Singaporeans tend to favor their wants rather
than their needs. Most Singaporeans have access to food, water and clean air
and they take these things for granted. However, there needs to be increased
awareness in how privileged Singaporeans are as they are able to live a life
without struggling for basic amenities. Singaporeans need to be responsible of
their usage of resources and be aware of global issues such as global warming
and climate change. Each Singaporean should see themselves as a global citizen
and act in accordance to the environmental responsibilities. The Singaporean public
should stop focusing on their wants and instead be grateful that their needs
are being taken care of by the government and with the help of the
infrastructure put in place to facilitate the smooth running of their
lifestyle. Many Singaporeans simply expect the best treatment and tend to focus
on the negatives. This mindset needs to change.
Singaporeans need to thrifty so that resources
can be saved and used for better purposes. Reduction in energy usage and
resources can be cut back on if Singaporeans are willing to live simply and sustainably.
Singaporeans should learn how to manage their priorities more. Singaporeans tend
to be brand conscious and want products that serve as status symbols and ups
their social standing. This is a very bad mentality that Singaporeans have that
drives them to waste resources and be a factor in contributing to environmental
harm. Singaporeans consume goods without thought to the life cycle of the
product and tend to make consumer decisions that are harmful to society. This results
in bad consequences for the environment. Singaporeans need to pay more
attention to how products are made and how much environmental impact the
product has on the environment so as to ensure that they are consuming goods
responsibly. On top of that they need to reduce consumption of products that
further their wants and not meet their needs.
One key example of Singaporeans putting wants
before needs is that Singaporeans jump on trends really fast. The moment a new iPhone
gets released in the market, everyone rushes to get the new model even though
their current phone is fully functional. This shows that the purchase of a new
phone is completely unnecessary. However, Singaporeans simply jump in the bandwagon
and make consumer choices simply because everyone else is doing it. This is a a
bad habit that needs to be addressed and transformed. The promotion of
sustainable practices is crucial in changing the mindset and behavior of
society. This shows that Singapore still has a way to go in truly becoming a
sustainable city as the practice of its citizens does not equate to sustainable
practices. There needs to be government promotion of the phrase “meet needs,
not wants,” and it should be embedded in society as well to live within the
means of what is sustainable in the long run.
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