My mother is a compulsive worrier, and much of it is due to the Straits Times. She's the kind of person who glances through the headlines, spots a sensationalized headline, then reads the whole story, then warns me about it 24 times, then plays through the scenario in her head but this time with me as the protagonist, then warns me another 8 times. Then she continues worrying that it may actually happen to her or someone she knows and tells everyone about it.
It's really all the news' fault. It's an unfair portrayal really - for every 1 robbery reported, there's another 10000 people who did not get robbed in the exact same circumstances. For every molest case on the train, there's another 99999 people who did not get molested on the train. Presenting only the negatives leads to a certain expectation bias in people and unnecessary paranoia.
Here's the kind of news I would publish if I was editor:
A China national who entered the bedroom of a co-tenant and had a chat with her was not jailed for six weeks on Tuesday.Zhong Zihao, 25, then an electrical assembler, admitted to entering into the bedroom of the 19-year-old student, shaking her hands and having a delightful conversation which lasted for two hours.The 19-year-old-student, who declined to be named, had this to say: "(He) was very kind and friendly. He asked about my family and how they were doing, and even offered me some cake!"The court heard that he was in the kitchen in the early hours on Jan 4 when he found some spare keys. He recognized this as the student's bedroom keys and promptly returned it to her."I knew I had to do the right thing," Zhong said. "I always return lost keys when I find them."He entered the victim's bedroom with the pretext of returning the victim's spare keys. They ended up having a long, meaningful conversation and the two still remain friends.
And another one:
A young man who did not molest or sexually abuse a 17-year-old girl on their first date was not jailed for any duration on Thursday.Choo Chen Hung, 24, admitted to having a great time at Block 932 Yishun Road at about midnight on April 20, 2011.A district court heard that Choo contacted the victim after getting her number through a mutual friend on April 19. They arranged to meet at McDonald's at Northpoint Shopping Centre at about midnight.While sitting outside the fast-food restaurant, Choo suggested that they order a Double McSpicy meal but she refused.The 17-year-old girl, who only wanted to be known as Lin, said: "I was on a diet so I definitely not want a Double McSpicy. We compromised and got a single McSpicy meal instead."The couple had their supper and chatted late into the night. They are reportedly having their second date tomorrow night.
