PHD STUDENT IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

University of Cambridge

Growing up with the Internet – Social Networking and the Young People in Vietnam

The Internet arrived in Vietnam in 1997 and brought with it tremendous changes in the lives of young people today. At the same time, the significantly lowered cost of telecommunication has made an Internet-connected cellphone accessible to almost everyone, even in the remote rural areas. Adults who grew up with an Internet-free childhood worry that this is a source of social evils affecting the lives of young people in our time. This research looks at the impacts of social networking channels on the young Vietnamese people who were born in the 1990s: how they communicate, how they learn, and what they think. In particular, we will present some evidence of the different kinds of language used online and through networked devices, to discuss what it means to grow up in a networked world for young Vietnamese people today.