Joy / Are The Youths Of Today Less Rugged?

What does being 'rugged' mean to you?

To me, rugged would mean being fit and able to face physical challenges as well as to be able to withstand physical hardship.

In your experience, are the Singaporean youths of today less 'rugged' and why do you feel this way?

I feel that Singaporean youths of today are indeed less 'rugged' as compared to those of the previous generation. Although they do still exercise, especially since there are PE lessons which are made compulsory, it is not enough. Intense exercise for approximately 2 hours a week is definitely not enough to keep fit, I believe the secret to staying strong and 'rugged' is more of exercising regularly. Even in our daily lives, the activities we do that seem small and insignificant do actually play an important part in improving our health and strengthening our body. An example would be how the activities of the past generation differ from ours.

During their youth period, the adults of today spent time together having fun by catching fishes from shallow waters or going for a swim at the beach. However, in my experience, youths of today enjoy spending time together by having meals, watching movies or even sitting down for a game or two on the computer. Such activities are by comparison way less physical and we're most of the time sitting down and just moving our mouths.

Although some may say youths of today take part in more challenging and physically demanding sports such as wake-boarding, skiing, kickboxing and more, I feel that this only applies to the minority and cannot be said so for the majority of Singaporean youths today.

Also, the past generation did not have as much technology as we have now, such as efficient transport systems which brings us from one point to another without us having to move around much.

So yes! I do think that the Singaporean youths of today are less 'rugged' as compared to those of the past :)