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How young people are learning to open up and talk at social skills workshops
Description
If the first part of the headline has you nodding, then this episode of The Usual Place podcast is for you.
Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.
Some young adults are struggling with everyday conversations and other basic forms of social interaction.Whether it’s making small talk with strangers, holding eye contact, or just answering a phone call (just text me please!), Gen Zs and millennials are declaring that dealing with other people isn’t always their vibe.
They need help to fix their awkwardness.
That’s where the School of Yapping by social impact organisation Friendzone comes in, reported The Straits Times in July. Over four workshops, participants aged 20 to 35 practise how to be “confident, connected, and comfortable” talking to others.
In this episode of The Usual Place, I will chat with Tham Jun Han, the 32-year-old co-founder of Friendzone; Nur Haziqah Mohd Yazib, a 25-year-old case worker who took part in the workshop recently; and Savanna Tai, a 22-year-old university student who has had to change the way she communicates as she wants to become a journalist.
We discuss why social interactions are harder now for young adults than ever before, whether the Covid-19 pandemic made things worse, and what we stand to lose if we don’t find a way to connect again.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:46 Understanding group dynamics and how to start conversations
15:02 Haziqah and Savanna on their experiences in changing their skill sets and approaches so far
19:41 On personality tests
24:10 Could the Covid-19 pandemic have affected the way a generation communicates?
27:09 What will young people lose if they don’t know how to communicate well or are not socially confident?
Read ST’s article on courses in yapping: https://str.sg/d82q
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)
Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
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Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh & Natasha Liew
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
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