Abstract

This paper examines how young people from the Red River Delta reimagine rural life when the promise of upward mobility through migration to Hanoi falls short of expectations. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, digital ethnography, and interviews with six participants aged 25–35 between 2022 and 2026, the study applies Jordan’s concept of “hybrid spaces” to explore the relationship between online spaces and rural experiences. The findings show that online content shapes rural imaginaries while connecting young people with rural places beyond their home villages. The interplay between digital spaces and lived experiences opens up possibilities for partial “de-urbanizing practices,” through which young people renegotiate their relationship with urban life without necessarily leaving Hanoi.

Keywords: De-urbanizing practices, digital ethnography, hybrid spaces, rural imaginaries, Vietnam, youth mobility.