The awkward and confused answer of Miss Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen in episode 2 of Miss Universe Vietnam about books has led to an inconclusive debate among public opinion on social networking forums for many days now.
Amidst the criticism, Ky Duyen still received the support and sympathy of many online accounts. Accordingly, many opinions said that reading books is just a personal hobby, and should not be judged. To add weight to the comments, the accounts defending Ky Duyen affirmed that they themselves do not read books but are still successful. And that there are many ways to acquire knowledge, not just reading books, especially in the context of a busy life like today.
Talking to Lao Dong reporter about this topic, media crisis management expert Le Ngoc Son - Chairman of Berlin Crisis Solutions (BCS) Reputation Management Company in Germany - said: "Perhaps we should thank Miss Ky Duyen for starting a very interesting debate about Vietnamese people's reading habits. I think that opinions about reading habits reveal many perspectives on how Vietnamese people read, collect information and consume information."
“Gaining knowledge from reading is different from all other means”
Crisis management expert Le Ngoc Son said that he agrees that, with the rapid development of science and technology and the explosion of many types of audiovisual media, each person has many different ways to access information and knowledge, not necessarily reading books.
“However, reading books is still a different way of approaching knowledge, which cannot be compared with other forms. Books are a scientific arrangement and systematization of data sources and human knowledge. In books, knowledge is more than information, knowledge is refined and systematic. With other forms, such as social networks or media channels, it is a place that contains more information than knowledge and lacks systematicity.
The nature of reading books and acquiring knowledge from other channels is very different. Reading books is to ponder, to find new knowledge from the existing basic knowledge base. When you receive information from other channels, you may receive and consume more information, but I am not sure about the intellectual content that you absorb from it. Meanwhile, with reading books, the intellectual content will be much higher" - the expert said.
According to Mr. Ngoc Son, looking at the debate about reading books, we can see that many opinions are confusing reading books with ways to acquire knowledge. Even when technology develops, there are many new types of books such as audio books, ebooks (electronic books)... Experts still highly appreciate the role of traditional books (printed books).
“Reading, for me, is a process of pondering, thinking, and struggling to understand, to accumulate, and to combine acquired knowledge, so reading cannot be rushed or fast, it requires concentration and quiet. For me, reading traditional books still has irreplaceable values. And the benefits of reading are undeniable,” said Le Ngoc Son.
“Many Vietnamese people prefer to argue online rather than spend time reading books”
Observing the debate over reading over the past few days, crisis management experts say that it clearly shows the reading habits and ways of reading of Vietnamese people.
“I live in Germany. Here, you can see at subway stations or airports, while waiting for the train, or sitting on the train, from the elderly to children, all holding books in their hands, quietly reading. When I returned to Vietnam, I observed that most people in these spaces were surfing their phones. It was like two different lives in the same space.
I am not surprised that many Vietnamese people are willing to spend hours arguing and bickering about books on social networks, instead of spending that time reading books," the expert said.
Many Vietnamese people have a greater need to consume information than knowledge. To raise awareness about the role and significance of reading, according to experts, just shouting and calling for help is not enough.
“It’s like calling on the majority to row a boat to an island. If you just say “row the boat”, it will be very difficult, but it will be more effective if you show the majority that the scenery on that island is wonderful, what precious treasures are on the island… People will naturally row a boat there. Reading is the same, it must arouse in each person a love of discovering knowledge, a desire to rise up, a passion for new things… Reading must be a natural need, it cannot be forced. That need needs to be nurtured from family to school from a young age” - the expert commented.
