Impacts of the Internet on Parent-child Communication: A Case Study in Hồ Chí Minh City

Abstract

With the speedy development of the Internet since its introduction in Vietnam in November 1997, the Internet has been influencing all aspects of social and family life, including the way in which parents and their children communicate. This paper reports the main findings of surveying 151 parent-child dyads in Hồ Chí Minh City to discover parent and children’s Internet usage and its consequences on parent-child communication. The results demonstrate that parents and children spend much time on various forms of communication, including face-to-face and virtual applications. Notably, the Internet’s negative impact on communication is recorded, such as reducing time, quality, and interest in face-to-face communication. Moreover, using the Internet applicants for communication also reveals many limitations, showing the need to limit the consequences of the Internet on parent-child’s communication. It is suggested firstly to change parents and children’s mindsets of how to properly use and control the time spent on Internet. Furthermore, prohibiting or reducing Internet time use should be replaced by focusing on healthy Internet purposes. Being a smart Internet user at home helps enhance communication between parents and children.