07-08-2025
The Usual Place Podcast: Afraid of small talk? Scared to make a phone call? How social skills workshops are helping young people
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Find out why some Gen Zs are turning to social skills workshops.
If the first part of the headline has you nodding, then this episode of The Usual Place podcast is for you.
Some young adults are struggling with everyday conversations and other basic forms of social interaction.
Whether it's making small talk with strangers, holding eye contact, or just answering a phone call (just text me please!), Gen Zs and millennials are declaring that dealing with other people isn't always their vibe.
They need help to fix their awkwardness.
That's where the School of Yapping by social impact organisation Friendzone comes in, reported The Straits Times in July. Over four workshops, participants aged 20 to 35
practise how to be 'confident, connected, and comfortable' talking to others.
In this episode of The Usual Place, I will chat with Tham Jun Han, the 32-year-old co-founder of Friendzone; Nur Haziqah Mohd Yazib, a 25-year-old case worker who took part in the workshop recently; and Savanna Tai, a 22-year-old university student who has had to change the way she communicates as she wants to become a journalist.
We discuss why social interactions are harder now for young adults than ever before, whether the Covid-19 pandemic made things worse, and what we stand to lose if we don't find a way to connect again.
Tune in at 12pm SGT/HKT to watch the stream, and share your thoughts.
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