According to Dr. Cu Van Trung, in the digital age, it is necessary to create a healthy playground for young people. (Photo: NVCC)

Sharing with The World and Vietnam Newspaper, Dr. Cu Van Trung, Director of the Institute for Policy Research and Social Issues, emphasized that young people are tolerant of everything, very enthusiastic and always open to new things. Many good phenomena are eagerly awaited and encouraged by young people, but there are also many negative phenomena promoted and followed by some young people.

With the nature of young people being active, loving new things, liking to explore and discover, and having immature awareness and not having much experience in life, the deviant behavior of young people is a concern for adults and society...

View from the phenomenon of standard deviation

Sir, how are the deviant manifestations among today's youth different from those of previous generations? And what are the underlying causes leading to this situation?

Each period, each stage of social development has its positive and negative aspects. Depending on the nature, characteristics and different economic and social circumstances, there are different forms and shapes of deviation.

If in the past, the deviant youth were wandering, pawning things, pawning cars, having blonde hair, red hair... now the deviant has many other nuances and appearances, more diverse, more complex, hidden under deeper layers of cover. There are more secret groups, exchanging, sharing and connecting silently. In particular, its consequences when they break out are harmful, unpredictable, and difficult to overcome. There are strange groups and associations, with strange hobbies, exchanging lovers, groups sharing ways to use stimulants, online games, playing the lottery, gambling or some new trends that are imported, unusual trends that infiltrate into communities in a dramatic way.

Society is increasingly developing, people's economy is increasingly prosperous, along with that many negative aspects also appear and explode. They are hidden, multi-faceted, and diverse, but in general, if they are deviant phenomena, they are not suitable for good customs, lifestyles and living habits of national cultural life.

The underlying cause of this situation is the problem of cultural degradation. The cultural sector has not really been promoted to its proper role and function. A part of the population is still absorbed in and focused on economic issues, looking at short-term benefits, trying to achieve material and money without really caring for spiritual life, not really paying attention to the cultural life of the community.

Meanwhile, the prescribed standards and cultural elements with exemplary and standard nature require meticulousness and persistent practice. The ugly and the ugly always exist in a society, if not promptly prevented, it will be a matter worth thinking about.

How do you evaluate the impact of these deviations on the development of individuals, families and society?

If an individual has or is having deviant behaviors, they will lose their image, their image, and disappoint the expectations of many people. They lose trust, lack sympathy, and opportunities for self-development. Excessive deviance of a young person brings a great burden to their family. Parents who have such children must shoulder both their shoulders, one shoulder "economic burden" to overcome the losses and harms caused by their children's deviance, and one shoulder "sadness" that weighs heavily on their souls. Because of temptation, immaturity, or lack of attention to their children, some families with individuals who live deviantly and have deviant behaviors are very sad and miserable.

Society can only develop sustainably through goodness, kindness, and goodness. Therefore, we must always fight, continue to refute, and strongly condemn the manifestations of deviation and lack of standards that a segment of individuals are showing.

Create a healthy playground for young people

What role do families and schools play in shaping young people's behavior and values?

I believe that the role of school and family is extremely important in forming good values ​​for young people. When we talk about young people, we are talking about the extension of childhood, puberty and adolescence of each person. Once there is a "break" in any of the previous stages, it will affect the future.

Most of the birth and growth process of any individual is closely linked to family and school. These are the spaces that nurture the physical and mental health of each person. Once that environment has problems, it will cause negative impacts on the perception, behavior and conduct of each individual.

An incomplete family, without a father or mother, lacking love, care and nurturing all cause losses to children. In particular, the scars in their spiritual life persist until they grow up and become adults. Deep inside those young people is a lack of guidance, support for the meaning of life, aspirations and correct dreams.

An educational environment that lacks teachers who are shining examples, role models, and idols for young people will leave an unimpressive mark in the minds of young people. If there is a lot of competition, school violence, achievement-orientedness, and the obsession with degrees… these will all have negative impacts on young people.

Therefore, we must maintain a very stable, pure and exemplary way from family to school. That is the measure to open up correct and positive thoughts for the future heirs of the country. We persistently maintain the two essential and pioneering elements, family and school, which means we have had the first half of success for the entire luggage of young people.

The other half is the courage, reflexes and "resistance" that the first half has equipped young people with to reflect and resist the difficulties and obstacles in life as well as the manifestations of deviation and lack of standards that exist in society.

The downside of the 4.0 technology era is the flood of bad, toxic information and improper behavior. (Illustration: Internet)

How does the social environment, especially the media and social networks, affect the behavior of young people? What solutions do you propose to limit the negative impacts?

People in general and young people in particular are living in the digital age. The advantages it brings are enormous and undeniable. There are many interesting things, stories, touching characters or historical events that are communicated by the media that have the power to move people's hearts. However, the downside of the 4.0 technology era is the flood of bad, toxic information, improper human behavior and many events and phenomena with vulgar and nonsense content.

In general, young people are tolerant of everything, very enthusiastic and always open to new things. Many good phenomena are eagerly awaited and encouraged by young people, but there are also many negative phenomena due to some young people following suit. With the nature of young people being active, loving new things, liking to explore and discover, and having immature awareness and not having much experience in life, the deviant behavior of young people is a concern for adults and for society.

I think that we need to support young people, while bad things are easily shared, which inadvertently causes positive and dynamic individuals to gradually lose attention and encouragement, making them discouraged. We need more environments for sharing, confiding and interacting, paying attention and supporting good behaviors and efforts for young people to affirm and prove themselves.

Because the indifference and lack of encouragement from adults can sometimes extinguish the ability to strive, commit and positive energy of young people. We must make young people love themselves more, love the right actions to be confident in life.

Adults need to encourage and create a playground for young people, especially in the digital age. When young people love themselves, their work and their lives, they will have faith in the path they take; how can bad things and deviations attract and appeal to them? Saying so also reflects the reality that young people still lack playgrounds, spaces and support, and cherish good and kind values.

Comprehensive solution needed

According to you, to solve the problem of gender inequality among young people, what comprehensive solutions are needed?

This is a macro issue, more deeply the issue of reviving national culture. The root of deviant behavior is the cultural category. As we know, "culture guides the nation", culture means standard, good and realistic values ​​that have the mission of guiding people's spiritual life. Through the gestures and behaviors of each citizen, people can evaluate the spread of national culture in each country. Because only by loving oneself, loving one's country and people can each person have self-respect, self-esteem, maintain lifestyle, behavior in the social community and spread and promote to the world.

If a community has many individuals with deviant behaviors, it means that they have lost the good qualities, the criteria and the value systems that have been shaped by their nation. Because talking about culture means talking about beauty and kindness that are crystallized from history, from the labor, production and creative process of a specific person, nation and country. Therefore, mentioning deviant behavior is a small aspect, the tip of the problem, but it invisibly touches the root, which is culture.

To overcome this phenomenon requires the participation of the whole community, the political system and each individual. Cultural reform is the acceptance of good and correct things, maintaining the traditional standard values ​​of the nation. From there, it plays the role of guiding the nation, the young people to follow, is the support in spiritual life, towards kindness and idealism.

What is the role of state management agencies, social organizations and individuals in solving this problem?

State agencies have a strategy to revive and develop national culture. In my opinion, it is necessary to strengthen the management, supervision and replication of good and kind phenomena in social life; to rectify and “clean up” incorrect information, data and phenomena on technology platforms and media. Thereby, overcoming the current deviation and wrongdoing of substandard behaviors in social life.

Besides, social organizations need to change their methods of operation to suit the trends of the new era; have many playgrounds and diverse forms to create attraction and appeal for young people in particular and the masses in general to participate.

In particular, each individual needs to believe in the cultural identity of the nation, believe in the bravery and spirit of the Vietnamese people; steadfastly practice and persistently implement the criteria, standards of behavior, and cultural norms that our people, our ancestors, and our state have recognized and worshiped.

Thanks TS!