Teenage Couples Smooching In Public: Acceptable Or A Bit TOO Much?

The boy was caressing his partner's breasts, arms and legs. Each stroke was a delicate one, making sure she remained aroused. Their lips locked as they simulated the whole sexual scene. The Ahhhhs and the Ohhhhhs reverberated from the love bubble and floated inside the bus. And then suddenly...

'SHUT UP!' wailed an old women who was seated across the other side of the bus.

That was exactly what I observed in an incident about four years ago in a SBS bus. The couple, who probably felt so embarrassed after being scolded in public, alighted from the bus at the next stop. It was shocking but funny at the same time. The couple might have the 'courage' to showcase their affections in public without a single tinge of shame hanging over them, but all that 'courage' seemed superficial when they were chided by an old harmless women.

So is it acceptable for teenagers to smooch in public? Or is it just too much? In my opinion, I believe such public displays of affection are a bit too much. Firstly, we must understand that Singapore is a relatively conservative society founded by Asian traditions and values. Kissing or caressing in public is like a taboo in our society. We should respect our cultural values and not let Western imperialism overwhelm it. Singapore must not lose its identity as an Asian nation to foreign influence. It is never too late to preserve our culture for future generations.
























Secondly, giving the green light to public sexual exhibitions could worsen the moral degradation among Singapore youths today. If the elderly woman did not stop the couple from kissing in the bus, they may develop the mentality that such activities are widely accepted. From there, our teenagers become more daring to experiment more 'ambitious' things such as oral sex in public. In fact, sex in public is experiencing a rising trend among youngsters today, as highlighted in a Berita Harian report recently. If the trend is perpetuated, then conservative teenagers may find it hard or even abnormal to stick to their traditional or religious values in the future.

Finally, it is also important to take note that we are living in a multi-cultural society. What our teenagers do represents how much their communities have matured, let it be Chinese, Malay or Indian. Nobody can deny the fact that racial stereotypes are still prevalent in today's society. And since Singapore consists of small minority groups, this provides little or no excuse for the respective groups to be experiencing social problems among their youths. Racial stereotypes such as the Malay teenagers being more sexually active (due to newspaper reports showing Malay youths having the highest rate of teenage pregnancies) may cause unnecessary tensions to arise. (Another example is how the African-American teenagers are stereotyped as more likely to commit crimes in their country.) Thus, witnessing a young Malay couple kissing in public may further deepen the stereotype.

Public displays of affection among teenagers are not acceptable at all. The multi-cultural Singapore society is not ready to accept them due to our conservative beliefs. We are Asians and we must be proud of our traditional values and beliefs.