Research Question 4

• What are the effects of hedonism and why should we be concerned about hedonism?

After I have done my research, I have found that the bad effects of hedonism cannot counter the good effects of it. So, I will tell you the effects of hedonism from two main perspective.

Family

The first scope is family. Family is the basic unit of living society. Can you imagine living in a hedonistic family? Always seeking for pleasure. In example, seeking for pleasure of eating. The medical profession has blamed parents indulgence for the growing number of obese children and health problems such as diabetes, high-blood pressure and high cholesterol level. Sri Murugan Centre director and founder Datuk Dr M. Thambirajah said everything began with the family unit. He said in the past, teachers took it upon themselves to play the dual role of educator and parent. "But today, because of the workload and pressure to perform, they can no longer play the dual role. It is unfair to expect that from them." Thambirajah said children from middle-class families faced competition every day in examinations, piano lessons, art classes and others. He said these children faced stress. Human Dynamic child counsellor Wong Yee Men agreed that children were stressed out these days, but disagreed that this problem was confined to middle-class families. "Today, both parents have their own careers. Children want their parents to spend time with them, period." Wong said she had seen an increase in referral cases from parents, teachers and counsellors for children with behavioural problems, learning difficulties or even emotional blockages. "I feel the root problem lies with the parents." Wong said parents often brought back their "baggage" from work and this would have an adverse impact on the child's life. "For example, because of a bad day at work, the parent could have snapped at the child over a simple matter like watching television. This will stress out the child." Children's safety has also become a crucial issue. With more than 8,000 children reported missing over the last five years and more than 500 in the first six months of this year, experts are wringing their hands on what can be done. Even the missing children alert system remains just a proposal. Health-wise, our children are not doing too good, either. Children as young as 7 are developing Type 2 diabetes as a result of their couch-potato lifestyle and high-calorie food. Hospital Putrajaya, the referral hospital for diabetes cases in the country, has been recording an "alarming" increase in the number of cases. Hospital Putrajaya paediatrics department head Dr Fuziah Md Zain said children with a propensity for Type 2 diabetes were usually the youngest in the family. "We believe that because the youngest child is usually the pet in the family, parents give in to their demands for high-calorie food." The latest National Health and Morbidity Study showed that 20 per cent of children and teenagers in Malaysia have mental ailments. The figure was 13 per cent in 1996. Gleneagles Medical Centre Penang consultant psychiatrist Dr Zasmani Shafiee, during a Family Day gathering last month, said some 130,000 Malaysian children and adolescents suffered mental illnesses. Selayang Hospital saw a 300 per cent increase in the number of children seeking psychiatric help in the past four years. HELP University College's developmental and counselling psychologist Dr Brendan J. Gomez said depression, stress, violence and suicide were on the rise among young people. "It is a really worrying trend, and we want to try and address that problem right now."

Society

Next is society. Hedonism in Malaysia culture now is Mat Rempit tradition. Of late and more highlights of the misadventures of the Mat Rempits have popped p on our local television and newspapers, even in the internet, these "street warriors" seem to be endorsed on what they are doing. I would think that Mat Rempits get a thrill out of doing what they do. In that moment of time, they would only think of how great they are, and how great their friends think of them. They would not think too much into how bad it affects the other road users. It would probably be a case of "As long as nobody else get hurt" should be fine. It would normally be too late when someone does get hurt.