It has been reported that more and more teenagers are involved in gambling in our city. What will be the negative impact if the trend prevails and what should be done to turn the situation around? Write a letter to the editor to voice your views.
Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my concern about the increasing number of teenagers involved in gambling in the city. According to a research published by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2012, 40 per cent of the interviewee aged under eighteen had gambled before and their main types of gambling are playing mahjong and cards, Mark Six and soccer gambling betting. This is indeed a worrying phenomenon. If the trend prevails, not only will it bring a blaze of drawbacks to the teenagers themselves, but it will also affect the relationships between them and their parents and acquaintances.
First and foremost, gambling will warp teenager’s values and affect their academic performances. Once teenagers are involved in gambling and earn money fortunately, it is not uncommon for them to view gambling as a way to make fast bucks, without realizing that it is actually a thoughtless splurge of money. If the teenagers continue to spend their money in gambling, they may even believe that they will be able to earn a living through betting, diminishing their motivation to save and treasure money. Moreover, if they spend too much time on gambling, they will not be able to concentrate on lessons and revisions due to the lack of rest. This will finally result in declining grades.
Apart from this, the interpersonal relationship of teenagers with others may also suffer. In fact, gambling is an additive activity. When teenagers are totally obsessed with it, they will definitely spend less time participating in other extra-curricular activities and having a heart-to-heart chat with their friends, worsening the relationship between them. Moreover, teenagers may even have to bear heavy gambling debts when they have spent all they have on it. However, it is extremely difficult for them who are still studying at school to afford the debts. Who will be the ones to bear this burden then? They are their parents. If the situation prevails, conflicts between family members must then be triggered and the relationship between them will become worse.
Teen gambling problem is not something to be taken lightly. Before this problem turns into a doom-and-gloom situation, parents and schools should join hands to turn the situation around.
To commence with, parents should be a role model for their children and spare some time to have a hearty talk with them. Parents are always the best role model for their children. If parents themselves are also obsessed with gambling, there is little hope that the teenagers can keep away from this habit. Therefore, parents should be a good ‘guide’ for their children, leading them to the right way. In addition, they should often chat and listen to their children, in order to find out the reason why they get involved in gambling. If time allows, they should also do some activities such as hiking with their children, cultivating good habits for them.
For schools, education about gambling will definitely help. School is a good place for teens to develop their right values. Therefore, teachers should beef up the education on gambling, for example, holding theme weeks on anti-gambling, seminars, workshops, game booths and so on, letting teenagers know more about the undesirable consequences brought by gambling and also the right method to manage their savings. Only then can they know how to stay firm against the temptation of gambling.
In a nutshell, it is impossible for the teenage gambling problem to be solved with just a little effort. Everyone in society should not watch the problem with folded arms. A little effort from everyone can already make a big change.
Yours faithfully,
Sammi Cheng
Sammi Cheng
6E 2015-16
Cheng Sum Yi Sammi