Yanwen’s blog

First of all, I'm going to skip sharing my post with some whom I used to share before, chiefly for time-saving purposes. A friend of mine in China told me that, considering the high rate of gun violence in America, receiving my daily post is like telling people I'm okay. This is from a 忘年之交 (wàng nián zhī jiāo), meaning a friendship that transcends generational gaps. In fact, I have many such friends here.

Recently, with J.D. Vance being named former President Donald Trump's vice-presidential running mate, there has been renewed interest in his 2016 book, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. In the U.S., the book surged to No. 1 on Amazon from its previous position at No. 220.

I read the book before and would like to share some of my thoughts on it.

On an individual level, Vance grew up in the famous Rust Belt, which became economically distressed and rusted after the 1970s when the industry shifted elsewhere. His parents divorced when he was a baby, and his mother, a drug addict, was irresponsibly neglectful.

When Vance started smoking marijuana, his maternal grandparents immediately took him in, encouraged him to do well at school, and taught him how to grow into a good person. They emphasized that life is hard, but it's never an excuse for failure. Cowards think everything works against them. You should believe that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

The second important event in his life was joining the U.S. Marine Corps. In the past, he felt no control over his life, a sense of hopelessness. The Marine Corps gave him hope. His four years of service transformed him thoroughly, both physically and mentally, from an aimless youth into an ambitious and determined young man. He went to Ohio State University and graduated with high honors in less than two years. From there, he entered Yale Law School, which is like obtaining a pass to the elite political and legal circles in the United States.

A Chinese saying "屌丝逆袭" (diǎo sī nì xí) means "an underdog's counterattack" or "the rise of nobody to somebody." It captures the essence of someone overcoming significant odds to achieve success.

There are a few things that I learned from his story:

1. The important role of proper guidance, support, and positive influence in a person's life—in his case, his grandparents, the army, and the people he met at Yale. Imagine what his life would be without them.

2. Change first comes from within. He had to first awaken to his own ability to withstand adverse surroundings. With this awakening, he takes responsibility for his life instead of waiting for others' aid or blaming others for his failure.

Vance's journey from a turbulent youth in the Rust Belt to a Yale Law School graduate and to national political figure exemplifies the transformative power of personal effort and the support of influential people in his life. His story teaches us the critical importance of guidance, perseverance, and inner strength in overcoming adversity. By understanding and reflecting on Vance's experiences, we can better appreciate our own support networks and the resilience required to meet life's challenges.

Finally, his memoir is much more than a rags-to-riches American dream story. Tomorrow, I will explore the macro social implications of his memoir. It is a memoir of a little fish, an insignificant nobody, yet its significance lies in revealing a deep current flowing in the world's wealthiest country.

A few days ago, I learned about "Screen Damage: The Dangers of Digital Media for Children" by Michel Desmurget, originally published in 2019. Desmurget is a French researcher and writer specializing in cognitive neuroscience, and his work is based on extensive research into the effects of screen time on children.

Desmurget’s findings are not surprising: heavy screen usage leads to poor academic performance. However, he emphasizes that the negative impacts are even more pervasive and extensive, affecting children's cognitive, emotional, physical, and social development.

Children primarily use electronic devices for watching videos, playing games, and engaging with social media. While schools also use these devices for learning and testing, the initial educational intentions of teachers and parents often give way to what Desmurget calls an “orgy of recreational usage.”

Desmurget argues that time spent with screens at an early age is essentially “stolen time” from children's normal development. Early cognitive development is very crucial and depends heavily on the malleability of young brains. However, this period of brain plasticity has an expiration date. “Once closed, they can no longer be resuscitated. What has been spoiled is forever lost,” he warns.

To summarize the harms caused by electronic screens, Desmurget identifies five major areas of damage:

1. A lack of human communication and companionship
2. Negative impacts on the development of language and IQ
3. Difficulty concentrating due to the distracting nature of electronic devices
4. Significant decreases in academic performance
5. Health issues, particularly related to sleep disorders and prolonged sitting

These damages are not limited to children but apply to people of all ages. Due to the permanent harm electronic devices can cause, Desmurget concludes that, under no circumstances or for any reason, should children aged 6 and under be exposed to electronic screens.

A Chinese saying goes, 少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲, meaning: if one does not work hard when young, one will regret it when old. It emphasizes the importance of making the most of one's early formative years, aligning well with the idea that excessive screen time can irreversibly harm children's development and lead to long-term regret.

In a world increasingly dominated by digital media and electronic devices, Desmurget's research serves as a serious reminder of the importance of protecting young minds from the permanent detrimental effects of excessive screen time. Parents, educators, and policymakers must take these findings seriously to ensure that children's development is not compromised by the very tools meant to aid their education and entertainment.

While it's admirable to follow one's passion and take the path less traveled, the story of my friend's daughter underscores the importance of preparation in turning dreams into reality. With proper planning and dedication, the path to success, no matter how unconventional, can be managed more effectively and with greater confidence and better results.

There are so many things that I'd like to write about today. First, I saw this post by an acquaintance of mine who just became a full professor, "I’ve reached the finish line! No more assisting or associating with professors—I am one! A FULL professor! It’s been a tough but incredibly rewarding journey."

Immediately, this poem surfaces in my head, "春风得意马蹄疾，一日看尽长安花" (chūn fēng dé yì mǎ tí jí, yī rì kàn jǐn cháng ān huā), meaning: riding the galloping horse swiftly with spring breeze at my back, I see all the flowers of Chang'an in one single day. The poet of the Tang Dynasty wrote these lines after passing the Imperial Examination. The poem captures the joy, excitement, and exhilaration of achieving success, like riding a galloping horse through the blooming city of Chang'an and enjoying all its beauty in one single day.

Second, yesterday I was going through the notes that I took a few years ago when we interviewed some high achievers among high school and college students.

During the interview of one high achiever who ended up at MIT, a parent asked, "What if you don't know what you should do now?" The interviewee answered, "At this point, I don't know what I want to do in the future. There are still plenty of questions for me to sort out. I think I will be okay if I keep doing what I'm interested in. I might not have the direct route to what I want to do, but the experience that I have on the way is going to be valuable and useful, even if I am not doing what I initially set out to do. What I learn in the process is so valuable to me."

This is perfectly alright if you see life as entering a treasure hunt journey, trying different things and enjoying the process of trying because you don't know exactly what you want to do with your life.

But if you read biographies of famous people, you will notice one thing in common: most of them did not necessarily start from an advantageous position in life; rather, they all began earlier. They all figured out what they wanted to do with their lives at a very young age. I also think of my son who, still a teenager, figured out what he wanted to pursue in his career.

If you have a clear idea of what that final picture looks like and understand where to find the pieces, the rest of the task is like solving a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece helps you get closer to the whole picture. On the other hand, with the treasure hunt, you might spend more time trying different routes.

Time is the biggest asset for young people, especially during their 20s, the most energetic decade of their life. Trying different treasure hunt routes might not be as time efficient as adding jigsaw pieces to your whole picture.

Finally, whether you approach your career and life as a treasure hunt or a jigsaw puzzle, the key is to remain dedicated, curious, and open to learning. Each path has its own rewards and challenges, and having a clear goal and understanding your journey are important toward achieving your own version of success.

Last week, while staying at my son's place, I read Days of Distraction: A Novel (2020) by Alexandra Chang, a young Chinese American writer from San Francisco who earned her MFA in 2018. The novel reads like a fictionalized autobiography of her young life.

The story follows a young Chinese American woman, the narrator, meeting the emotional and psychological challenges of her relationship with a white man. It delves into timeless themes such as family immigration history, identity, racial and gender stereotypes, interracial relationships, and cultural differences.

As a tech journalist covering Silicon Valley, the narrator feels dissatisfied with her job and stagnant in her career. She decides to accompany her boyfriend to New York, where he will pursue graduate school. Amidst this move, she finds herself away from her family, friends, and familiar surroundings, just two of them, an Asian girl and a white man, keenly aware of the differences in their life experiences and racial and cultural backgrounds.

The novel's fractured structure, with its narrative jumping between past and present, research and reflection, alternating between narrative and silent introspection, adds a dramatic layer to the storytelling. This technique perhaps mirrors the author's intent to evoke the complexities of her personal reflection and fictional exploration of her own life experiences.

As the narrator struggles with the tensions between her Chinese American heritage past and her present romance with a white boyfriend, Chang experiments freely with new creative format and invites readers to appreciate her creation and contemplate the universal themes of belonging, identity, personal growth, cultural and racial differences.

To me, the best part of the book is the sense that Chang is experimenting with the book's structure and form without any restrictions, creating a unique reading experience.

Finally, while the novel receives high ratings from some, it may not resonate with every reader. Our reading experience is highly subjective, influenced by our preferences, expectations, and background. It is perfectly valid if, like me, you find the book didn't meet your expectations.