Thanks to the advancement of technology, the world of communication has taken on a whole new meaning. Family and friends can now communicate with one another regardless of geographical location, and information can be easily obtained with a few clicks of the mouse. Blogs and social networking sites are norms than exceptions serving as the common platforms to voice one’s opinion.

The entertainment scene has certainly changed over the years. The simple cartoons that used to air on one or two select channels are now drowned by the vibrancy of cable television. Not only are there hundreds of channels available, each one opens to a world of violence, greed, lust or plain delusion.

If our children had the maturity to speak to their parents as equals what insight might they reveal? In the language of the heart, what might be the ultimate conversation all parent-child pairs eventually speak?  In this 2 part essay, the author takes on the voice of the generic youth in contemporary Singapore.

NEW research from University of Michigan indicates a 63% heightened risk that an overweight child will be a target of aggressive behaviour from other kids regardless of other factors like gender, race and family wealth.

"What we found, much to our dismay, was that nothing seemed to matter. If you were obese, you were more likely to be bullied, no matter what," said research investigator Dr Julie Lumeng of the Center for Human Growth and Development.