Modern young people seek phantom fame By Hoai Nam | dtinews.vn   Several young people in Vietnam are willing to create scandals in order to draw public attention to themselves even though they don't have any outstanding talents to take advantage of this attention.   A young man claimed to be a singer named Han Quoc Hung, and spray-painted the name in public places. It’s normal when young people want to be popular, however, in the digital age, with the fast development of the Internet and Social Networks the young seem to cry out for fame by any means necessary. Recently, a young woman uploaded a short video of herself onto the Internet in which she was wearing a skimpy costume, dancing around in a provocative way and saying shocking words. By doing this, she quickly gained notoriety and stirred up more public controversy over the behaviour of today's youth. A short time ago, a young man claimed to be a singer named Han Quoc Hung, and spray-painted the name in several public places including roads, drain pipes, and under bridges in Binh Duong, Long An and Dong Nai Provinces as well as in HCM City. He then got himself a nickname: “Singer under the bridge” even though no one knew or remembered any of his songs. Those are just a few examples among many. It seems that the desire for fame has become a developing trend among a group of young people in Vietnam. Many of them have devised plans to become famous by showing off their bodies or making shocking statements. A recent trend is for young people to upload sexy photos or videos of themselves on their Facebook pages. Many young people have opted to imitate the lifestyles of the rich and famous, usually by way of conspicuous consumption of clothing and accessories. Some young women have tried taking part in beauty contests in order to get their foot in the door of the showbiz industry. Recently, a mother in HCM City was so worried when she consulted a psychologist who might be able to help her 14 year-old daughter concentrate on her school work rather than spending her time trying to be a "hotgirl", wearing trendy clothes and too much make-up. “I’m trying to become famous, so I can find a rich and generous man who will take care of me for the rest of my life. So, it’s unnecessary to study too much,” she said, shocking and disappointing her parents.   Young people need healthy playfields for further development Experts said this is an unexpected result of modern life and fast development. Many have been misled to believe that quick fame means success and prosperity. Doctor Do Hong Ngoc, author of a series of books on the young, said many young people want quick fame when they see that many of their idols became very successful without any particular training or talent. “It’s dangerous when young people think that they can easily have a prosperous life without proper attention to their studies or some kind of training which nurtures an existing talent. But more people tend to seek popularity by using shock tactics. It’s doesn't help when several current contests: beauty pageants, singing and dancing contests--not unlike American Idol--enable them to use tricks instead of developing their ability,” she commented. Experts emphasised the necessity to provide  good guidance for young people to help them understand real life values and stop them from wasting their lives.