Happiness is not far away

1. Mr. Quoc Trong (in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) has been angry with his wife for the past few days because his wife, Chau, spends all day on her phone surfing Facebook, TikTok, getting caught up in clips and social networking sites, neglecting the house and taking care of her elderly father and young children.

Many times, Ms. Chau put the rice cooker on but forgot to press the cooking button because she was engrossed in following a hot story online. Sometimes, she was so engrossed in the debates that she let the pot of soup run out of water, and sometimes she forgot to pick up her children from school… Mr. Trong was busy going to work early in the morning, there were elderly people and children at home who needed to be taken care of, all the housework was taken care of by Ms. Chau, and yet…

Providing instructions on how to use modern devices is also a way to strengthen family ties. Photo: DUNG PHUONG

Regarding Ms. Chau's engrossed life on social media , holding her phone to watch, read, laugh and cry, share, express sympathy, heart, like, text with many people, "chat" in clips, with social situations and circumstances on social media sites, Mr. Trong did not forbid anything, although he reminded her several times to reduce the time she spent on her phone and pay more attention to her family. But for Ms. Chau, whenever she holds her phone in her hand, she is drawn into that fascinating world . She feels like she is living in a whole big world through a small screen, freely expressing her opinions, love, hate, cry, laugh... for herself, for the characters, events, and social stories that are posted.

For her, the world on the phone is separate from everyday life, there are no more worries, fatigue, or concerns about life because of the nameless tasks that she has to do every day, one thing after another, with little time to rest, time for herself.

There were times when she made comparisons between real life and the colorful life of social networks, and from there, there were moments when she felt that her current life was not very happy, lacked color... and then, without knowing when, she increasingly tried to "hide" in social networks. The family affairs of Chau and Trong were so chaotic, they were angry with each other all the time, after the arguments came many "cold wars".

2. Ms. Minh Trang (living in Tan Phu district, Ho Chi Minh City) said: “My family has 6 people, my father has set a rule: every day, the whole family tries to have a meal with all family members. This is also a short time for everyone to discuss and share problems in life, work, and study. If anyone in the family has difficulties, they should openly share so that the whole family can contribute ideas and help each other find solutions, not letting psychological and emotional problems and obstacles exist and affect the quality of spiritual life.”

Of course, creating such a family is not an easy task in the current context. All family members must try to arrange their own work to carry out and maintain the habit. They also understand that the father and grandfather want the little time the family spends together to be a catalyst, a spice of life, so that grandparents, parents, and children can become closer and strengthen their relationships. So that all family members can share their difficulties and worries, and most importantly, so that everyone can show their care for each other, and the family will be more united.

Maintaining connections, meetings, exchanges, information, and sharing of feelings among family members has helped create a close-knit family value for Ms. Trang. Grandparents have sympathy for young people, have many opportunities to express their love for their children and grandchildren, parents are closer to their children, and children care more about their grandparents and parents.

Talking about the online world and the influence of cyberspace, the digital age on family happiness in daily life, Ms. Minh Trang shared: “During a small family gathering, the most important thing is to minimize the use of the phone. My father said that smart devices invented by humans are to serve humans, to help humans work better. Therefore, everyone must know how to use modern technical devices reasonably and effectively without becoming dependent on them, especially in preserving the happiness of each person and each family in the 4.0 technology era”.

For Trang's family and many other families, happiness in life must be real, real people, real work and real feelings. Family happiness is not far away, it is right in front of each member living under the same roof. Whether that simple happiness is full of value, colorful, full of joy, warm or not depends largely on each individual in the family. Because, when all family members care, love, share, and have a sense of responsibility, it contributes to creating a strong, lasting bond.

BAO LAM