Advantages of pervasive technological adoption come with social costs. The astonishingly ubiquitous TV sets blaring on public transport, in shopping malls and food centres pay scant regard for peace and quiet. Unsolicited SMS advertising is, far from being a smart advertising method, annoying and intrusive.

The SMS is also a limiting (not to mention tiresome) form of communication that, together with prevalent TV- and Internet-speak, are adversely affecting literacy. If even functioning literacy is not a guarantee of knowing how to properly read and write and think critically, then literacy's further decline is even more disturbing.

The US National Endowment for the Arts recently released a domestic study correlating plummeting levels of reading and reading ability with the proliferation of electronic media, and predicted profound negative effects on managerial employment opportunities, income and social awareness. Unfortunately, reading for pleasure also appears to be a moribund pastime today; it is indeed lamentable. Singapore's case may not deviate too far from this study.

These, however, should not be construed as a call to more primitive times but, rather, to be more circumspect when embracing technology's advancements, and be mindful to its detrimental consequences. Incidentally, a finer reading faculty enables a person to better acquire knowledge and process information - and this includes advertising messages.

The best of the mass media and advertising thrive on intelligence and creativity and they certainly can be enjoyable, informative and even necessary. But those appear to be exceptions. It seems that any available surface (or 'platform') will soon be taken over by advertising. This is hardly a creative development. We need not heedlessly swoon at implements just because they are novel. If Singaporeans actually do 'look forward' to such trifles as 'more new advertising platforms' as suggested by Ms Thiang, that would be a rather rueful state of affairs.

Marketing strategies should not be intrusive and annoying. Both the mass media's producers and consumers should strive to construct and respect basic notions of civic-consciousness and propriety that are so pressing in our attempt to forge a more civilised and livable city.

Tan Kwoh Jack