It\u2019s the golden hour when we finally get a chance to sit down. Sunlight streams in through the windows and lights up the dining room and kitchen\u2019s warm tones.<\/p>\n
One side of the dining table is littered with magazines, unopened mail, and coupon leaflets from various newspapers. The other side has a tray full of condiments ready to use for meals.<\/p>\n
Short, black hair frames An-Hoa Pham\u2019s face, and despite her tired expression from dealing with a hot summer\u2019s day, she looks relaxed and youthful for her 60 years.<\/p>\n
All around us are various devices. There\u2019s a Bluetooth speaker sitting next to a house plant on top of an oven. In the office desk snuggled into a corner, there\u2019s a Macbook paired with a Magic Mouse nestled amongst a frenzy of monochromatic wires.<\/p>\n
An-Hoa loosely grips the latest iPhone in her right hand as she leans her elbow on the edge of the table, occasionally checking the screen with a glance whenever a notification pops up. Within her reach is her iPad, complete with a stand for hands-free viewing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had Facebook since around 2008,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Then she gives a small huff of amusement. \u201cI find out a lot of news, and even though I\u2019m not friends with some friends, I can still get their news through other people. It\u2019s interesting. I get a lot of updates through Facebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt made me aware of many things around the world. And I got reconnected with longtime friends and a lot of people I haven\u2019t seen for years\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked if there\u2019s anyone she hopes she could talk to on Facebook, she immediately gives a nod. \u201cA few close friends still don\u2019t have Facebook, so we only talk by phone. And some of them live in other countries where I have no connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Compared to the rest of her age group, An-Hoa tries to embrace social media and work her way around the new gadgets that are constantly getting released, although she was initially reluctant.<\/p>\n
\u201cI needed to use computers for my work in bookkeeping. I had to send reports. I didn\u2019t even have my own computer until 2004, but that was a hand-me-down from my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, she readily admits that her technological journey is one of increasing dependence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been using computers for a long time. I think I would be lost with no connection. I check the internet every day, check mail every day, check Facebook every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking back on her childhood though, An-Hoa notes that while it was a simpler time, but it came with its inconveniences.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore that I had to use snail mail to send letters to my boyfriend, who then became my fianc\u00e9. And growing up in Vietnam, my friends are my neighbors. We talked all the time, so there was no need for letters or anything, even though we didn\u2019t have anything. With long distance friends, there also was no communication, only when we meet and we talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
I ask her what she thinks about the general impact of social media and whether it\u2019s a good or bad thing. She cocks her head slightly in thought, but seems a little hesitant to respond. When she does answer though, she focuses on the need for relevant information rather than gratuitous oversharing, the latter of which she struggles to understand and visibly cringes at.<\/p>\n