Speakers in modern life

Loudspeakers – one of the typical communication symbols of Vietnam in the 20th century. The sound of the radio broadcasts every early morning or late afternoon to signal the start or end of a new day, inform people about current events, announce local activities… for people to easily receive.

In modern society, when people can easily access information through smart mobile devices, listening to news from loudspeakers is no longer the main role. Many people even express discomfort when being awakened early in the morning by loudspeakers from wards and communes, especially when the broadcast content is repeated. However, in many rural, remote and isolated areas, loudspeakers are still a close and practical information channel for people. For the elderly, loudspeakers are a familiar means of information. Ms. Tran Thi Mai (residing in Phu Tan district) said: "Every early morning when I hear the loudspeaker, it is also the time I wake up to exercise, do housework, exercise and listen to information. The loudspeaker sound has become familiar, helping me grasp information, listen to important announcements from the locality, such as: Vaccination schedule for children, policies for the elderly...".

For farmers in the countryside, listening to information from loudspeakers has become a daily routine for the past several decades. Mr. Nguyen Van Tam (residing in Phu Tan district) shared: “Every day, I wake up at 4 am, clean the yard, drink coffee, wait for the loudspeaker to listen to information, and when it gets brighter, I go to the field. For decades, I have been used to it, but sometimes when the loudspeaker malfunctions, I wake up early in the morning and wait for a long time without hearing anything, it feels unfamiliar. I still remember the complicated development of the COVID-19 epidemic, social distancing, we always waited for announcements from the loudspeaker to know the situation in our locality, to know how to prevent the epidemic.”

Loudspeakers still play an essential role in propaganda and information work.

During the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 - 2021, loudspeakers were used extensively in many localities, especially in rural areas. Messages on disease prevention and control, quarantine instructions, vaccination schedules, social distancing situations, etc. were continuously updated through loudspeakers, helping people grasp information quickly. At that time, the commune loudspeaker system became an effective "propaganda weapon", contributing to raising people's awareness and actions in disease prevention and control. Thanks to that, information was not interfered with, helping to limit the spread of fake news, and guiding people to feel secure.

Although modern media is dominant. However, people are not always surfing social networks, watching news to keep up with incidents. Therefore, in emergency situations such as natural disasters, floods, fires, etc., loudspeakers act as an instant and effective warning device, helping people quickly know the situation and react quickly. In addition to the notification function, loudspeakers are also a cultural and social bridge in the community. Morning songs, poetry reading programs, storytelling or propaganda of civilized lifestyles... contribute to orienting cultural lifestyles, closeness between people, and connecting neighbors. This shows that loudspeakers are not simply communication tools, but also have spiritual elements, are the connecting thread between the government and local people, are useful and reliable information channels, especially in emergency situations and preserve the cultural identity of community communication.

MY LINH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/loa-phat-thanh-trong-doi-song-hien-dai-a422495.html