In a RICE Media article on how friendships have become increasingly centred around planned activities and consumption rather than casual, unstructured socialising. SMU Assistant Professor of Sociology (Education) George Wong said that this shift can be attributed to the fact that physical spaces were less intentionally designed in the past. He explained that in the early 2000s and before, there were fewer concerns about how spaces should be designed and programmed. The layout of malls typically revolved around anchor tenants, with corridors, seating areas and common spaces becoming natural meeting points. Asst Prof Wong added, “In a sense, people consume in order to do friendship, and the destination and activity become the main goal.”
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