Every generation tends to view those younger than them as less resilient, more playful, or weaker. The term “strawberry generation” was coined for this exact purpose, for older generations to describe those born in the 1980s and later as fragile and easily hurt, referencing the fruit’s easily-bruised outer layer.

While the results of the TODAY Youth survey show that there are issues to be worked out when it comes to race and religion in Singapore, there is also evidence that youth hold more open views compared to older generations.

This provides some ground for optimism, particularly now when issues such as race and religion can fracture societies, and thus require open minds and sensitivity.

HIGH LEVELS OF AWARENESS

Amongst 18- to 35-year-old respondents, over four in 10 had personally experienced racism. Minorities were more likely to have had such experiences, with over six in 10 Malays and Indians agreeing with the statement.

These responses add to findings on racism from the World Values Survey (WVS) that the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) administered in Singapore in 2020, which indicate higher awareness of racist behaviour amongst younger respondents compared to their older counterparts.

While around one-third of all WVS respondents said racist behaviour occurred at some frequency in their neighbourhoods, within the youngest cohort (21 to 35 years), 44 per cent of the entire group, 47 per cent of Malay respondents, and 56 per cent of Indian respondents gave the same answer.

Overall, the attitudes of young Singaporeans are clear: There is racism in Singapore, and many have personal experiences to recount.

More importantly, Singaporean youth are very aware of the potential pitfalls of the mismanagement of such racist incidents.

A 2018 IPS survey on race, religion, and language found that almost three-fifths of 18- to 25-year-olds believed anger among and against communities would occur if race issues were mismanaged. In comparison, only two-fifths of older respondents aged above 65 felt the same way.

The TODAY respondents also felt that the level of racism had changed since the pandemic began. Amongst those who thought that the level of racism had increased (64 per cent of the full sample), nine in 10 felt that social media made racism more prominent.

These results are not surprising since youths are heavy users of social media. Furthermore, high-profile discussions on Critical Race Theory and Chinese privilege in 2020 and 2021 along with a handful of high-profile racist incidents likely heightened awareness of race-related issues.

While these results indicate that social media has made racism more visible, the TODAY survey did not ask what the perceived level of racism was before the pandemic.

But even if such a question were asked, the current level of awareness on the issue would have probably inflated the proportion of respondents who say they were conscious of racism before the pandemic.

Hence, we can only speculate on two possible scenarios.

The first is more positive about society and less kind to social media — which is that social media has amplified a small handful of racist incidents, making people believe that the level of racism has increased.

The second turns the tables around — social media has become the platform for spreading awareness of existing levels of racism in society, mobilising support and soliciting empathy for others, as well as generating discussions on important race issues.

It is likely that the reality lies somewhere in between, given that discussions on racism happened both online and offline.

While racism is still a source of concern given Singapore’s diverse population, social media’s unprecedented reach allows individuals to share their experiences with a wide audience. Posting anonymously may also embolden many who never had the courage to speak up before.

In sum, these trends indicate that the youth today are more aware than previous generations about racism, and more willing to call it out publicly and engage in discussions about it online.

YOUTH AND RELIGION

Another issue of concern regarding youths relates to religiosity and religious affiliation.

In the TODAY survey, a higher proportion of 30- to -35-year-olds said that their identity was tied closely to their religious community (54 per cent) and that their closest friends were from there (45 per cent), compared to younger respondents aged 18-25 (40 per cent and 32 per cent respectively).

However, religion still has a role to play in the spiritual lives of many Internet-savvy Singaporean youth.

For instance, the 2020 population census revealed that 80 per cent of the population aged above 15 identified with a religion.

For WVS respondents 35 years and below, over 73 per cent of those with declared religions saw religion as very or rather important in their lives. In the TODAY survey, more than half of those with religious affiliations indicated that religion is an important factor when making life decisions.

Having a specific belief system can be a strong source of spiritual support to cope with the events in one’s life.

However, some have expressed concern that a growing divide between the non-religious and religious may become a problem in the future, especially if the two groups disagree on the extent to which religion should be integrated into societal life.

To this, we argue that there is an understanding even amongst religious youth that diversity needs to be respected.

When asked whether the only acceptable religion is their own in the WVS, over three-quarters of the youths (21 to 35 years) with religious affiliations disagreed, the highest proportion compared to all other age cohorts.

In effect, the youths are the most open about co-existing with other religions, which is the basis of tolerance when living in a diverse society.

RESOLVING DIFFERENCES

Millennials are the first generation to have grown up in the age of the Internet.

This unique experience seems to have made them even less comprehensible to the generations before them. Now, the even younger Gen Z,  are coming of age.

Today, those aged 18 to 35 make up around 20 per cent of Singapore’s resident population.

It is not a very large proportion, but this group is now at the stage of life where they are building careers, forming families, and making their opinions known to the rest of society. In other words, it is currently the group with the longest runway to shaping the future and creating change in the world.

Therefore, whatever older generations may think of this group, it is important to understand how it views the world and to take those views seriously.

Race and religion are necessary but difficult topics to raise, particularly when there are differing perspectives within society.

The results from the TODAY survey suggest that Singaporeans aged 18 to 35 depend on varied belief systems.

They, particularly those from minority races, also acknowledge that issues like racism exist in society. This is to be expected since Singapore is one of the most socially diverse countries in the world.

However, there is no inherent danger in diversity if we do not approach differences with fear.

In fact, we are optimistic that the sensitivity of this so-called “strawberry generation” can allow for more nuanced conversations about hotly-debated issues and chart the way forward for our society.



Dr Teo Kay Key is a research fellow at IPS Social Lab of the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore. Shane Pereira is a research associate at the same institute.

This piece was first published in TODAY on 17 November 2021.

Top photo from Unsplash.