I asked one young man who worked at Internet Saigon what he thought about chatting. He explained that after people meet, they like to exchange chat addresses and then get online to chat. But he also expressed that it was a very “artificial” way of getting to know someone. He said that it doesn’t make them do “research.” Interesting word. Upon further explanation, he added that all they know about things and people comes from their chat screens. I took this to mean that chatting didn’t allow for deeper exploration of getting to know someone, especially someone you just met. But, it’s safe. People are more willing to engage with strangers, perhaps giving more time and priority to those they don’t know rather than those they do. When I was in Vũng Tàu, I remember meeting a married woman whose “chat” sessions were the one thing she looked forward to every evening rather than investing time with her husband. Needless to say, she was unhappily married.
And there are some occasions where you will be invited to become a “chat buddy” to someone you have never met. There are those that use chatting as a way to pick up on others. They may happen to peek over at your computer, get your chat name and then later send an invitation inviting you to chat with them. Most likely, students accept this invitation for no other reason than, “Why not?”
The use of technology has helped many in Việt Nam get connected. Only a few are able to afford in-country flights and Việt Nam’s transportation infrastructure is still undergoing development and is not yet ready to provide safe and easy cross-country travel to instill trust in the masses. In addition, you have many Vietnamese families that are still an ocean away from each other or husbands working in towns far from their families who only return home once every few months. On a personal level, Việt Nam’s technology upgrade since the last time I was here in 2002 has been a blessing. The availability, affordability, and options of connecting to friends and family via email, Internet phone, chatting, or text messaging has enabled me to stay connected and get support when I’ve needed it the most or just need a friendly hello. From thousands of miles away, I am instantly connected, instantly transported elsewhere, perhaps back to my life in the Bay Area or somewhere completely different from what I remember.
And of course, this surge of technology has its downside. For all the reasons that it’s a positive development for the country, there are negative social effects at the same time. We are aware of the downfalls, and yet still can’t help ourselves to more. Technology is addictive, giving people reach and a sense of “community,” for the first time beyond their immediate town, city, and country. Simultaneously, people are using technology to disconnect from their own realities, inadvertently defining new cultural values.
As a country, Việt Nam has seemingly moved up Maslow’s pyramid. Only time will give us the hindsight to assess what Việt Nam has done with all this technology that is clamoring for its attention. Will it continue to connect people while pulling others apart? Can it effectively change the social structure and give opportunity to those who were seemingly destined to have nothing? Could it escalate Việt Nam to being a major player in the burgeoning technological world?
Before pondering these questions any further there’s a knock on the door. Without even answering, the squeak of the door is heard opening and then closing. The gray, faded out, sleeping face next to one of my “chat buddies” instantly turns into a happy, smiling face. Someone has come in and is ready and willing to chat. However, even with such willingness, I stay in “stealth” mode, staying “invisible” for a while until I am ready to enter into the chat domain.