The Young Reporter Vol. 50 Issue 5

March 2018 / Issue 5

Schools Getting Bogged Down With Teaching

S T E M

cience echnology ngineering

athematics

In the wake of child abuse

Sugar-coated Lunar New Year food health snare

Long long nights

Can school social Workers be a panacea for child abuse problems?

Can government do more to ease unhealthy consumption of Chinese New Year food?

Getting rid of insomnia with cell phone applications?

In This Issue 04 Teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Local schools getting bogged down with teaching STEM

06 Supporting local fashion Government launches project in Sham Shui Po in support of new fashion design businesses

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15

In the wake of child abuse

Running space in town

Will School Social Workers be a Panacea for Child Abuse Problem?

Build an Active Hong Kong through Healthy Urban Planning

12 Sugar-coated Lunar New Year food health snare Can government do more to ease unhealthy consumption of Chinese New Year food?

17 Long long nights Getting rid of insomnia with cell phone applications?

Letter from the Editor The Young Reporter starts 2018 with a brand new editorial board, a new group of reporters and a brand-new logo. Removing the word “magazine� from the logo symbolises our determination to expand our footprint.

To start off, we welcome a new genre of news that we have yet to dabble in: sports. As the oldest government-registered student-run publication, we stick to the legacies of traditional journalism and cater to our readers on more topics. Meanwhile, we believe that we ought to be ductile as young people, so we have begun to invest more of our resources in our online platforms.

Aside from the print magazine, TYR has also been on Facebook and Instagram. This year, we start exploring the use of Instagram stories for instant updates. On these social media platforms, you will find our stories being told in many different faster and more creative ways. We will be producing more mobile and digital-first content to enrich your news reading experience. Feel free to reach out to us on our social media and look out for more online-only content.

In our first issue of the year, we unfold stories of different problems in our society, from education to urban planning, as well as government policies and health related issues which have great influences on our lives.

We find out what difficulties schools face when teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), how Shum Shui Po has evolved from a marketplace for all fashion-related materials into a fashion hub for budding designers and what we should do to tackle child abuse.

As we ring in the new year with new resolutions, we look into leading a better life with a healthier lifestyle and improved urban planning in our city. We also look into whether the government can help cut the unhealthy consumption of Chinese New Year food and if a phone application can while away the sleepless nights.

Sincerely, Holly Chik Chiu-wai Editor-in-chief

Editor-in-Chief

Editors

Holly Chik

Alexandra Lin Jade Li Kenji Chan

Deputy Editors

Angie Chan Caroline Kwok Michael Shum Michelle Ng Art Directors

Candice Wong Dorothy Ma Erica Chin Erin Chan Distribution Officers

James Allen Ezra Cheung Social Media Editors

Elisa Luk Melanie Japson Sharon Pun Multimedia Editors

Elly Wu Kobie Li Maggie Liu Scout Xu Wing Li Yoyo Chow Zinnia Lee

Lloyd Hewitt-Robinson

Raphael Blet Robert McGain Sammi Chan Windy Li Yolanda Gao Reporters

Amy Ho Anna Kam Cara Li Einderdeep Singh Katherine Li Melissa Ko Nadia Lam Oasis Li Phoebe Lai Rachel Yeo Shane Wang Tomiris Urstembayeva

Vanessa Yung Wallis Wang Yetta Lam Izefia Nie

Advisers

Jenny Lam Robin Ewing The Young Reporter Volume 50 No. 5 2018

Printer

Department of Journalism School of Communication Hong Kong Baptist University

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SOCIETY

Local schools getting bogged down with teaching STEM Reported by Melissa Ko Edited by Dorothy Ma Photos edited by Scout Xu

As the government continues a push towards investing in STEM education, local school teachers can only equip themselves with more appropriate trainings.

STEM, which stands for Science, Te c h n o l o g y, E n g i n e e r i n g a n d Mathematics, is a curriculum emphasises on creativity and critical thinking instead of technical skills.

Lucas Luk Chi-hang, a chief information officer at Pak Kau College, said that they need to spend more time preparing for lessons and designing courses around research-based approaches.

He said the school holds mandatory STEM-related activities almost every Tuesday after school for all Form 1 and 2 students while IT and science

related teachers have to tailor the curriculum for students’ needs.

“My colleagues and I have to apply for additional training courses by ourselves and we have been busy with our own preparation, especially when we need to redesign what we’ve learnt via outside training,” he continued, “because we cannot copy from others directly.”

“There are always difficulties in the teaching STEM,” he added. “We have no option but to voluntarily join a STEM exchange outside of Hong Kong to sharpen our skills and widen our horizons so that we can figure out the most effective and efficient way to teach our students.”

His anecdotal account is borne out by the latest study by the Youth

Research Centre of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group.

Conducted between November and December last year, the survey polled 105 local secondary schools. 78.8% of the schools said that they started STEM education after the one-off grant from the Education Bureau.

Schools that responded gave an average of 5.6 points on a scale of zero to ten, with ten denoting “very effective”.

Five major obstacles encountered by the secondary schools while implementing STEM education were also discussed in the research.

Those include insufficient lesson time for STEM education, difficulty in developing cross-subject STEM education, inadequate examples for school reference and teacher training as well as vague teaching guidelines.

Esther Law, the project officer of Youth Research Centre said, “subsidies alone shall not be considered as the cure for all obstacles faced by secondary schools.”

Ken Lai Yiu-keung, a workshop teacher of ATEC, said people can take advantage of 3D printing for prototyping but it is expensive. This 3D printed shoe that costs more than HK$6,000.

She added that inadequate teaching guidelines are a huge problem when it comes to implementing STEM education in middle schools.

Professor Ricky Kwok Yu-kwong,

A few dozen students from Shau Kei Wan East Government Secondary School attend the lecture hosted by ATEC teachers in the well-equipped lab.

Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) at the University o f Ho n g Ko n g a n d a p ro f e s s o r in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, also said that one-off grant subsidies alone could not bring the effectiveness of STEM education.

He continued, “more students can be benefited from STEM education only if structural motivation arises.”

Hong Kong schools still emphasise exam scores rather than learning; therefore, students will not be that serious to STEM unless it is tested, Mr. Kwok explained. “It’s because of the exam-focused culture.”

In addition, teachers themselves might have to put extra effort and time into learning STEM such as robot programming before teaching their students if it is not a compulsory subject, he added.

Last November, a report released

by Amgen Asia and Global STEM Alliance shows that 44 % of teachers in Hong Kong believed the biggest challenge was the low priority given to STEM subjects while 42 % felt the professional development of such subject for teachers was insufficient.

This study was conducted

online last October, among 1,580 secondary students and 560 teachers in Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The aim was to find out what has motivated students to study science in the Asia Pacific region and how teachers perceive STEM-related needs.

Ken Lai Yiu-keung, a teacher at the Arts and Technology Education Centre(ATEC), which was established last year under the Education Bureau, said that the centre has received around $6 million funding. It was for promoting STEM education with various advanced digital fabrication machines, including laser cutter, fullcolour 3D printer, stereolithography 3D printer and more.

“The centre serves as a model lab and reference for any school interested in fostering STEM because as I know, some schools have been cheated while buying some equipment online,” Mr. Lai said.

Seventy-four registered schools have collaborated with the centre so far.

They have attended workshops held

by ATEC which only has four teachers and a teaching assistant, he added.

“Trained school teachers can arrange their students to use all facilities

equipped in Maker Space free of charge,” he said. “Duty teachers and the technicians will stand by at the centre to provide timely supports whenever necessary.”

“Maker Space” refers to the lab in the centre, serving as a hub for hands- on, project-based learning, creation and invention.

It is not solely a lab but also a multifunctional room for discussion, design, fabrication and realisation.

The idea of “Promotion of STEM E d u c a t i o n” wa s b ro u g h t u p by f o r m e r c h i e f ex e c u t i v e L e u n g Chun-ying in his 2015 policy a d d r e s s . I n l a s t y e a r ’s p o l i c y address, STEM education was again on the agenda with an additional one-off subsidy of $200,000 for each secondary school.

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Subsidies alone shall not be considered as the cure for all obstacles faced by secondary schools - Esther Law, Youth Research Centre

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BUSINESS

Government launches project in Sham Shui Po in support of new fashion design businesses Reported by Katherine Li Edited by Erin Chan, Rob McGain Photos edited by Kobie Li

The textile market in the district of Sham Shui Po has a long history of being a garment and clothing outlet.

It used to house many factories and now has a full spectrum of products ranging from fabric, clothing, semiprecious stones, to accessories.

While the market is idiosyncratic to local fashion, the government has announced its plans for a new fashion design project to be launched in Sham Shui Po, next to the fabric and textile market.

The Commerce and Development Bureau said the project will help nurture a younger generation of local designers, as well as enrich the traditional fabric and retail business with new elements.

Based on a report by the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, the latest figures show that Cultural and Creative Industries have shown

at an average of 7.6% a year, faster than the average annual growth rate of the nominal GDP of Hong Kong.

T h e re p o r t a l s o s h o w s t h a t i n between 2005 to 2018, the growth seen in local design industries has more than quadrupled, from $1billion to 4,15 billion.

“The uniqueness of having this project in Sham Shui Po carries t w o m e a n i n g s ,” s a i d E d w a r d Ya u Ta n g - w a h , t h e S e c r e t a r y for Commerce and Economic D eve l o p m e n t . “ F i r st o f a l l , we want to support young fashion d e s i g n e r s. O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , finding a home in Sham Shui Po is a recognition of the synergy and the very special ecology that Sham Shui Po has, (it) is itself a big icon.”

Mr. Yau believed that this project is giving the new creators in the fashion industry an old home.

Mr. Yau emphasised that the goal can be summed up in three words: synergy, space, and support. “Synergy is between new designers and the local ecology,” he said. “Space does not only refer to space for incubation, but also co-working space where designers can work with others, to give mutual support, rubbing shoulders and mingling with video photographers, advertisers, magazine writers, or anybody who can help them showcase their product(s) to the international market.”

“Our programmes, one aimed at all designers and another for fashion designers specifically, have supported more than 200 designers over the last ten years. Therefore, this new project is building on previous success,” Mr. Yau said.

Kathy Lam, one of the many designers who launched her own brand with the help of the Design

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Incubator Program (DIP), said that the program has been a g re a t f i n a n c i a l s u p p o r t t o h e r start-up company.

Mr. Yau says he is looking for new talents who can combine technology with design to create more diversity and a larger market.

“In the two-year program, I was offered free rental studio space for the first year and discount rental for the second. It helps a lot for a start-up company like mine when the rental fees are relatively high in Hong Kong,” said Ms. Lam.

Edward Yau The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

Ms. Lam’s brand participated in To k y o Fa s h i o n We e k a n d a l s o won the Zalora Style Awards in 2016. Her designs focus on blue and white colour scheme, which projects a sense of confidence, elegance and tranquillity.

Mr. Lee syas even though some local people might be reluctant to purchase products from lesser known local designer brands, this problem will be resolved since Hong Kong is a very multidimensional city with different types of needs, especially for the younger generation.

“There are too many factors and issues we face, but above all, I think that young designers in Hong Kong need to be united to become big and powerful,” said Ms. Lam. Indeed, it can be daunting for young designers to start a brand alone without assistance. According to Hong Kong local designer Necro Poon, starting a business requires more than just dedication, it also takes sufficient resources. “ T h e m o st c h a l l e n g i n g p a r t o f building my own brand is insufficient money,” said Poon. “I started my brand without any assistance after winning the Young Fashion Designers’ Contest, which awarded me with $20,000. But the rents are extremely high in Hong Kong, so it is difficult to afford a studio or shop space, which is why I joined the DIP last September.”

Poon’s brand is known for its unisex and menswear designs that embrace social and political themes. His collection “Gangster Club” is inspired by the Occupy Central movement three years ago. “Youngsters want to grab attention, have their voices heard and challenge social norms.

That is what I try to represent in my designs,” he said.

Edmund Lee Executive Director of Hong Kong Design Centre

Mr. Poon's pop-up store in Causeway Bay is often not very busy, he thinks that local people are not so keen on local designer brands.

Although his business does not go well, he said he is staying till it is time to close.

Necro Poon Designer

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Regarding the new government project in Sham Shui Po, Poon thinks that it is still too early to tell whether it will be successful.

He said it does not only rely on the designers or the government, but also consumers’ willingness to purchase their products.

“Local designer brands are not popular here,” Mr. Poon said, as he gestured toward his empty popup store. “For the same price, local people would rather buy from larger imported brands, such as Gucci and Prada, than from designers like us.”

This is why he suggested that the government needs to provide more holistic support - not just in terms of production and funding, but in marketing as well - in order for local designer brands to flourish.

“It would be very helpful if the government can gather some local designers for official meetings,” he proposed. “This way they can have a more accurate understanding of what we really need. It is important for us to have a voice.”

Irene Ip is the Senior Manager at Hong Kong Design Centre

(HKDC) which is in charge of the fashion project in Sham Shui Po in collaboration with the government.

She believes that there is going to be an increasing local market for fashion designers.

ecosystem in Sham Shui Po, to elevate the unique heritage in the area and bring it forward. It is a design and fashion connect base which brings in the designers, merchandisers, people in the industry, and the tourists.”

“Design (industry) in general is one of the fastest growing i n d u st r i e s i n Ho n g Ko n g,” s h e said. “In the policy address made by the chief executive, the government recognises the creative industry as the driving force behind our economy, which is why approximately one billion dollars will be injected into creative projects funding overall.”

Even though there is still quite a long planning process, Ms.Ip said that this structure is to be renewed first as part of the Urban Renewal Project. She said that it will have five storeys, which will include space for new designers, showrooms, workshops, display areas, and a public library access.

Ms. Ip added that there needs to be more to design than just aesthetics so that the local design industry can flourish. She highlighted that the difference between design and art is that art focuses on aesthetics, but design serves a need in addition to aesthetics. Therefore, she believes this new project should create social impact and change communities to be truly valuable.

“It’s not just a fashion building,” Ms. Ip said, “it improves the whole

Design Factory sells locally designed accessories that compliment the clothing.

Edmund Lee, Executive Director of HKDC elaborated that this project will be completed around 2023.

“We are trying to gather everyone in one place, including the community,” Mr. Lee concluded. “ It i s c a l l e d a Fa s h i o n a n d Design Connect space because the ultimate goal is to connect Sham Shui Po with not just the existing traders, but also with the ecosystem of Hong Kong and with the larger international fashion scene.” Mr. Lee said

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Can School Social Workers Be a Panacea for Child Abuse Problems

?

Reported by Amy Ho and Wallis Wang Edited by Erica Chin, Jade Li, Melanie Japson Photos edited by Wing Li

10 POLITICS

With scabs covered all over her limbs and face, bedsores on the soles of her feet and bruises all over her body, a 5-year-old girl died in January from being repeatedly abused by her father and stepmother.

and the social worker of a local primary school.

Lam Lam’s life was full of sorrow, pain, and tears.

“They have to deal with afterclass care, arrange extracurricular activities for students, prepare, contact and make other arrangements as well as to recruit students to join activities,” said the social worker Mr. Law.

But she was just one of many child abuse cases that happened in Hong Kong. According to government statistics, there have been more than 800 cases of child abuse every year in Hong Kong since 2006.

The data also shows that more than half of the victims were abused by their parents. According to Dr. Louis Kok, Child and Forensic Psychologist of Hong Kong Institute for Children’s Mental Health, children tend not to report abuses by their parents because they want to protect and stay with them.

Since 2000, every secondary school has to have at least one social worker.

L aw C h i - k w o n g, Se c re t a r y f o r Labour and Welfare has suggested extending the policy to primary schools and kindergartens.

Social workers who work for primary schools nowadays are not only in charge of students’ guidance services, but also their activities, according to Emy Law Yee-ming, member of the Reclaiming Social Work Movement

She said that social workers have to spend time on other duties so they do not have enough time for counselling.

Ip K i n -y u e n , a m e m b e r o f t h e Legislative Council and the vice-president of Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, hoped that the new policy would help social workers in primary schools to be employed under a new long-term contract system.

Mr. Ip said primary schools tend to hire social workers through the bidding system every year and schools tend to choose a social worker who wants less pay. Most of the social workers leave schools after only one year under this particular system.

He believed that social workers would work in schools for a longer period of time under the new policy, and can gain more trust from students. Mr. Ip said students would be more willing to open up about their problems so that is easier to track down child abuse cases.

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Although there is one social worker in each school, this still does not help children in need - Dr. Louis Kok

Ms. Law, the social worker, thinks job stability is important for school social worker. She regarded social workers who signed one-year contracts as “unstable resources”.

“We will support the ‘one schoolbased social worker for each school’ policy if it provides stable resources to primary schools,” Ms. Law said.

The bidding system causes another problem. According to Mr. Ip, social workers in primary schools may not be experienced because primary schools are not willing to spend more on hiring the seasoned social workers.

He expected that this situation will improve under the new policy and there would be training opportunities for inexperienced social workers as well.

“After launching the policy, there will be professional training and supervision systems for giving advice to inexperienced social workers in handling cases of child abuse,” said Mr. Ip. Bu t D r. Ko k i s c o n c e r n e d t h a t young children might not want to open up to social workers because of a lack of trust.

From 2006 to 2016, the number of child abuse cases in Hong Kong fluctuated but remained high, that was about 900 on average, yet the number does not include hidden child abuse cases. (Source: Social Welfare Department)

“Even if there is one social worker in every school, this still will not help children in need,” he said.

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Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union and Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union held a press conference on February 1st. They appealed to the government to provide more resources for the primary schools and related organizations and improve the notification system.

Lee Yu-po, the service manager at Against Child Abuse, stated that child protection work is a multi-discipline collaboration. Teachers need to cooperate with social workers to handle child abuse cases.

“Apart from getting the information from the abused children, social workers can understand the children’s family background from their teachers who may easily contact their families,” Lee explained.

She suggested that social workers should be a part of students’ lives as early as possible because students

would not seek help from social workers if they only appear when there is abuse.

Another concern is that there may be insufficient social workers.

“There are graduates from social work faculties every year. Will they become social workers?” Lee asked.

“The working hours in Hong Kong are too long, the cost of living is high and mortgages are too expensive,” Ms. Law said, “We find that many parents are both working, they are actually undergoing a lot of pressure at work, and they may be impatient or not skillful when handling their children’s problems, which leads to conflicts easily.”

Mr. Ip suggested implementing the policy step by step if there is a lack of social workers. He ad ded that the government should provide more training for social workers in universities if needed.

“C h i l d a b u s e i n vo l ve s a s e r i e s of social problems like our poor working environment and living conditions. Therefore, we cannot solve this problem from one aspect.

We need to fix it entirely,” said Mr. Ip.

From January to September 2017, a majority of the child abuse cases were committed by parents, followed by unrelated person. (Source: Social Welfare Department)

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HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Beware of sugar-coated Lunar New Year food health snare Can government do more to ease unhealthy consumption of Chinese New Year food?

Reported by Rachel Yeo Edited by Alexandra Lin, Sammi Chan Photos edited by Maggie Liu

Eat one Lunar New Year rice cake and you’ve almost hit your daily sugar limit.

With 21 grams of sugar, a rice cake comes close to the World Health Organisation’s recommended 25 grams a day.

“Sugar is just as addictive as cocaine with similar effects on our brain, making it extremely irresistible,” Denise Tam, a Holistic Nutritionist at the brand Food for Life, said. “That is why once we start, it's hard to stop.”

According to SingHealth, a healthcare institution based in S i n g a p o r e, C h i n e s e Ne w Ye a r delicacies contain excessive carbohydrates and sugar, which can cause weight gain in

the short-term and much more serious long-term problems.

season,” he said. “It’s a bit sad, but I’m quite extreme.”

Sugar plays a major role in the development of diabetes and heart disease, the institution warns.

With a plethora of annual treats such as deep-fried niangao (rice cake), peanut snacks and candied fruit - it is not easy to abstain while socialising.

Both diseases are among Hong Kong ’s top causes of mortality.

Diabetes even enters the top ten and heart-related diseases account for 13.2% of all deaths in the city, according to government statistics.

Eurasian CrossFit coach Anthony Haynes, 29, said he never eats traditional New Year’s treats, even during obligatory visits to his Chinese relatives’ homes. Instead, he consumes lean meats, steering clear of anything with excess MSG, salt or sugar.

“I try to avoid them like a plague as much as I can, ev e n f o r (t h e ) festive

Holly Liu Hoi-ning, 19, said she knows they are unhealthy but eats them anyway.

“We only eat (Chinese New Year) food once a year, why not be carefree and eat all we want? If people calculate how much calories they take in, it will make the festival less enjoyable,” said Ms. Liu. E v e r y y e a r, t h e F o o d a n d Environmental Hygiene Department sends out press releases explaining how they test for food safety in Chinese New Year foods while reminding the public to maintain a healthy and balanced diet during the holidays as a final note. However, New Year’s treats are not specifically mentioned.

Although some general diet tips appear on

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Sugar is just as addictive as cocaine with similar effects on our brain, making it extremely irresistible - Denise Tam, Nutritionist

g ov e r n m e n t w e b s i t e s, s u c h a s GovHK, the official website of the Hong Kong government, and the website for Centre for Health Protection, there is no specific warning for Chinese New Year.

I n c o m p a r i s o n , S i n g a p o re h a s invested in comprehensive efforts to raise the awareness of unhealthy Chinese New Year snacks. They even use humour to promote healthy eating during the holidays.

Last year, the Singapore government released a Kungfu-themed diabetes advertisement across various online platforms.

In the video, the Sugar Archvillain forces a group of people to eat sugary Chinese New Year foods that are commonly eaten in Singapore, such as pineapple tarts and lohei, a type of raw fish salad. The Guardian of Health reacts in horror and engages in a dramatic fight to destroy the excess salt, oils and sugars.

The commercial was shared

nearly 28,000 times on Facebook.

In addition, infographics advertise how many calories different types of New Year snacks carry, with additional information on how much an average person has to exercise in order to burn the calories eaten.

“Listening to an announcement or reading an advertisement may make somebody more conscious, but we are creatures that easily forget,” Ms. Tam said. “By the time family gatherings come around, we will forget.”

Ms. Tam said healthy eating needs to be emphasized more in primary education and that cooking at home is usually healthier.

“Making your own new year dishes

is always the healthier and better o p t i o n . Yo u w o u l d b e a b l e t o control the amount of sodium and sugar used, which is also often hidden in the sauces that go into your dishes.”

Cutting down on sugary drinks, not snacking between meals and drinking more water will help, she added.

But not everyone is interested in following her advice.

“When the festive mood comes, you will put everything inside your tummy,” said Phoebe Leung Wai-in, 20.

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SPORTS

Build an Active Hong Kong Through Healthy Urban Planning Reported by Nadia Lam Edited by Kenji Chan and Yoyo Chow Photos edited by Yoyo Chow

Jeff Tsang Pui-san, a 19-year-old Hongkonger, seldom exercises. The only chance he gets to work out is during his daily commute, running from his home to the metro station for about 10 minutes.

“I live in Cheung Sha Wan, a densely populated district in Hong Kong.

Although there is a sports ground near my home, it is usually occupied by training athletes as well as athletic meets,” Mr. Tsang said. “When it is opened to (the) public, it would be packed with people. This makes is diffifult for me to jog there.”

Tsang’s level of physical activity is far below the standard recommended by the Hong Kong government, that is, to exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

Like Mr. Tsang, one-third of the respondents in a survey conducted

by the Chinese University of Hong Kong said they rarely or did not exercise in the past six months .

Yet, according to the Planning Department, 2.3 % of the utilised land, equivalenting to twice the size of the Hong Kong International Airport, is zoned for recreational and sports.

An international study conducted

by Professor James Sallis from the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, found that urban planning is an important element to encourage people to exercise.

The findings also indicated residents who live in activity-friendly environments could achieve 68 to 89 minutes more of physical activity per week than others.

The report said that people who

live in walkable neighbourhoods that are densely populated, have interconnected streets, and are close to shops, services, restaurants, public transport, and parks, tend to be more physically active than those in less walkable areas. This is because a less car-dependent lifestyle means people are more likely to walk.

Apart from safety, job and access to services, Paul Zimmerman, a district councillor who specialises in urban design, said citizens’ health should be a critical factor in urban planning.

“We should be grateful. People live very long in Hong Kong and this is contributed by the fact that we do exercise. We do not sit in the car for the whole day compared with people in the United States. When people sit in cars, the obesity rate goes up a lot,” Mr. Zimmerman said.

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He also added the mountains and waterfronts in Hong Kong are easy to access, encouraging citizens to hike.

For example, according to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, it only takes a 15-minute walk to get to Kwun Tong Promenade from Ngau Tau Kok MTR station.

But Mr. Zimmerman pointed out that unlike Europe, Hong Kong has limited sports grounds due to insufficient supply of flat pieces of land.

According to the Civil Engineering and Development Department, only 40 % of land in Hong Kong is flat and there are 25 sports stadiums in total.

But in Europe, 43.2 %of land is used for leisure, sports and recreation, according to Eurostat data.

she said. “However, it interferes runners. Some people may not jog but block the tracks. I once saw some kids play ball games on the track, which is really dangerous”.

“I run on streets too but the roads are too narrow and runners may crash into the pedestrians,” she added.

According to the Planning Department, the recommended minimum width for footpath is 4.5 metres. With some public facilities such as electrical control panels and bus stops installed on the street, it leaves pedestrians with little space to pass.

of vehicle-kilometres per day is 37.41 million.

Mr. Zimmerman suggested some of the private clubs can allow more public access to encourage more people to do sports. He also said the waterfront should be utilised for public use.

Christy Yiu agrees.

“Waterfronts are really nice for jogging, especially the Kwun Tong Promenade, which caters for the working class. Some of my friends jog there during their lunchtime,” Ms. Yiu said.

Mr. Zimmerman also said the road design in Hong Kong is not suitable for runners.

She wants the government to allocate different places for walkers and runners to avoid conflicts.

Christy Yiu Kit-Ching, a Hong Kong top long-distance female runner, thinks otherwise. “There are enough sports facilities in Hong Kong. For example, there are three sports grounds near Tai Po,” she said.

“Our road networks are really short, and the number of vehicles per kilometre on the roads is very high.

Most of the roads are busy, which do not allow you to run along the road.

The pedestrian pavement would be congested,” he explained.

She added that recreational parks can be improved, for example, with better lighting and anti-mosquitoes facilities.

“When the sports ground is open for public use, there are a lot of people,”

The governemnt's Annual Traffic Census 2016 shows that the number

Jeff Tsang thinks more recreational space could stop him from being a couch potato. “When there are more sports facilities available near my home, I believe that this could motivate me to do more exercise,” Mr. Tsang added.

Long distance runner, Christy Yiu Kit-ching hopes the sports grounds in Hong Kong can be more user-friendly for athletes.

Getting Rid of Isomnia With An App ?

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HEALTH & ENVIRONMRNT

Jola Mok tosses and turns in her bed for hours every night. The death of a close relative when Ms. Mok was 19 has taken its toll on her mental health.

“I am afraid of going to bed,” Ms. Mok said. Every evening, she feels anxious to face another long night.

Some 40% of people in Hong Kong suffer from insomnia , according to a survey conducted by the Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch of the Centre for Health Protection in 2015. Nearly half of the respondents said they had sleep disturbances, including difficulty in falling asleep, intermittent awakenings or difficulty in maintaining sleep during the night” and waking up early and unable to sleep again.

“Stress is usually the main cause of insomnia. If people cannot handle stress well, insomnia may be one of the consequences,” said Dr. Dennis Cheung Ching-ping, a specialist in psychiatry. Ms. Mok is among them. She was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, and that led to insomnia.

People who suffer from sleeping problems sometimes seek help f ro m d o c t o r s o r p s yc h o l o g i st s.

Recently, patients with insomnia look for alternatives, for example, applications on their phones that might relieve insomnia. Might these apps be a handy way to alleviate sleep disturbances?

“Sleep Better with Runtastic”, “Void” and “SleepTown” are some mobile apps that help people arrange a well-organised sleep schedule. Some track users’ sleep cycle, help them relax and provide motivation to eliminate the habit of using mobile phones before sleep.

Reported by Cara Li Edited by James Allen, Sammi Chan Photos edited by Zinnia Lee

“Sleep Better with Runtastic” was by Runtastic, an Austrian mobile fitness company. The app focuses on tracking users’ diet and exercise habits and links them with sleep quality.

After users enter their stress level, caffeine consumption and dreams in the app, it then analyses the data.

Users can then understand the fundamental causes of their sleep disorders from the data.

“Void” is an app invented by Hercules Chan Kai-ho, a university student who won a “spacing-out” competition held in Taiwan last year.

The idea came from South Korea and aims at promoting a less-stressed lifestyle. Participants are asked to sit in a park and do nothing, in other words, “spacing out”. The one with the most stable heartbeat will be the winner.

Based on the principle of “spacingout”, another app “Void” features fingers and breathing exercises for users to regulate their breath rates to relieve stress. Mr. Chan also prepared audio recordings to guide users to do meditation as a way to relax.

Mr. Chan tried to include what he has learned as a certified hypnotist.

“It is designed according to the concept of hypnosis, meditation and mindfulness. In doing so, people will

feel refreshed and then improve their health physically and mentally,” he explained.

Professionals provide remedies such as behavioural therapy and medication for patients.

“As for behavioural therapy, we often offer counselling. We call this ‘CBT-I’ (cognitive behavioural t h e ra p y f o r i n s o m n i a ) ,” s a i d psychiatric specialist, Dr. Cheung.

There are several components of behavioural therapy, namely stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation strategies, cognitive therapy and sleep hygiene.

Dr. Cheung said some of the principles of behavioural therapy are applied in the mobile apps. “‘Void’ is an app developed based on the principle of relaxation.

Patients are asked to keep a sleep diary. They note, for example, the exact time they go to bed, the time of intermittent waking.

Then we can analyse their sleep efficiency for them,” Dr. Cheung added. The app “Sleep Better with Runtastic” also serves as a sleep diary for the users.

However, Ms. Mok doubted the effectiveness of these apps. “I have tried these apps but I still find it difficult to sleep well,” she said.

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Our value proposition is on providing a wellness application. We are not providing a medical app Chan Kai-ho - App Inventer

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“Seeing a doctor is more effective though I was asked to take medicine.

In the follow-up consultation, my doctor addresses my problem and gives me concrete advice.” Ms. Mok needs to take antidepressants as well as antimanic drugs

added. Blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a hormone which regulates sleep cycles, so the individual feels less sleepy. Therefore, Dr. Cheung suggested patients not to use the apps before sleep to avoid adverse effects.

Even if she is asleep, she still cannot sleep well because of nightmares.

“I will never note down my dreams using the apps, never. My dreams are so horrible that my sister even said they would be excellent materials for a play,” Ms. Mok said. “I go to sleep, but it does not mean I am really taking a rest.”

However, Dr. Cheung appreciated the apps to a certain extent. “The ideas are good as they try to guide users to relax.” Nevertheless, he doesn’t think users should use them right before going to bed. They should use them during the daytime or hours before sleep to reduce stress level.

In order to understand her own situation, she had tracked her sleep using the app “Health” on her cell phone. She usually wakes up in the middle of the night. “I know how bad the situation is with the app yet there aren’t useful solutions. The app could not help,” she said.

“Our value proposition is on providing a wellness application.

We are not providing a medical app because (the term) medical app has a strict definition. We need to prove it with science and a lot of medically qualified people’s support if we try to invent a medical app,” Mr. Chan explained.

Ms. Mok has tried the fingers and breathing exercises on “Void”. She thinks that the exercises make users more awake and alert because they may focus too much on following instructions of the exercises.

“Void” received positive feedback from some users. “Users messaged us just to say ‘thank you’ because they could fall asleep after using the app,” Mr. Chan said. “I can see how my effort was worth it,” Mr. Chan added.

Psychiatrist Cheung raised possible setbacks in using apps to solve sleeping problems. “Using these apps before going to bed, users may become more stressed. First, if users are not able to fall asleep after following the instructions in the apps, they will feel even more nervous. Also, the apps draw users’ attention away from going to bed so they will be less sleepy,” he said.

On the other hand, some users complained about his unclear e n u n c i a t i o n . “ Pe o p l e m a y f e e l annoyed when they cannot listen to the guided meditation recordings clearly,” he added.

He further stated that it is unlikely that the whole CBT-I can be applied through apps since patients may still need a therapist to guide them.

Blue light emitted by electronic devices may affect sleep, Dr. Cheung

“Sleep Better with Runtastic” gets a relatively high average rating of 4.1 out of 5 by more than a 100,000 users in Google Play Store while “SleepTown” receives a rating of 3.8 by nearly 900 users on the same platform.

Ms. Mo k i s s t i l l h o p i n g f o r a n effective solution to put an end to her insufferable long nights although the emerging apps fail to help her at least for now.