
Effective Writing – Unintended Effects of Tech & Environmental Change
Select an environmental or technological change implemented in 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025 that was intended to improve the lives of a particular population group within a specific part of a country. However, this change has unintentionally created a new issue in that same part of the country. Present developed and supported arguments explaining why you believe the new issue needs to be addressed immediately.
For your academic essay, which must not exceed 700 words (counting in-text citations but not the reference list), please include the key components mentioned in the bullet list below. Use information from external sources (such as articles, reports, studies, etc.) to support your arguments. Remember to ensure these sources are properly cited within the text and listed in the reference section.
- Introduction
o What is the background and the context of your chosen topic?
o What is your thesis statement? - Body paragraphs
o What is the main idea in each body paragraph?
o What are the explanations, supporting details, and links for each body paragraph? - Conclusion
o What is your conclusion after the discussion of your arguments?
o How did you draw your conclusion from the summary of your points?
Expert Answer on Above Tech & Environmental Change
Introduction
The environmental or technological change implemented during 2022-2025 as selected is the roll out of digitisation initiatives by the Singaporean government such as expansion of its cashless payments through apps like PayNow and SGQR. The main focus of this initiative is to improve the convenience and efficiency especially for businesses and younger customers. But at the same time, it also contributed towards increasing cases of digital scams within elderly citizens who do not have enough digital literacy.
Thesis statement – Although digital payment systems are known for improving efficiency and financial inclusion, at the same time they also create vulnerability to a certain group of people, and it needs significant measures to ensure financial and social consequences are minimized.
Intended benefits
The benefits of establishing a digital payment infrastructure are numerous, as it helps in faster processing of transactions, facilitate higher efficiency, and improves convenience to the maximum. The expansion of PayNow and SGQR have simplified transactions which in turn reduced the reliance on cash, improved transaction speed and also supported small businesses. All these improvements are aligned with Singapore’s Smart Nation vision.
Emergence of new issues
Although these benefits are evident, there are issues identified as well from increasing digitalisation, as it contributed towards a surge in scam targeting vulnerable groups. The scammers have targeted the vulnerable group by indulging them into transferring money instantly. The elderly people in particular are unfamiliar with the digital interfaces which leads to losses exceeding hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Why the issue requires immediate attention
The issue needs immediate attention for a number of reasons including irreversible financial loss as the payments made through PayNow are immediate and difficult to recover. Another reason is the growing scale at which the scam process is carried out, as the number of cases have increasingly risen year on year. Finally, the issue has contributed negatively in terms of social impact, as the victims experience emotional distress, loss of trust, and reduced willingness to participate in the digital platforms.
Conclusion
The role in implication of the digital payment system is significant in enhancing the overall digital infrastructure of an economy, and it is quite evident from the PayNow and SGQR system introduced in Singapore, as it provided significant benefits. But at the same time it also raises questions in terms of digital scam which requires adequate strategy to combat such issues.
| This model answer is reviewed by Daniel Wong, a psychology and social science expert from NTU. Disclaimer: This answer is a model for study and reference purposes only. Please do not submit it as your own work. |
Want a Full Worked Out Answer with References?
The analysis of change initiatives as performed above in terms of analyzing the effect of technological change has revealed significant findings from the digitalisation initiatives undertaken in Singapore. For a more detailed explanation, you can consult our assignment helpers in Singapore offering personal guidance and support to students.

