Letters | Violent Hong Kong protests on a loop taking a mental toll on daily commute
With all the shouting and visuals of clashes, one ends up being glued to the screen. Inadvertently, this brings attention back to the crisis and stirs up negative emotions within the narrow confines of vehicles.
During stressful times, public spaces can be used to spread a message of peace and calm – be it through relaxing music or a video that makes people laugh. While it is important to be aware of what is happening around us, we should be free to switch off for a bit, and take the time to restore calmness and health.
I am aware that this proposal may inconvenience some people. In particular, this might disrupt the business model of transport companies, that is, broadcasting news with advertisements. My sincere hope is that, even if this proposal is accepted, it will be for a very, very short time and it will not affect the transport companies that much.
Divya Padmanabhan, teaching assistant, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong