Gen Next: Voices Of Change

Their voices are loud and clear. Sit up and listen, as our youths express their thoughts, concerns and ideas. One name comes to mind at the tip of the iceberg of today’s global youth movement: Greta Thunberg. The poster girl of change – and influence – represents the voices and the rise of a forward-thinking generation of young adults. In Singapore, our youths navigate intergenerational challenges and redefine things that matter most to them, from global issues such as climate change, misconceptions of who they are, peer pressure, to seeking love and, sometimes, finding loneliness in this connected world that we live in.

Actress Tasha Low, 26, on how she overcame poor self-esteem and regained confidence after her stint as a K-pop artist.

AN EX-KPOP IDOL ON YOUTH PRESSURE AND BODY IMAGE

Millennials often preach self-love, but I don’t think we truly understand what it means. Instead, we criticise our bodies: too fat, too skinny, too muscular or too curvy.

All these have brought about endless body image issues, poor self-esteem, and online bullying.

I used to be chubby. Then, my peers would tell this “fatty” to go on a diet. I began to loathe myself, and I stopped snacking and took up more dance classes

While I lost weight, the scars never went away and it later sparked a series of body image issues that affected me as an adult. It wasn’t until years later that I finally learnt how to love myself.

I spent four years in South Korea as a K-pop idol with the now-defunct group Skarf.

It was a dream come true. Dance is very much part of me. I was born into a family of ballroom dancers. My great-grandfather was Low Poh San, who introduced ballroom dancing to Singapore, and my parents are also accomplished ballroom dancers.

The time I spent as a K-pop idol was gruelling. While I enjoyed performing, the pressure was tremendous. My daily routine included practising up to 17 hours a day with my bandmates. There were (strict) rules to keep.

My manager took my weight every day to ensure that I was consistently losing weight. I couldn’t enjoy different foods, as I was put on a diet of mainly fruits and sweet potatoes. No meat, rice and bread, so they say.

I was tired, but I followed the rules. I saw it as a stepping stone to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Inevitably, I allowed myself to be controlled by the unrealistic beauty standards.