“…the fast-paced changes in Viet Nam have gradually altered the way people are relating to one another. The need for instant communication and instant connection through text messaging and chat sessions
can be said to be filling a void,
or creating one.”

This year, I spent Tết with my family in the countryside of Long An province, just west of Hồ Chí Minh City. My aunt and uncle’s home also serves as general store, pharmacy, and physician’s office for their small town. Despite being out in the countryside, I was surprised to learn that my uncle is an avid user of his computer, which sits right next to his examining table. His computer is Internet accessible and not only serves as a source of obtaining information and news, but his main uses seem to be emailing friends, uploading family pictures, and calling his overseas childhood buddies that are now spread across several continents.

During the same trip, we took a drive to the main area of town. Lining the dirt roads are Việt Nam’s endless rice fields with modest, one to two room homes built in the center of the land. I was enjoying peering into these homes, curious as to what their preparations for Tết were. And then an image struck me that seemed out of place. In the front room of one of these simple homes, the room was devoid of furniture except for the ancestral altar and a computer on top of a desk in the corner. This image seemed to be a statement about what is happening in Việt Nam. This farming family that seemed to have little, at the very minimum, has a computer.

And since then, there have been other instances where having a computer, or perhaps access to technology, has begun to fulfill some sort of need whether you are from the city or from the countryside. There is a Buddhist temple in Ðà Lạt that cares for 50 orphans. One of the head nun’s goals is to build a computer room for these children. Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) in Việt Nam understand the digital divide that exists in developing countries. Incorporating technology into their programs is now seen as a key component to poverty reduction and offering skills that are valuable globally.

But other than the economic and educational benefits that technology could bring to the people of Việt Nam, I couldn’t help but think of Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” in some of these cases. According to Maslow, for human beings to grow and develop in reaching their fullest potential, lower “deficiency” needs must be fulfilled. In the five-level pyramid of needs, lower levels include Physiological Needs such as having shelter, warmth, food, air, and sleep—biological needs that sustain our bodies. Next are Safety Needs, feeling secure in our surroundings. Social Needs (love and belonging) can be achieved by cultivating a sense of love and belonging amongst family, friends, and/or various groups, clubs, and organizations. Self-Esteem Needs allow for a healthy sense of ego to develop in order to have self-respect and respect from others. The highest goal of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is the Self-Actualization Needs, which gives purpose to our lives and enables people to reach their full potential.

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