Mothers deserve real care, not just online love

Zhang Yang, a primary school student, helps his mother, a street cleaner, work on a street in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on May 9. On that day, many other primary school students also helped their mother to do work to celebrate Mother's Day. [Photo/Xinhua]

Like all other festivals, Mother's Day, which was celebrated on May 10, saw waves of congratulations and gratitude flooding domestic social networks. However, in sharp contrast, many people don't visit their mothers for a whole year or longer. Do we practice filial piety only once a year, and, more ironically, only through social media? Comments:

In a traditional agricultural society, being filial means supporting parents when they are old and taking good care of them when they are sick.

However, because of the rapid changes in society, family sizes have shrunk and many adult children live far away from their aged parents. Besides, the parents who enjoy social security and pensions might no longer need such care. Thus it's important for adult children to take care of their parents' psychological health. Social networking is a good way for children who live far away from parents to express their love for them.

People's Daily, May 11

In the past, many Chinese people were too shy to express their love for family members. Expressions of gratitude via social networks overcome this reticence as increasingly more people dare to say online that they love their mothers. The incident is a good example of social networks helping promote positive value in society.

Beijing Times, May 11

Any kind of expression of gratitude is worth our respect, and those choosing social networks to express their gratitude have the right to do so. However, we believe deeds are more important than words; speaking loud online is a good choice, but we hope the young can truly provide practical support to their mothers at the same time, too.

Beijing Youth Daily, May 11