Blueprints
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T H E
M A G A Z I N E
FEBRUARY ‘24 ISSUE 1
BLUEPRINTS
BLUEPRINTS
STORIES IN THIS
STORIES IN THIS
EDITION
EDITION
All pictures are used for non-profit, educational purposes and belong to their rightful owners
Switching Gears: Hamilton’s
Ferrari Fantasy
Mean Girls The Movie (and the
not so expected musical)
A Spy Thriller: Argylle By Ellie
Conway
Pandemics: Can we outsmart
the next outbreak?
Social Media Hearing
Sweets For Smiles
Youth Unleashed with
A Note From the
Editor-In-Chief
A Note From the
Editor-In-Chief
Abraham Lincoln once said “the best way to
predict the future is to create it." With Edition 11
aptly titled ‘Blueprints,‘ we delve into stories
brimming with the power to build our future. From
discussions on the social media to the AI
prediction of pandemics and Hamilton‘s
unforeseen decision that sent shockwaves through
the world of sport, we invite you take a deep dive
into the stories that have the potential to alter the
course of our future. We look forward to putting
out more engaging and captivating editions for
you!
The seemingly glamorous facade of social media is
shattered upon deeper examination, revealing a darker
reality inextricable from issues such as cyberbullying,
harassment and the rapid spread of misinformation.
Recently,
social
media
CEOs,
including
Meta’s
Zuckerberg and TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew, faced intense
scrutiny from the public and the US Senate during a
hearing which intensely questioned them on the dangers
of social media and its impact on victims who have
committed suicide or self harm. Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel,
Discord’s Jason Citron and X’s Linda Yaccarino were also
scrutinised in this essential social media hearing,
highlighting the urgent need for the Senate to reach a
consensus on these issues.
CLICKBAIT, HATE SPEECH &
ALGORITHMS: UNPACKING THE
SOCIAL MEDIA HEARING
CLICKBAIT, HATE SPEECH &
ALGORITHMS: UNPACKING THE
SOCIAL MEDIA HEARING
CURRENT AFFAIRS:
The emotional weight of the
hearing hung heavy as CEOs
delivered apologies, senators
demanded
accountability,
and
families
shared
the
painful
consequences
of
online
exploitation.
Zuckerberg
sincerely
apologised to the families of
victims
of
self-harm
and
taking their lives as a result
of social media, saying “No
one should go through what
they had and this is why we
invest so much and we are
going
to
continue
doing
industry wide efforts to make
sure
no
one
has
to
go
through
the
things
your
families had to suffer.”
The
family
members
ensured their emotions
were
heard,
expressing
their
discontent
with
audible hisses as the CEOs
entered the building and
showed their support by
applauding when Senators
posed tough questions to
the five tech moguls. Mr.
Chew empathised with the
families’
sorrow
and
offered his condolences,
acknowledging that as a
father
of
three
young
children, he understood
that
the
issue
being
discussed was “horrific
and
the
nightmare
of
every parent.”
The hearing witnessed
several absurd moments,
notably when US Senator
Tom Cotton repeatedly
insinuated TikTok CEO Mr.
Chew’s alleged involvement
with the Chinese
Communist Party, despite
Mr. Chew’s assertions about
his Singaporean nationality.
Cotton then shifted to questioning Mr.
Chew about the infamous 1989
Tiananmen massacre; a series of
student-led protests that ended with a
violent military intervention costing
hundreds to thousands civilian lives.
Chew characterised this massacre as “a
massive protest” thereby omitting the
subsequent casualties on the pro-
democracy activists, leading to
controversy and scrutiny over his
choice of words.
In one exchange, Republican Senator Ted Cruz directly
addressed Zuckerberg with a blunt question: “What the
hell were you thinking?” in reference to an Instagram
prompt designed to warn users about encountering child
sexual abuse material, and under it, the option, “See the
results anyway.”
Nonetheless, despite the appetite to hold tech platforms
accountable, uncertainty persists, as Congress, however,
has yet to pass meaningful legislation to regulate social
media companies. Despite being titans of the modern
world, the USA has little to no regulation concerning social
media, leaving the public more vulnerable than ever in the
face of novel technological advances.
Let’s not sugarcoat it, social media platforms have become
a breeding ground for predators preying on children.
Children are exposed to harmful content, groomed by
strangers and exploited. Not to mention the stark rise in
cyberbullying and harassment contributing detrimentally
to the mental health crisis that many teenagers currently
face on a regular basis.
Young teenagers being impressionable and naive,
can be easily manipulated in countless ways.
The road ahead may be winding, but the Senate's
focus on social media safety marks a crucial step
towards a brighter digital future. Through open
dialogue and collaborative action, we can navigate
the complexities of social media, shaping a more
ethical, secure, and empowering online space for all.
PANDEMICS
Can we outsmart the
next outbreak?
CURRENT AFFAIRS:
Throughout history, humans have been
no strangers to infectious diseases and
epidemics - from the Bubonic Plague in
the 5th century that brought Athens to
its knees, to the Spanish flu that gave its
deadly kiss to one-third of the world’s
population. Covid-19 is only the newest
actor in the theatre of human history.
Before globalisation, with fewer
possibilities of travel across continents,
the capacity of these diseases to evolve
into pandemics and monumental threats
to human survival were limited.
Modernisation has greatly amplified this
capacity, forcing us to think; is
prevention more important than cure?
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