all schools. They must also be cheap and efficient. The Hong Kong Pilot Scheme on eLearning 2011-20142 consists of 21 pilot projects in primary, secondary and special schools and partnerships with academics, educational publishers and the IT sector. Pilot schools act as research and development centres, using IT with appropriate integration into the curriculum. Mr She Mang, Chief Curriculum Development Officer (Information Technology in Education) Education Bureau,3 said: Using mobile devices to enhance learning is covered in the pilot. We will see how the solutions evolve before coming up with a decision on possible wider deployment of mobile devices for learning. The cost of such devices is dropping and many are cheaper now than desktop computers.
June 2011
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School views
terres 21 ( Flickr)
Lighter and less bulky than bags full of files, paper and textbooks Engaging learners Mr. She says that the HKSAR Government is taking measures aimed at ensuring that no child will be prevented from accessing the internet at home and it can be expected that such devices will naturally be taken into consideration: The measures include provision of a subsidy amounting to $1,300 a year per household for families in receipt of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) or with school children receiving full School Textbook Assistance. Furthermore, the Government has helped to set up two social enterprises to ensure that appropriate internet access as well as affordable computers be made available to needy families. Stephen Fennelly of Bradbury School commented on hardware, Pupils share laptops that are bought by the school. When schools go one-to-one with laptops, there can be more issues with misuse in class but we have had no discipline problems. smartphone or Facebook apps, include bubbl.us, ToonDoo.com free multi-language cartoon software, PBworks a free wiki, and Photo Story. Knowledge Forum5 is an online platform used by about 20 Hong Kong schools in a project run by the University of Toronto in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The University of Hong Kong is a partner institution. Knowledge Forum allows posting of messages, searching for information, uploading documents, and doing online homework or project work. It is based on knowledge-building theory. iClass6 is a home-grown app for local schools developed by HKUs Faculty of Engineering. iClass 2.0, a web-based application with mobile apps available for download from the Apps store, was launched in May this year. It requires students to have an iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone. Teachers can upload images or text, and students can write, draw or modify them during class. When work is submitted to the teacher, the system automatically generates statistics and the teacher can easily see mistakes. There is also a review function for both Facebook and Moodle.7 Stephen Fennelly describes Moodle as a hub, with messaging, forums and links. It is internet-based and integrated with Google but hosted on the schools own server.
School views
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ePublishing
Creating digital school textbooks is a logical part of the strategy for eLearning solutions. Prof Chak Wong of the Faculty of Business Administration at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, writing about the economics of textbook production and the need to develop a different market structure with lower development and marketing costs, writes, We can borrow a page from the iTunes Store of Apple and from Wikipedia. We need to create a digital environment that is friendly for school texts, similar to Amazon's Kindle. The syllabus may be divided into small modules, to allow small publishers or individual teachers to work on each module or even part of it, avoiding excessive costs and risks entailed in developing a whole textbook. Each approved module could be sold separately, online, by the Education Bureau. Teachers may be encouraged to help with publication of textbooks, through a bonus system that rewards teachers who produce high quality teaching materials We need about 200 schools, with about 200,000 pupils, to make such
as animations and PowerPoint files. A pilot study in schools is taking place and the price is expected to be US$80-100.
What next?
The future depends partly on findings of these pilot projects but other experiments may also have an impact. One US scheme lets secondary students use a central university Virtual Computing Lab wherever they are. The Lab has economies of scale and can give students free mobile access to all the latest software, like ADOBE Dreamweaver, InDesign, Microsoft Office and Illustrator. The study is being run in IBMs Research Triangle Park Center for advanced studies. There are implications for distance learning and personalized learning anywhere in the world. Many Hong Kong teachers are well aware of the potential of mLearning. As one senior secondary staff member said, We use blogs and wikis to teach languages; students do group essays and group projects with discussion forums Interactivity can extend the space and time of learning.
A digital environment that is friendly for school texts a program work. The cost of adopting the electronic reader would be about HK$200 million, assuming that we are going to subsidize poorer students.8 CityBook9, devised by electronic engineering students at City University to promote eLearning at local primary and secondary schools looks like an iPad but is lighter and about the size of a double-sided 5R photo. It incorporates a touch-screen and students can do homework as well as download data or assignments such
Notes and sources 1 LSIS Quality Improvement Agency, Mobile learning 2011, http://www. excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=135556. 2 Chen, Kenneth Wei-on, ICT in Education: a Hong Kong Perspective, January 2011, http://www.slideshare.net/usedhksar/background-on-it-in-education-inhong-kong. 3 Kenneth Chen Wei-on is Chair of the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Information Technology in Education which is chaired by Under Secretary for Education, Education Bureau. She Mang is Secretary to the Committee. 4 With thanks to Margaret M Lo and Scarlet Poon, Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong for assistance with information on Promoting New Literacies in Hong Kong Schools, http://www3.hku.hk/literacy/. 5 http://www.stts.edu.hk/upload/general/STTS_Dev_Projects_0708.pdf, http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Forum and http://www.knowledgeforum.com/ Kforum/products.htm. 6 http://www.eee.hku.hk/~iclass/iclass%20leaflet.pdf and http://www.chinadaily. com.cn/hkedition/2011-04/19/content_12349224.htm. 7 Moodle is a free eLearning platform with an interactive environment for providing lesson content for students. For more on Moodle see http://www.wazmac.com/ quickstarts/pdf/moodle/01-moodle-whatis.pdf. 8 Wong, Chak, The Economics of Textbooks, China Daily Clips, 4 May 2011, http:// www.cdeclips.com/en/hongkong/The_economics_of_textbooks/fullstory_65161. html. 9 Cheng, Karen, CityU to develop e-book for local primary and secondary school students, City U News Centre, 14 December 2010, http://wikisites.cityu.edu.hk/ sites/newscentre/en/Pages/201012141751.aspx. 10 http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/05/23/v-print/1217291/how-students-learn-inthe-cloud.html 11 Thanks to ESF Bradbury Schools Vice Principal, Stephen Fennelly, to HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College and to Mr Andy Li for providing information and views.
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P a re n t s p e r s p e c tives
June 2011
Tanya, an interior designer in her late 30s, has a son and daughter at primary school. She enforces strict, matter-of-fact limits with her children and is sure that they are beneficial.
FORMING RULES They have two hours a day after school and the computer automatically logs off at 6pm. Their school has its own social network site but they dont spend too much time on it, perhaps because computer time is precious. Im quite strict about the information they give on any site and I tell them that the internet can never hold any secrets. They only have an old mobile phone which they are allowed to use when they have after-school activities. USING COMMON SENSE All I can do is educate, tell them to be wary of predators in the real world and doubly vigilant in the virtual world. There may be no foolproof way of developing digital literacy, but I believe critical awareness is partly common sense. This is not an exclusively internet issue.
Eric, a 66-year-old retired construction worker living in To Kwa Wan with his young wife and 14-year-old son, struggles, both with him and with computers, but their communication problems have been eased by a social worker and his own efforts.
RECOGNIZING PROBLEMS Ive always been concerned about the amount of time my son spends on the computer although he seems to know what hes doing. He convinced me and his mother that he needed to be logged on for homework and I admit that due to my limited knowledge, I let him have his own way. But I was wary. Finally, when he couldnt hold a normal conversation with us and his behaviour became more and more bizarre, I decided to contact a social worker. She put me in touch with a clinical psychologist.
as the adults, they should make the rules and children should abide by them.
TRYING TO COPE The social worker identified the problem for me: not quite an addiction, but moving in that direction. She encouraged him to participate in outdoor sports and he joined a
Parents make internet rules and children abide by them BEING CONFIDENT Parents can be intimidated by the internet and assume they cant supervise or guide but I believe that as the adults, they should make the rules and children should abide by them. This is true even though they have much better online skills, particularly for solving technical problems.
Parents perspectives
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basketball programme. In my opinion, he still spends too long on the computer, but Ive installed a timer on it, so it switches off before midnight. GETTING BETTER Maybe my son realizes that I am not trying to stop him using the internet all together and he knows I want to learn. Now he teaches me how to type Chinese and how to check stocks and shares. My main problem is the Chinese input, so I mainly use the handwriting instead. Nevertheless, I still worry and I know that I nag too much.
COPING STRATEGIES Its better now but there still have to be constant reminders and I have to be vigilant. I must say that I dont fully trust her yet. I check her internet history and I still watch who she chats to online. If shes flirting with strangers I stop her. GETTING ALONG I dont want this to be a one-way street of me telling her what to do and her obeying so Ive made a big effort to learn from her as well. She enjoys this reversal of roles and has taught me how to shop online and how to use Facebook. Were Facebook friends too now! The fact is that I worry more if she goes out because then I cant see what shes doing. I try to combine hard and soft approaches as the counsellor advised and usually something works.
Patty, a real estate vendor in her 40s with a teenage daughter, was very worried about internet addiction and predators so she got advice from HKFYG too.
FEELING ANXIOUS My working hours are irregular and I dont always know how much time my daughter spends on the internet. I became very concerned when I heard she had missed school because she was too tired to go. When I realized how much personal information she was sharing on her Facebook account, with photographs as well, I asked her to delete them. I was not happy about the language she used online either. But the final straw came when I caught her chatting with a stranger online, a male. Thats when I asked HKFYG counsellors what to do.
I worry more if she goes out because then I cant see what shes doing.
Anna, an IT-savvy librarian in her early 50s with a teenage daughter thinks its pointless to spy on her and prefers face-to-face communication.
KEEPING UP I rarely do Facebook. It would be too distracting and time-consuming, but my IT skills are up-to-date and I understand what my daughter does online. Nonetheless, she still has things to teach me. Teens use all sorts of platforms and apps we dont know about. They can go anywhere, anytime, at practically no extra cost to the household budget.
June 2011
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P a re n t s p e r s p e c t ives
FORMING SOUND JUDGEMENTS Cyberspace is a real dimension for teenagers so they need to execute similar judgement and decision-making as in the real world. I dont think I can supervise. Its better to leave it to her to manage her own time. If I spy on her she just gets irritated. But the basic rule is no wireless access after midnight. OPENING CHANNELS We share online news stories, watch TV and movies together, then talk about internet issues. We also agree that parents should resolve arguments with children via a daily communication channel. Thats the most important thing. However, I have to confess that all this is based on trust. I have to trust her, but I will never really know, will I?
Bernard, a telecoms professional in his 50s, has two teenage boys whose Facebook pages sometimes give away their emotional state of mind.
BRIDGED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA The internet is a two-edged sword and can be a leveler. My sons invited me and my wife as friends on Facebook. Thats how I found out about the puppy love affair one of them had. I think he knew we had read his posts even though we never actually talked about it directly but just gave him some diplomatic advice when we thought the time was right. OR DIVIDED However, Facebook has not been such a positive experience for some of my friends. They got cut off by their kids. I think the main thing is not to interrupt, and to time any comments you make astutely. MOBILE ENABLED My boys have entry-level feature phones but many of their friends have iPhones, as do most of my adult family members. Hong Kong people like them because they like to keep busy, wherever they are. But if students have iPhones they can get isolated from the real world. Each of the boys has an Apple laptop at school and they share an iPad for games. iPhone apps can be good for educational purposes, but if you use them for learning English you might end up with an Apple English accent!
CONCLUSION Most parents realize their children will spend an inordinate amount of time on the internet whatever they do to try and stop them. They may feel uncomfortable about it, especially if they feel ignorant. The positive conclusion to be drawn is that they want to learn more. Youth Hong Kong explored parents perspectives on the internet in the June 2009 issue, Volume 1 Number 3. The excellent advice from former Government Chief Information Officer, Jeremy Godfrey, and Professor Wong Po-choi, Chairman of the Committee on Home-School Cooperation, is still highly relevant today. Services for parents who are anxious about overuse of computers are offered by the Federations Netwise Support Centre and the Youth Wellness Centre.
Contacts
Youth Wellness Centre Ms Hsu Siu-man tel 2465 2828 email ywc@hkfyg.org.hk NetWise Support Centre for Families Ms Cecilia KK Ng tel 2788 3444 email net@hkfyg.org.hk
Note Names and other details have been altered to preserve anonymity.
Guest column
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by Shelley Lee
Kindness of heart
I must mention in particular, Dr Walter King, formerly of the Prince of Wales Hospital, who in his quiet and admirable way, helped Stanley and the other victims of the Pat Sin Leng hill fire over the years. With other outstanding medical colleagues, he helped them overcome many odds just to survive in 1996. But what is not commonly known is that even after Dr King left Prince of Wales to join a private medical institution, he continued to help them by performing scores of operations on a pro-bono basis to reduce their scars, improve their appearance, and hence their confidence. To this day, I marvel every time I see them, especially the girls, getting prettier and more cheerful by the year. One might then ask why Stanley's scarring has not reduced as much as the girls did. On the night he became one of Hong Kongs Ten Outstanding Young Persons in 2010, as I told the guests at the celebration, it was because he had chosen to give the girls more opportunities to benefit from Dr Kings service. That is just typical of Stanley. And that is why, when Rainbow married him, it was a true union of the beauty and the best.
Real recovery
In his first book, Transition, he wrote about being almost driven to suicide after the fire. However, once he overcame that hurdle, he never looked back. Now, at 27, he is a thrice-published author, an inspirational public speaker, a PhD candidate at the Chinese University, and a recent bridegroom. The poignant wedding photos, especially the one of Stanley's badly scarred hands holding Rainbows lily-white one, are testament to the meaning of true love. That Rainbow has come to accept and love Stanley is testament to her own special qualities, her insight and maturity. That Stanley has the courage and fortitude to embark on a new stage and embrace married life, is proof of real recovery from the hill fire. And that the people who helped him in different ways, including his parents, surgeon, mentors and friends, were all there to cheer them on and share their joy, is happy evidence that teamwork and generosity of spirit still thrive in Hong Kong.
Clockwise from front left: Dr Walter King, Mr and Mrs Cheung, Stanley Cheung, Mr Hui (former principal of Fung Yiu King Memorial Secondary School), Ms Shelley Lee
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June 2011
Upper: Visit to children orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS in Fuyang Lower: Dr CH Leong and Ms Shelley Lee visit to families affected by HIV/AIDS How do Hong Kong students attitudes compare with those overseas? They may be a degree more reserved than American students. They are more obedient. I think its the Chinese culture, a question of upbringing, but I think thats changing.
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Dr David Ho is the scientific director and chief executive officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and the Irene Diamond Professor at the Rockefeller University in New York. He championed combination antiretroviral therapy which has vastly reduced mortality in AIDS patients since 1996, the year when he was Time magazine's Man of the Year.
His team, the first to administer effective antiretroviral therapy in China, is now working on vaccines for AIDS and blocking mother-tochild transmission of HIV. Initiatives include public education to raise awareness, fight stigma and counter discrimination. These activities are carried out under the banner of the China AIDS Initiative.
This scheme is jointly organized by HKFYG, Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) and The Hongkong Bank Foundation (HKBF). Li Yan-lin, a third-year medical student from the University of Hong Kong who won one of the scholarships, joins Dr Hos Rockefeller University laboratory in New York as a mentee this year: I am thrilled by the opportunity to conduct laboratory and clinical research under Dr Hos tutelage. Biomedical research has always been an integral part of innovation and technology in Hong Kong. For example, HKU was first in the world to develop treatment for chronic hepatitis B and first to perform living donor liver transplants. As a medical student hoping to work in academic medicine, this scholarship comes as a major boost. I would like to thank HKFYG, ITC and HKBF for introducing me to Dr Ho as well as for providing financial support for my trip.
The Hong Kong Committee for the China AIDS Initiative (CAI) was formed in 2004 to help the mainland accelerate its response to the AIDS problem. CAI supports projects including care for children orphaned as a result of HIV and AIDS, prevention of mother to child transmission, implementation of AIDS education, improvement of medical treatment and development of vaccines. The Hong Kong Aids Foundation believes that education underpins behavioural change and combats the ignorance that leads to misconceptions and discrimination. Community-based publicity and education activities and public awareness talks are two of its AIDS educational programmes. Specially designed outreach and sex education for youthat-risk and drug abusers are part of its work.
Hong Kong Committee for CAI Co-chairs: Dr. C. H. Leong, GBM, GBS, JP and Dr. David Ho, MD Vice-chairs: Ms Shelley Lee, GBS, JP and Mr. Wilfred Ng, SBS, MH, JP For further information, please contact Ms Helen Law, Hong Kong Aids Foundation and Hong helenlaw@hkaf.com. Kong Committee for CAI, tel 2560 8528 or email
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AIDS
Fighting AIDS
June 2011
by Rachel Yiu
30 years ago, scientists identified the first AIDS victim. HIV/AIDS became a major problem for China in the 1990s when hundreds of thousands of impoverished farmers in rural Henan province became infected through botched blood-selling schemes. Now the virus is spread primarily via sexual contact. With increased connections between mainland China and Hong Kong, AIDS prevention work is needed in the community. This student essay emphasizes the importance of both awareness and the potential for discrimination.
Alarming figures According to statistics released by the Chinese Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, the number of HIV infections on the mainland are increasing by 70,000 per year.1 Fellow teens, when you hear this, how do you feel? Afraid? Indifferent? When I heard about the serious harm caused by AIDS I was extremely fearful. I was also shocked at the appalling figures of deaths resulting from AIDS worldwide. My fear lasted until I heard a talk on AIDS prevention. The talk gave me insight into public health and Id like to share some tips on fighting AIDS with you. Sensible tactics First and foremost, we students have to behave ourselves. Through self-control and by refusing temptations such as casual sex and needle sharing, we can effectively protect ourselves. Think twice before you act. Remember, nothing is more valuable than life-long health. Its equally crucial to promote AIDS prevention publicly. We students are lucky to be educated about AIDS. But theres still a large group who know nothing about it. By launching promotional activities such as talks and fairs, and by distributing leaflets, we can spread relevant information. For the sake of public health, please pass on the message as far and as often as possible. Effective anti-discrimination Last but not least, we should treat AIDS patients with loving, caring hearts. Any kind of discrimination against them is based on ignorance and disrespect. Put yourself in their shoes. As the old saying goes, action speaks louder than words. As a responsible citizen, we should do this not only on annual World AIDS Day2, but every day. That means right now. I believe this is the only effective way to hold AIDS at bay, enjoy better health, better quality of life and a more harmonious world. In short, a better future.
AIDS in China
Unofficial figures are much larger, with cases rising among homosexuals and heterosexuals. However, a two-thirds drop in AIDS mortality, due to antiretroviral drugs, distributed free since 2002, has been reported and published online by Lancet Infectious Diseases.3 The report states that an urgent need exists for earlier HIV diagnosis and better access to treatment for injecting drug users and patients infected with HIV sexually. A second report4 from the UNs International Labour Organization, says that people infected with HIV are often turned away by hospitals and refused surgery. Chinas national centre for AIDS control, a co-author of the report, agreed hospital discrimination is a problem.
There are 740,000 people infected with AIDS in China, according to official UNAIDS and government estimates.
Note and sources 1 http://aids.about.com/od/clinicaltrials/a/china.htm 2 World AIDS Day falls on 1 December in 2011. 3 http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(11)70097-4/abstract 4 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/17/us-china-aids-idUSTRE74G5DR20110517
Youth watch
Mobile numbers
WHO PAYS AND HOW
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Prepaid services are still common across the developing world such as in China, Indonesia and Brazil. Its the exact opposite in UK, US, Germany where more people use post-paid services on a contract basis. How many youth pay themselves?
88% 84% 82% 80% 66% 56% 47% 56% 52% 35% 25% 27% 21% 65% 54% 45% Age 15-19 Age 20-24
Russia
Germany
Brazil
UK
Spain
Italy
India
US
Source http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/
WHO CHOOSES
Most youth around the world choose their own handsets. Only about 15% ask their parents.
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
UK
Germany
Italy
Spain
Brazil
Russia
India
China
US
Self
Employer
Spouse/Partner
Parent(s)
Friend(s)
Other
Source http://trak.in/tags/business/2011/02/24/indian-youth-mobile-phone-usage-survey/
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Yo u t h w a t c h
June 2011
Tablet
e-book reader
Smartphone
WHAT RISKS
Many risks are associated with youths use of the internet. Here are Hong Kong data collected by HKFYG and comparative US figures. What risks have you been exposed to online?
1.3% 6.3% 47.6% 18.7% 70.9% 27.3% 9.7% 18% 95.7% 0.5% 0.7% 3.1% Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never
Source What Problems do Young People Encounter in the Cyber World? (Youth Poll Series No.186, June 2009, age 10-24)
How do American teenagers habits compare? Personal information online 52% give out personal information online to someone they don't know offline 64% post photos or videos of themselves 58% post info about where they live 8% post mobile phone numbers
Source http://www.enough.org/inside.php?id=2uxkjwry8#6
Contact with strangers 14% of teens accept invitations to meet online strangers 14% of students had invited an online stranger to meet them in person Aggressive sexual solicitations 4% of youth internet users had received aggressive sexual solicitations 7% of early teens were also asked for nude pictures of themselves online
Youth watch
WHAT DEVICES
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208.0 million
Choosing between a smartphone, an iPod Touch, a tablet PC, a netbook, and an e-book reader is easy once you know what you want to do on each device. Some functions overlap. E-book readers are the least flexible. Size, keyboard, readability and ease of use with one hand are other factors. HKFYG ran a survey on devices used to connect to the internet and the results are below, with estimates of growth in use of tablet PCs. What do you use to connect to the internet?
41.7% 39.7% 154.2 million 103.4 million 13.1% 4.6% Notebook Mobile phone iPhone iPod 1.9% iPad 19.5 million 2010 54.8 million
Tablet growth
2011
2012
2013
2014
Source The Digital Mobile Life of the Hong Kong Youth (Youth Poll Series No.200, August 2010, age 12-34)
Estimated figures China: 1 million+ Hong Kong: 50-100K Singapore: 50-100K South Korea: 100-130K Malaysia and Thailand: 30-70K
Source Youdu media 2010 courtesy of Nick Barger
Reasons for purchase 56% Entertainment 42% Cool factor 40% Convenience 28% Brand (Apple)
WHAT NEXT
Smartphone use grew by 32% in 2010 and the number of mobileconnected laptops grew by 63%. A large percentage of mobileconnected laptop users consider mobile broadband their primary means of accessing the internet. by end 2011 mobile video traffic will account for over 50% of traffic on the internet worldwide by 2015 two-thirds of the world's mobile data traffic will be video by 2015 mobile network connection speeds will increase ten times in 2015 Mobile-connected tablets will produce the same amount of traffic as the entire global mobile network did in 2010
Source http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/world-mobile-data-traffic-toexplode-by-factor-of-26-by-2015.ars
Russia 25%
China 29%
India 10%
Source Nielson News Hong Kong, December 2010 and March 2011
Sources 1 Michael, David. The Connected Harbour. Boston Consulting Group, May 2011. 2 Synovate Young Asians Survey, August 2010. http://www.synovate.com/news/article/extra/20100802/YoungAsians2010_HKFactSheet_EN_Final.pdf 3 Nielsen Breaking News, January 2011.
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In the loop
June 2011
The parents concept is simple: computer games = wasting time = academic failure = no job = no money = no house, no car, no wife = bad life.
Childrens views
The childrens concept is also simple, according to interviews Ive had with many professional gamers: computer games = time consuming = academic failure or success but definitely improved gaming skills = possible profession = happy life = honour and money = everything. Parents often dont know exactly what their children are doing, and the children often dont want to explain. If parents focused more on what their children are actually doing before telling them what they ought to be doing, I think the children would be more inclined to explain. It seems to me that parents should make the first move.
Parental objections
In a recent interview, Li told me that his parents didnt like him playing computer games. They are like many Chinese parents. They even beat him frequently for it. He told me that it was normal and that many children who like to play computer games have the same experience. He was just lucky to hold out till today. Many others have given up. The reason parents hate games is obvious. They detract from academic studies. Parents never think gaming could become a profession. Its true that many professional gamers in China quit school, but there are also many who both study well and play well. Parental concern is understandable, but a key issue is not being addressed by either parents or children. Each of them has a different concept of computer games, different expectations and different hopes. Their logic and train of thought diverge from the start.
eSport is regarded as an intellectual form of sport it demands intensive teamwork and strong willpower.
Prospects unclear
Although the future of professional eSports in China is still uncertain, Li Xiaofengs career carries a positive message and it inspires faith. As Chinas top player, he earns a monthly salary of over 20,000 yuan (approximately US$2,976), plus money from his sponsors. That makes Li richer than most urban white-collar workers.
In the loop
Li Xiaofeng plays in a domestic eSports contest
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However, the prospects for thousands of other professional players in China are not promising. Many earn about 1,000 yuan (approx US$148) a month and are without funds for medical care, housing or a pension. If they get a few bad results their salary plummets and their membership of exclusive gaming clubs is threatened. There are dozens of such professional clubs for game players in China, with accommodation for players, even if their income is low. With recognition from the Chinese Olympic Committee, eSports will get onto the world stage in the end. Well know that discrimination has finally faded when, a university graduate aspires to become a professional gamer and people say how proud they are.
eSports are totally different from online games. In the latter one spends a huge amount of time killing monsters, upgrading weapons, then killing the monsters again, while eating popcorn, drinking cola and updating ones weibo. But in eSports it normally takes no more than an hour to have a winner. It also requires extreme concentration, of a standard fit for real-life sport. However, whereas you would never see a real-life soccer player calling his wife and talking about what to have for dinner in the middle of a match, it could happen in eSports.
With recognition from the Chinese Olympic Committee, eSports will get onto the world stage in the end.
It will be a long time though. After all, many parents in China cant accept the idea of their children wanting to be a professional soccer player, let alone a professional eSports player.
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A r t s & c u l t u re
June 2011
Pendular: the band that swings Vocals Guitar Bass Guitar Drums Jason Kobe, Gavin Fat Ghost Eason
Pop rock is our main genre, but we blend in elements of funk, blues, post-rock and punk. The essence of our music is the helplessness and pain of everyday life. We wrote Inspiration when we didnt have any. We wrote Coming Home when we were stressed out by work but knew we couldnt live without it.
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Who inspires
Jason Beyond inspired me most. I think they are the greatest, most influential band Hong Kong has ever known. Gavin Beyond would be my choice too. They are an icon of band development in Hong Kong. Kobe Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Coldplay I knew them all when I began to play. Radiohead still influences my arrangements but so do Toe and Epic45. Fat Ghost I loved Green Day when I was at secondary school. Their songs were just nice and plain. Eason Tommy Igoe was my first influence. His drum solo videos on the web are really amazing and his tutorial videos are useful too. The other is Simon Tsui, my first drum teacher. Id call him a drum addict. He knows about techniques, concepts, brands, everything about drumming.
Inspiration
Band Beyond Coldplay Epic45 Green Day Oasis Radiohead
Origin
Cantopop Alternative rock Post-rock Punk rock, pop rock, alternative rock Rock, Britpop, alternative rock Alternative rock, electronic music, experimental rock Funk rock, alternative rock Instrumental, post-rock, math rock
Birmingham, UK 1995
Red Hot Chili Peppers Los Angeles, US 1983 Toe sam-hui.net Japan 2000
Tommy Igoe is from New Jersey, US and currently with the Birdland Big Band. Sam Hui Benjwong ( Wikimedia ) Simon Tsui studied drumming at the LA Musicians Institute and New York Drummer Collective in 1990s and has played with famous Cantopop singers such as Eason Chan and Karen Mok. Sam Hui was one of the most important singers who started the Cantopop trend in Hong Kong since 1970s.
The Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop from the 1990s include Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau and Leon Lai. The Four Heavenly Kings
Winning Song
Live in the Moment, the song we won with at the competition, all came out of our worries. Its about city dwellers, with all their burdens, day in day out, past and future. The song tells them to go out and enjoy life, to get rid of their worries. It was new and we wanted to test audiences response. Jason I was totally stunned when we won. I didnt even think I sang well that night. When they announced our name as champion, I had just been thinking, Lets go home. Kobe I thought we might get a prize but to be champion was totally unexpected. Eason I had made a mental list of winners but we werent on it. It was the best moment yet for Pendular. Pendular have played at the Fringe Club, Backstage, Youth Square, on Lamma Island, at several City Hall concerts and hotels. Encouraged by HKFYGs support, with a band room for practice and mentorship by a veteran musician, they hope to bring out their first album and go on tour overseas sometime in the near future.
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A r t s & c u l t u re
Live in the Moment
June 2011
Time please stop awhile Put your work aside Let your worries go Cares dont bring me low Look, the rosy clouds are back again Live the simple life Taste each little bit Find the vistas wide Changing all the time Watch your moods fly past in city lights Live every moment Gain and loss are dreams Take each change in stride Walk with head held high Storms and earth quakes pass if you stay calm Live every moment Of your splendid youth Sadness forgotten Sorrows forgiven Love each tender moment, lived in truth
Some Verses only, English by editorial team
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Youth band sounds is HKFYGs latest musical initiative with the first Youth Band Sounds Competition 2011 on 10 April on the Grand Stage at Western Market in Sheung Wan. Prizes were sound equipment gift tokens from Sennheiser worth HK$5,000, HK$2,000 in cash and the chance of professional mentorship. The judges were Joey Tang, Clayton Cheung, Davy Chan and Sammy So. Joey Tang, Gold Typhoon Entertainment (HK) Ltd, founded the Tai Chi Band in 1984. Clayton Cheung is an experienced composer who was with the Black Box band in the 1990s and founded Big Bang Music Ltd. Davy Chan joined underground heavy metal band Anodize as the youngest drummer on the scene in 1987 and is now a producer who helps young musicians start out. Sammy So is a vocalist cum guitarist for KOLOR, a Hong Kong-based contemporary pop rock band.
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City space
June 2011
We should make it easy and convenient for people to go green. At street level, when people want to recycle their plastic bottles, why cant we have more recycling bins in convenient locations? At the coffee shop, instead of demanding fewer disposable containers, why cant people be given an incentive to bring their own cups? At restaurants, instead of demanding less wasted food, why cant we be given a choice of how big a meal is served? Younger generations around the world especially should understand that no matter how convenient our lives today are, our habits are barely sustainable. Therefore, I hope that we can think about green innovation, about how to make life just convenient enough, enough for people to change their habits, to break the habits that are unsustainable-business-as-usual, and instead move on to leading sustainable lives on this planet.
As it became necessary to recycle more and more plastic bottles the new generation of incinerators did so while producing less dioxin. So, technology not only creates convenience, it can also help to alleviate the problems created by convenience. The question is how to sacrifice as little convenience as possible while still protecting the environment. As people become increasingly environmentally conscious, the question needs to be modified even further. People demand that the environment is protected. Then the key lies in the level of convenience they want.
City space
The Plastiki, an 18-metre catamaran made out of 12,500 reclaimed water bottles and other waste material has solar, wind, water and bicycle-power generators. Its name comes from the famous raft Kontiki, which sailed across the Pacific in 1947. Plastiki followed roughly the same route.
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by Eva Fung Having time for a mini concert during a shower is always refreshing after a long days work, but it will never happen in my new home... Instead of a Towngas water heater, there is an electric storage water heater. It only supplies hot water continuously for 10 minutes at any time. So if I dont want a shower that suddenly goes cold, its wise to cut my showering time. By experiencing a limited supply of hot water at home I learned about water shortages and it reminded me that every drop counts. When I was small, it was difficult to imagine a water crisis, especially when I could see two-thirds of the world map was blue. Unfortunately, over 97.5% of that blue is sea water and most freshwater is frozen in the form of icebergs or ice sheets.
Attitude is a small thing but it can make a big difference. Think twice before you act.
Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
Eva Fung Ka-yee is 21 and
has been at City University of Hong Kong doing a BBA in Human Resources Management since 2009. Her main interests photography. and hobbies are travelling and
Wasted bottles
Wasted water Do we still have an unlimited source of freshwater in Antarctica and Greenland? No. Hong Kong people are all lucky to enjoy an unlimited supply of freshwater at home whenever they want it (as long as they are willing to pay for it) but the actual, global supply is diminishing due to excessive human consumption and global warming. Global warming means the ice shelves are melting at an unexpectedly high rate. This reduces the amount of freshwater on the planet. The melting ice also dilutes the sea water which seriously affects ocean habitats. An ice shelf in Antarctic Sound Larsen B was stable up for 12,000 years, but then, in 2002, it collapsed. An irreversible chain reaction took place, causing more ice, and more freshwater, to fall into the sea. How we act does not just affect our immediate surroundings. It affects the entire world. Consuming more water may not cost you much, but your children may suffer because of your extravagance.
What next?
June 2011
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Photo essay
Ice floes melting in Neko Harbour, Antarctica late summer
Photos courtesy of Dixon Kwong and Eva Fung of the Greenagers, taken on a trip to the Antarctic in March 2011
Photo essay
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Crabeater Seal
Fresh ice
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June 2011
Stony ( second from right ) with Bosco, Fai-fai and 2 young people
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to eat meat everyday either. But they never complained. Their attitude made me want to do more and try harder. When I left the school the children really moved me by telling me how much they would miss me. Saying goodbye to them reminded me what I had to give. Even though I couldnt provide money or material goods, I could still show I cared with a hug, and try to be a good role model. Bosco The elderly people I met at the home showed me how I could gain self-respect and self-esteem by helping others. I remember one telling me, Just try smiling. Youll get a smile in return. I found I was learning things without even realizing it. Sometimes what you do seems very trivial but there is a lesson in that too and I use that lesson in my job now. I look at volunteering as an opportunity. A chance to learn that anything can be achieved, even things beyond your imagination. I also learned about self-confidence by meeting many different kinds
of people. Now I see how useful that was. I think most young people in Hong Kong have too much. It seems that the more choice they have, the less they care and the less they want to help.
Giving time
I started volunteering in my last year at primary school because I was curious about people. I wanted to learn from them, especially people a lot older than me, and some of those I met were eight times my age. My own grandmother lives happily alone, but I went with the Christian Fellowship to a home for the elderly. In the beginning I felt a bit sorry for them, especially when I found out they would have to stay there for the rest of their lives, but I enjoyed listening to stories about their youth. It surprised me how tightly they held my hand and I began to realize I could make them smile.
Julia Chan
Later, as a volunteer in a leprosy village in Guangxi on the mainland and as an English teacher in Indonesia, I realized how lucky teenagers are in Hong Kong. I also realized that giving time can mean more to many people than giving material goods. Volunteer work is now part of my life and Im grateful for the experience to travel and interact as more than a mere tourist. One day I hope to join Mdecins Sans Frontires. Julia Chan Yan-yu is a 20-year-old medical student at the University of Hong Kong and includes being a Marine Park Ambassador and the HKFYGs Hong Kong Young Ambassador Programme in her current community work.
in return
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Being a fundraiser
Saving lives
As a member of The Rotaract Club, my task was to fundraise for the malnourished in developing countries. It was quite a challenge for me and 15 other first-year students. We had to make all the arrangements and take care of the logistics too. I learnt about planning and preparation, handling crises and providing support to others. There were setbacks too, delays and mistakes. Sometimes we argued, but in the end we sorted it all out.
Tony Wong
June 2011
Our slogan was Save a Meal, Save a Life because HK$25, enough to buy a meal here, is enough for a nutrition pack to save a baby in a third world country. Nearly half the people we asked gave a donation so we thought we did quite well. After a week of fundraising on campus, we had collected more than HK$23,000, compared to HK$15,000- HK$20,000 at similar recent events.
The best lesson I learned was how easy it was to help others. With $23,000 we helped save more than a hundred lives; just 16 of us! Sometimes, what seems a little is worth a lot, especially to people who are really in need.
In spite of their handicaps, those children were contented. When we asked them to write down their wishes, I was touched. They all had dreams and plans, just like us. We taught them how to make sunny dolls, as a symbol of the blessings we wanted to give. Children believe that if you hang a sunny doll in the widow the sun will come out. They also taught me how to love. A little boy gave me a card on which hed written two simple, beautiful words: forever love. For me that message became a symbol of unbreakable bonds and unbounded love.
Giving time can mean more to many people than giving material goods.
Tony Wong Tsz-ho, 19, is a Global Business student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where he is also Vice President of the Rotaract Club, an international charity with branches at several tertiary institutions in Hong Kong.
Tony (right)
Note 1 Awards were given to them this year at a ceremony organized by the Social Welfare Department.
Fiona (left)
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Co-organizers
Supporting organizations
Hopewell Holdings Ltd Hopewell Highway Infrastructure Ltd Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education Oregon Scientific Hong Kong Ltd Radio Television Hong Kong China Soong Ching Ling Foundation The Spring-Time Experimental Theatre The Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture Southern Film Co Ltd Home Affairs Bureau Education Bureau Leisure and Cultural Services Department Media Asia Film Distribution Co Ltd Gala Film Distribution Ltd We Pictures
June 2011
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Factsheet
Advertise in Youth Hong Kong
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Youth Hong Kong is for all who are concerned with young people. Published four times a year, it focuses on themes such as the internet, education, careers, health, the environment, arts and culture. Please visit youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk for details on advertising rates. For more information, please contact Andrey Leung (3755 7041) or email youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk.