In an era where technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, many young people have quickly embraced these advancements to aid their studies, work, and entertainment…
Devices like mobile phones, PDAs, and laptops have now become essential items for many youths.
Dũng “PDA” and Thắng “Digital”… and what else?
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Thắng is immersed in digital technology |
It’s no coincidence that friends call Dũng by this nickname. It’s simply because he is overly dependent on his PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). Wherever he goes (studying, playing, eating, sleeping), Dũng always has his PDA with him.
The benefits that PDAs bring to Dũng are undeniable. With it, he can use it as a mobile phone, schedule tasks, draft documents, create spreadsheets, connect to the Internet, and it also serves as an effective music and entertainment device.
However, due to being overly reliant on his PDA, Dũng often becomes the laughingstock of those around him. Even for simple calculations like converting 100 USD to Vietnamese Dong at the exchange rate of 1 USD to 15,800 VND, Dũng has to use his PDA and… open the calculator app for help.
In contrast to Dũng “PDA”, Thắng “Digital” is a nickname he gave himself. Recognizing that digital technology has genuinely brought fantastic applications across many areas of life, Thắng is always on the lookout for the latest digital products.
His life is surrounded by laptops, PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, digital recorders, and digital DVD players….
Not only are there “computer addicts” who are male; “long-haired” girls also have their own dependencies on computers. Đỗ Thị Hà, a student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi, is one such example.
Although she lives in a dormitory, Hà visits the Internet café every day. Each time she returns to her hometown, she yearns for her computer. Upon returning to the city, she rushes straight to the Internet café. “Every time I sit beside the computer, it feels like reuniting with a close friend,” Hà confides.
The Consequences
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Tuấn spends all day by the computer |
As children of the digital age, individuals like Dũng and Thắng always lead in “digitization.” However, in many other areas, they are merely “industrial chickens.”
Dũng and Thắng both write like chickens scratching. Accustomed to typing on machines, they rely on their laptops to produce all written work, leave applications, job applications… even receipts must be typed out.
For Tuấn and Hà, whenever they sit down, their hands are placed anywhere and they type away as if on a keyboard.
Because they spend all day pressing mobile phones, PDAs, and computer keyboards, many young people today exhibit “thumb syndrome.” Their thumbs tend to stick out from their hands.
Đức Thành, a student at Phuong Dong University, boasts: “With my Nokia 6600, I can compose messages just as well as on a computer.” Looking at Thành’s thumbs, many can’t help but laugh as they appear flattened as if deformed.
Not only do their actions change, but the language of Dũng and Thắng has also been “digitized.” I once heard Thắng say to his girlfriend: “Is my brother ‘infected with a virus’ (sick) today? Please buy me some ‘Notron’ (medicine) to ‘scan’ (check),” or: “Lately, my ‘memory’ (mind) has been acting up; I’ve lost some of my ‘data’ (information), let me try to ‘reset’ (reboot) and see what happens”…
Due to excessive reliance on machines, Tuấn has also developed a mechanical disease. The way he manages his work is just like a programmed machine. While chatting with a customer online, if someone calls his landline, Dũng immediately puts the phone between his shoulder and ear, continuing to type with both hands.
When his mobile phone rings, he answers it while still engaged in the landline conversation. Then, when his secretary comes in with a report waiting for his signature, like an overloaded computer, Dũng suddenly halts all activities for a second.
Then, as if awakening, he sequentially types responses to the customer, talks into the landline, and turns to answer the mobile phone. Finally, he signs the report.
Tiến Đoàn
