10. First Flash Mobs in Vietnam

Vietnam catches on to the global phenomena of flash mobs. Here a group of Vietnamese youth from “CLB Flashmob Ha Noi” (Hanoi Flashmob Club) perform their dance at Vincom Tower in Hanoi. (Youtube views for this video: over 80,000)

9. A Female Student Attempts Suicide in Can Tho

A female grade 9 student from Châu Văn Liêm High School in Can Tho attempts suicide. Curiosity fuels the spread of this clip online and it’s picked up by domestic media outlets. (Youtube views for this video: over 120,000)

8. Female Students Fight in Hanoi

2010 saw many videos of student fights and bullying incidents appear online. These became fodder for popular Vietnam youth forums, blogs, and websites.

7. First Video Leak of Unreleased iPhone 4G

Vietnam came into the attention of international media and tech-loving geeks for the release of a video showing the latest iPhone 4G prototype in May 2010. At the time, Apple had yet to release the new product. Many commentators wondered how someone in Vietnam got a hold of the unreleased iPhone, speculating that the iPhone came from a Vietnam manufacturer of a foreign electronics company. (Youtube views for this video: over 3,300,000)

6. Mr. Lady Gaga Auditions for Vietnam Idol

The performance by this young Vietnamese entertained TV audiences of the popular Vietnam Idol show. Online the video became viral both inside and outside Vietnam. (Youtube views for this video: over 500,000)

5. Vietnam Idol 2010 Winner Uyen Linh

Here is Uyen Linh’s performance of Chỉ Là Giấc Mơ (Just a Dream) from gala 8 of the show. Uyen Linh came into the spotlight for her Vietanam Idol run. She was the crowd favourite heading into the finale with many fans and viewers supporting her online. Winning Vietnam Idol 2010 will certainly catapult here career further. (Youtube views for this video: over 1,100,000)

4. Ong Xã Em Number 1 (My Husband is Number 1)

The original hit song “Bà Xã Tôi Number 1″ (My Wife is Number 1) by Khang Huy spawned many follow-up versions, including the hit “Ong Xã Em Number 1″ (My Husband is Number 1). With catchy lyrics this tune spread through media, advertising, and the general population. Here is Don Nguyen’s version. (Youtube views for this video: over 1,300,000)

3. Child Abuse in Binh Duong

When this case of child abuse was caught on camera and posted online, it caused widespread outrage from the public. This lead to the arrest of the woman in the video clip, a 52-year old babysitter from Binh Duong Province’s Thuan Giao Commune. For more information see: our story here » (This clip was cross-posted by online news sites, blogs, and forums, and became widely viewed by the public)

2. Video of Prostitute Arrests Leads to Disciplining of Policemen

Following the release of this video, five policemen were demoted and disciplined for ethical violations in Quang Ninh Province. A sixth officer was given a warning. The video clip, shot by one of the policeman with his mobile phone, shows the arrest of two women (assumed to be prostitutes) in June 2010 at a hotel room. The women were not allowed to put on their clothes as police recorded them and took notes. This scandal made domestic headlines and was later picked up by international media.

1. Teen Sex Videos Explode Online

While the phenomenon of using the Internet for sex is not new, and teens around the world are known to experiment with both technology and sex, 2010 was a year in which online video sites were wildly popular. Although Youtube is still the king of video in Vietnam, there are now many choices for video sharing. The spread of “teen” culture in Vietnam has been helped in part by the easy access to video offered by these sites. The most popular video tags or searches include: “hot girl”, “clip 9x”, “lộ hàng”, “nử xinh”, “khoe hàng”, “tự sướng”, etc. So it’s no surprise that sex is at the top of our list this year. But keep in mind, with Vietnam’s young population and the rise of teen culture, this type of content appears to be what’s hot today.

• Clip 9x: a video clip with featuring someone born in the 1990′s.
• lộ hàng: exposing oneself or being exposed sexually. Literally: “exposed merchandise.”
• nử xinh: a pretty or cute girl.
• khoe hàng: to show off or strut one’s stuff. Literally: “show off merchandise.”
• tự sướng: self-serving, showing off oneself, or pleasuring oneself.