Content provided by British Council
[1] There is something about Aiden Tsang’s Instagram reels that instantly puts you in a good mood. The eight-year-old’s videos – a combination of innocence and cuteness, delivered with a huge cheeky smile – are the perfect antidote to much of the meaningless content flooding social media.
[2] Born in Hong Kong, Aiden, who last year moved with his parents to the Western Australian capital of Perth, admits he is a little homesick. He misses his extended family, his school friends and the city’s food, such as stir-fried beef chow fun and French toast, which are found in Hong Kong-style cafes known as cha chaan teng. He also craves egg waffles.
[3] But Aiden has found a creative way to stay connected to his home, thanks to his Instagram account @cantohkaiden, where he shares lessons on how to speak Cantonese. “I saw some kids teaching English on Instagram and YouTube, and thought I’d like to try being a KOL [key opinion leader] and teach others too,” Aiden said. “Since Cantonese is my mother tongue, my dad thought we could teach Cantonese on Instagram while having fun at the same time.”
[4] Aiden’s videos slot into that hard-to-fill space of being both entertaining and educational. He said they are for those who like or want to know more about Hong Kong culture or Cantonese. Making them has been a family affair, with his mother, Ruby, shooting the reels while his father, Benny, edits them.
[5] Set up in August, the account has already amassed almost 38,000 followers. One post, where Aiden explaied the different ways to say thank you in Cantonese, gained almost 50,000 likes and received a comment from Hong Kong-born American comedian and actor Jimmy O. Yang. Aiden said he did not know who Yang was at first until “[my] dad told me he is a famous actor in Hollywood who came from Hong Kong. I was so surprised”. Aiden’s father, too, was shocked.
[6] However, his father is fully aware of the dark side of social media: “I only show Aiden the positive and encouraging messages, and I make sure that he’s protected from any negative or offensive ones.” He also refrains from telling his son how many Instagram followers he has, as well as the number of views, likes or comments his reels receive. “I just want him to have fun making the reels and let him do the acting and things he enjoys,” he said.
Source: South China Morning Post, October 7
