Write to Win (Round 9): Which invention from the past decade would you erase from existence?

Hello! I’m a Form 6 student who loves to write, read and immerse myself in every form of creative expression under the sun. Throughout my secondary school journey, I have been intent on participating in as many writing contests as possible. I thoroughly enjoy the thinking process that accompanies each piece of writing I produce. Even if some words fail me, language is my rock, my outlet to express myself and what I believe in.

Part of what makes living during this age of technology so enthralling is the plethora of inventions we have witnessed. From social media to smart devices, intellectuals present gifts to the world through innovations that carry civilisation into a new era of communication and convenience.

Nevertheless, room for error exists. When placed under the spotlight, some creations do not live up to expectations or do more harm than good.

One egregious invention is a fashion company that reached its zenith in the last five years. Fast fashion is a term we are all aware of to some extent. The phenomenon has existed since the 1990s, but the issue seems to have been exacerbated by the popularity of fashion giant Shein.

Shein is the biggest polluter in fast fashion today. Yale University’s Climate Connections service states that Shein emitted 16.7 million total metric tons (16.4 million total imperial tons) of carbon dioxide in 2023, more than four coal power plants spew out in a year.

The company has also come under fire for textile waste, high levels of microplastic pollution and exploitative labour practices.

The fast fashion giant specialises in cheap clothing that follows microtrends, incentivising individuals to purchase large volumes of “affordable” clothing to stay stylish. Influencers buy thousands of dollars worth of clothing to review on their socials, allowing them to feature prominently on Shein’s own socials and website.

They do not make these purchases because they are in dire need of clothes but to maintain relevance with fans. This fuels an unethical mindset among their followers that, to stay on trend, they must acquire these clothes.

Brands like Shein and clothing microtrends come under fast fashion’s unsustainable umbrella. I believe this is one of the most harmful inventions to exist today.

Therefore, I would erase Shein from existence. Buy only what you need and shop sustainably. Do not be swayed by what you see online, and develop your own style.

Write to Win (Round 8): Creating a new board game, from design to rules and play

My fellow students, writers, performers and dreamers, thank you for your support in Write to Win! As an avid reader and writer, you can often find me curled up with a book in my free time or writing silly poems in maths class – where my creativity stops playing hide-and-seek.

What is the essence of being human? In a world full of technology and artificial intelligence, it cannot be our ability to use tools with precision. Anything humans can do, so can technology.

At the end of the day, it is our capability to be imperfect and still live fulfilling lives that makes us human. But what if that is taken from us?

What if we could decide who our children become by erasing their imperfections, blotting away “broken” traits? That is precisely what the CRISPR-Cas9 technology permits us to do – and why I would remove it from this earth.

Patented in 2014, CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing technology that can snip and edit specific genetic traits. Originating in bacterial immune systems, CRISPR-Cas9 works by identifying target traits and then removing or altering those undesirable traits.

The right development and research will potentially allow us to edit human and animal embryos and decide a child’s traits, including personality, physical appearance, and genetically transferable diseases.

While this may sound great, the social implications of this technology are not to be taken lightly.

In a world where genetically “ideal” people can exist, pressures will increase, forcing everyone to conform to a standard. This dog-eat-dog world will become more disapproving of anyone trying to break free from the mould.

Imagine: our lives are determined by how much gene editing we had done before conception, which depended on our parents’ access to expensive technologies. The chasm of social inequality will deepen as the wealthy will have desirable physical and mental traits and less chance of genetically passing down illness and disease.

Is this a world we want? One where a select group will be genetically “better” than others, while the rest – the majority – are removed, deemed “undesirable”?

Fighting for imperfection may seem absurd, but it is what we must do to preserve and protect humankind.

We have prepared some exciting prizes for our top three contestants:

• Winner: Kindle, City’super voucher and a YP certificate

• First runner-up: Instax camera and a YP certificate

• Second runner-up: City’super voucher and a YP certificate