Your Voice: Marriage and love aren’t for everyone; take a stand against bullying (short letters)

Many people dream of love and having a successful marriage. There are several reasons they feel the need to marry: fear of loneliness, sexual desires, and social convention. But some of us may find these reasons ridiculous. Not everyone needs marriage or is mature enough to live a married life. In fact, many great people like Isaac Newton never married and lived happily single.

Idealising love can cause us to develop unrealistic expectations about what it can do for us. Love doesn’t equal compatibility. Love is emotional while compatibility is logical. People seek different things in relationships. Being in a compatible relationship means that both partners work well together and enjoy each other’s company. And compatibility can exist without love.

Love involves emotions, protectiveness, attraction, affection and trust. But some people do not feel the excitement of romantic love. They may feel that they have to focus on other things in life, like their career. In short, love and marriage aren’t for everyone.

Rachel Mok, St Paul’s Secondary School

Bullying has long-lasting effects. We must do everything in our power to put a stop to it. For its victims, bullying is linked with mental health issues. Constantly being in a state of fear increases anxiety levels. Bullying results in low self-esteem. Suicidal thoughts might even arise from feeling helpless. Mental health issues will lead to troubles at school and in our personal lives.

Bystanders fear being mocked by bullies if they defend the victim. They end up not stepping in at all. From my experience, emotions such as shame and remorse ate me alive. I remember staring at the ceiling awake at night, dreading the day I would be targeted.

Why a social worker writes role-playing games for Hong Kong youth

It is of paramount importance to educate people. Everyone can be a victim of bullying since it can take place at school, at work or online. Parents should educate their children and explain why no one should ever endure bullying. Schools should have adequate reporting systems. Students would feel more protected.

The government should strengthen its anti-bullying policy. Its objective is to ensure a safe learning environment, yet bullies continue to walk free. The government should hold each school or company accountable for bullying cases on its premises.

Chinny Kwok, West Island School

Operational AI is a type of artificial intelligence with real-world uses. This includes self-flying aircraft. However, there are doubts about the use of AI in aerospace.

Firstly, AI is expensive, and not every business will be able to afford such cutting-edge tech. Secondly, it will take a lot of time and effort to implement AI into aerospace systems. This is because there are many tests to gain certifications which are costly and extensive. Not all AI proposals will pass these tests.

M3GAN reminds us to think twice about AI

The misconceptions about AI that many hold are difficult to extinguish. It can be very easy for seasoned hackers to manipulate computer systems for their own benefit. Manufacturers will need to persuade the public that AI systems are safe, or even safer than if a human pilot flew the aircraft.

If AI does come through, it could mean unemployment for many in the aviation sector, due to mechanisation taking over their jobs. Data management within the algorithm poses another challenge; airline companies will need to introduce new privacy policies if their systems are storing customers’ personal data.

With these considerations in mind, many are still sceptical about AI in the aerospace industry.

Kriti Tutika, ESF South Island School

Success is a mindset, and achievements are made only if the right mindset is achieved. Society defines success as material achievements such as winning awards, becoming highly qualified, becoming valedictorian, and so on. But sometimes, we do not see that there is a difference between achievement and success.

When we work hard and see it paying off, there’s an immense feeling of accomplishment. But that isn’t success. Success is having the right mindset when we have a goal in mind. So what is a successful mindset? It’s having a strong desire towards growth.

Unmasking truth behind impostor syndrome: why success can still leave you doubting your worth

We tend to have a fixed mindset which limits our growth. A fixed mindset is when you believe your abilities are something you cannot change. This keeps us from making progress.

However, the mindset of an efficient person makes progress. This is called a growth mindset. They believe that their abilities can be developed. They constantly evolve and are open to new ideas to improve themselves. Having a growth mindset means that you tend to view any steps towards your goal as an opportunity to achieve success.