제 21 호 SHORT FORM
Kicker: LIFE SHORT-FORM Dopamine addiction is short-form addiction? By Myung-Gwan Kang Kmmg199999@naver.com Short-form is content produced as short videos that last an average of 15 to 60 seconds and a maximum of 10 minutes. Examples of short-forms include Shorts, Reels, and TikTok. People with cell phones, regardless of age or gender, use many short-form social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. People can easily become addicted to short videos of less than a minute, such as Reels, Shorts and TikTok, and can enjoy the video with a simple scroll without thinking about it. Why is short form fun? Modern people spend a lot of time watching YouTube shorts, Instagram reels, TikTok, etc. When I look at a short form, I also spend 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or even several hours. When I come to my senses, a lot of time has passed, and I feel like I want to see it again. If you keep watching the short form, you may even get the feeling that other things are no longer fun. Why? This is because short-form allows you to obtain new information in a short period of time and stimulates the brain with sensational images to secrete dopamine. When creating short-form video media, engineers repeat AB tests in a way that maximizes the secretion of dopamine in them. In this way, an interface that can most effectively addict humans is created, and those interfaces are further developed through repeated competition. For example, YouTube had shorter and more provocative videos than Netflix. TikTok is much shorter and has more provocative videos than YouTube. Thus, TikTok grew greatly in a short period of time, YouTube created shorts, and Instagram created Reels. Because of this, people are easily exposed to short forms and have fun with them. The AB test referred to here means that when creating an interface, you create model A and model B, and then show A to some people and B to others to an unspecified number of people. In this experiment, if B's dwell time is higher and people choose B more, they abandon model A and go with B. Short form addiction Short-form is easy to get addicted to because you can access short videos quickly and easily. So why does addiction occur? The reason is that immediate rewards occur. For example, if you drink alcohol, and you will get drunk a week later. Then you won't drink. You go to the racetrack and place a bet, and the horse finishes in three weeks. Then you will not place a bet. In this way, addiction is a result of immediate reward. What kind of reward can you get by looking at short-form? When you look at the short form, you immediately get a hit of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine is secreted in the brain when we feel pleasure or happiness, and more is secreted when we receive strong stimulation. You may develop a tolerance to the same stimulus and become addicted to a stronger stimulus. When the dopamine signal is repeated, the structure of my brain changes, and I find myself seeking out more and more of the stimulation provided by dopamine. These behaviors can create a habit of seeking dopamine and create an addiction circuit. Things that are increasingly provocative, and things that are short and can be enjoyed right away. People have collectively named the addiction to this type of stimulation as dopamine addiction. Dopamine addiction is a buzzword, not a technical term. In particular, short-form is stimulating and difficult to control, so dopamine addiction is sometimes referred to as short-form addiction among the younger generation. Additionally, as a result of comparing the average monthly usage time per person of OTT platforms and short-form platforms based on mobile market research company WiseApp, the OTT platform was 9 hours and 14 minutes, and the short-form platform was 45 hours and 29 minutes, which was more than 5 times more. Popcorn Brain Popcorn Brain is a term coined by David Levy, a professor at the University of Washington Graduate School of Information. It is named so because when exposed to visual and stimulating images, the frontal lobe of the brain becomes resistant to responding, causing people to lose interest in daily life and seek only greater stimulation like popcorn. If this phenomenon worsens, depression, anxiety, impulsive emotional changes may occur, and cognitive function decline such as decreased concentration may occur. Preventive To prevent short-form addiction, critical acceptance of short-form is necessary. Additionally, it is necessary to make an effort to recognize that you are viewing short-form content excessively through preventive education, and consistently practicing closing your eyes even briefly and taking deep breaths for 10 to 15 seconds is also good for preventing short-form addiction. If the condition is serious, changing your cell phone to a feature phone rather than a smartphone can be very helpful. You can limit the time you use your phone by setting a time limit. Moreover, you can create a daily schedule and live according to the schedule. Lastly, you can prevent short-form by meeting and socializing with friends offline rather than online. In the dynamic realm of digital content, short-form formats like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts have created a captivating universe. The allure video in their brief duration, spanning 15 to 60 seconds, delivering instant doses of entertainment, information, and a quick hit of dopamine. Episodic content's charm video in its swift delivery of fresh, engaging material, often keeping viewers immersed without a conscious grasp of time. This addictive quality is rooted in rapid rewards, particularly the release of dopamine. To address the potential risks of short-form content addiction, it's crucial to be critically aware of its impact. Source: https://www.goodnews1.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=426797 https://open-pro.dict.naver.com/_ivp/#/pfentry/9c7136033d90440d8d511053c88cba71/5fa61de88a334c1da977cbd7cd883fcc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcn5F2cT8Pw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj3NiSRWYfY&t=825s https://blog.naver.com/2001juncom/222762841636
제 21 호 Yellow Dust: An Unwelcome Guest of Spring
Kicker: LIFE Yellow Dust: An Unwelcome Guest of Spring By Ye-Dam Hwang, Reporter hwangyedam1108@naver.com Have you ever suffered from yellow dust? As spring comes, yellow dust comes to our daily lives. Yellow dust refers to a phenomenon in which small sand, loess, or dust in deserts and loess zones in the center of the Asian continent, such as China and Mongolia, floats in the sky and then flies far in the upper wind. It contains oxides such as magnesium, silicon, aluminum, iron, potassium, and calcium. Yellow dust gives damage not only to our health but also to industry, mainly through air pollution. The yellow dust phenomenon damages us every year, so it is necessary to prepare and cope with yellow dust, and it is important to know about this. The Causes and the Process of the Yellow Dust Phenomenon Yellow dust is a phenomenon in which fine sand dust, which has risen high in the sky by the wind, spreads in the atmosphere and then gradually falls after covering the sky. The main source of yellow dust affecting Korea are the desert areas of China and Mongolia (Taklamakan, Sea Factor, Ten-gel, Ordos, Gobi, Manchuria) and the loess areas of the Yellow River Midstream. These dry areas in China’s northwest have less than 400mm of annual precipitation and are mostly deserts, so a lot of sand dust is generated. Of the dust emitted from the source, 30% usually sinks back to the source, 20% is transported to the surrounding area, and 50% is transported long distances and deposited in some area such as Korea, Japan, and the Pacific Ocean.A satellite picture of yellow dust phenomenon https://terms.naver.com/imageDetail.naver?cid=63166&docId=2108692&imageUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fdbscthumb-phinf.pstatic.net%2F1843_000_1%2F20120618162240124_JRT4PSLR9.jpg%2F192_i1.jpg%3Ftype%3Dm4500_4500_fst_n%26wm%3DY&mode=entry&clickArea=relatedImage&categoryId=51014 Another cause of yellow dust is that dry soil, which had been frozen throughout the winter, melts in spring and breaks down into small pieces, generating small sand dust less than 20㎛ in size. When a low pressure passes on the sand dust generated in this way, it rises to a high altitude of 3,000m to 5,000m due to strong rising air currents and then moves by the westerlies and jet stream at a speed of about 30m per second. Yellow dust is created in these ways and blows into our country and damages us every spring. The Damage from Yellow Dust Yellow dust, a phenomenon in which small sand blows in the wind and falls, causes great damage not only in terms of health but also in industrial terms. First, in terms of health, yellow dust causes air pollution, mainly causing diseases in a person’s respiratory organ and eyes, such as asthma, irritable conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and dry eye syndrome. When yellow dust phenomenon occurs, patients with severe asthma or the elderly, children, and patients with respiratory diseases, especially bronchial asthma, chronic respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, may experience worsening of existing symptoms, so stricter management is required. Next, in terms of industry, there was more damage than I expected. When thick yellow dust occurred in March 2003, there was a problem in the operation of precision machinery such as semiconductors and aircraft, causing a lot of damage. Businesses that produce silicon wafers, a raw material for semiconductors, increased the number of defective products despite 100% operating air purifiers at manufacturing factories. Automobile manufacturers stopped painting work for an hour due to the growing concern that dust would mix on the surface. In addition, yellow dust also affected aircraft safety, causing many flights to be canceled. According to a study by the Samsung Economic Research Institute, strong yellow dust caused 5 trillion won in industrial damage and 10 trillion won in health damage. In the case of crops, yellow sand dust blocks the pores that the plants breathe and interferes with the growth of trees with wide leaves, and when the pores are closed, resistance increases and metabolism is abnormal. When yellow dust adheres to the surface of a greenhouse, the amount of sunlight transmission decreases, and photosynthesis cannot be properly performed, causing disorder of growth. The Method of Prevention Then, what are the preventive methods to prevent yellow dust damage and how to deal with it in case of occurrence? First, check the windows to prevent yellow dust from entering the room at ordinary households, prepare protective glasses, masks, and long-sleeved clothes when going out, and refrain from outdoor activities for the elderly and respiratory patients. Avoid going out as much as possible when yellow dust occurs, wear protective glasses and masks when going out, and wash your hands and feet after returning home. In addition, it is recommended to wash and eat agricultural and fishery products such as vegetables and fruits exposed to yellow dust. Livestock in the paddock should be promptly evacuated into the shed so that they cannot be exposed to yellow dust. Close the doors and windows of greenhouses and sheds, and make as little contact with outside air as possible. Foods to prevent diseases caused by yellow dust include fruits, garlic, green onions, onions, and pork. First, if water is insufficient, the respiratory mucosa becomes dry and there is a high probability that yellow dust components penetrate, so drinking water, eating fruits, and vegetables can prevent immunity from deteriorating. Second, garlic has the effect of discharging mercury, and sulfur components contained in garlic and onions combine with heavy metals such as mercury in the body and have the effect of being excreted in feces, thereby preventing the accumulation of mercury in yellow dust in the body. Finally, pork can help prevent diseases caused by yellow dust because it has the effect of neutralizing pollutants accumulated in the lungs and absorbing and excreting heavy metals in the body. The yellow dust phenomenon is a rising and clear problem that comes every year especially in spring time. Thus, check the methods of prevention of yellow dust and keep healthy. I hope you will have a healthy school life in preparation for yellow dust in spring during the upcoming semester. Sources: https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=40942&docId=1155636&categoryId=32299 https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=58947&docId=3577742&categoryId=58981 https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=63166&docId=2108692&categoryId=51014 https://blog.naver.com/kbsavingsbk/223051957905 https://www.safekorea.go.krr/idsiSFK/neo/main_m/nat/dustStorm.html#none https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/096/0000105951
제 21 호 Foreign Language Effect
Kicker: Life Foreign Language Effect by Si-ho Park, Reporter pnshse05@naver.com When I was in an English Language and Culture program in Canada, I felt like I became more confident and freer when I was using English. I always feel like I become a different person when I am using a different language. And that’s why I love to learn and use foreign languages. It may be related to cultural, educational, or psychological factors. For instance, Korean culture emphasizes being humbler compared to Canada, whereas Western culture emphasizes being more confident. I was also educated in a freer environment when I was learning English. When I am using my mother tongue, Korean, I feel like I have to be more perfect, but I feel like it’s okay to be imperfect in English because it is a foreign language for me. Is this only a personal experience? I find out that this applies similarly to others. Let’s look inside what this theory is. How Does Foreign Language Free People Vladimir Nabokov is a Russian American writer, who wrote a bestseller Lolita. His mother tongue is Russian, but he wrote several books in English, which is his second language. Lots of researchers say that his knowledge of multiple languages might free him to write more creatively and that one’s own exposure to other languages can in some way help one’s writing. It’s easy to become locked into a certain way of speaking or writing; we grow accustomed to certain linguistic conventions and it’s hard to see past them to write with a fresh voice. When I was in a different country speaking a different language, the biggest thing I learned was how to use my brain in a different way. The simplest example is this: We usually say only “hello” for greetings in Korean, but in other countries, we can say “Good morning, how are you?” or many other expressions for greetings. How about this? When we want to say, “It fits you well, or it perfectly suits you” in Korean, we can say “It is a glutinous rice cake for you,” because it is a food that sticks to our teeth. Every language has its own creative expressions that come from different cultures in each country. And learning other languages also means learning other creativities. And that’s why we can say that foreign languages free us to describe things in more diverse ways. It gives us more flexibility and creativity. Foreign Language Effect by Boaz Keysar Besides the fact that foreign languages set us free, another study has shown that using foreign languages improves our decision-making abilities. It is Boaz Keysar's "Foreign Language Effect." He says that using foreign languages not only improves memory but also affects financial and ethical decisions. In the “trolley problem,” which asks us whether we should kill one man to save five people, experimenters were far more likely to make the utilitarian choice when they were using a second language compared with a native language. Also, in the memory game,people who recalled a childhood trauma in a second language showed less emotional distress than those recounting the event in their native tongue. These studies show us that people become more rational in foreign languages, whereas they are more emotional in native languages. Here is another concept about foreign languages. “Linguistic determinism” proposes that the specific words and grammar of a language can change the way we perceive the world, and I feel like using many other languages helps us to perceive the world in many other ways. Based on all these other theories about languages that I introduced to you above, I believe that it would be helpful for you to learn and use foreign languages. One of my friends added a few words about using foreign languages. “First of all, learning or being able to use a foreign language enabled me to widen my network of friends and people from various countries. Second, I can also discover the culture of each country by knowing the history of a language.” As he said, there are lots of advantages to using different other languages. I wish you could find out these merits of foreign language learning and get a chance to perceive the world in many ways. Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/sep/17/how-learning-thinking-in-a-foreign-language-improves-decision-making https://writeitsideways.com/can-a-foreign-language-enhance-your-writing/
제 20 호 What is America’s Tip Culture
Kicker: LIFE What is America’s Tip Culture by Ji-Min Baek, Reporter pjm5875@naver.com Have you ever paid for a tip? Overseas it is customary to leave a tip when traveling and living abroad, however, this type of culture is absent in Korea. Nevertheless, there has been a recent movement to introduce a tip culture in Korea. Examples include a famous bakery in Korea created a tip box with a phrase that means “if you liked our store, give tips” which caused debates. In addition, Kakao Taxi, one of the most frequently used taxi calling applications in Korea, was controversial because it allowed the customers to pay audit tips if the customer gave taxi drivers five stars in service satisfaction assessment. Although tips in these cases are not compulsory, consumers are concerned about the establishment of tip culture in their daily lives. In addition to concerns about this unfamiliar tip culture, there are various opinions. In this article, I will take a general look at tip cultures that are not familiar to us. About America’s Tip Culture Tip culture is a culture that originated in Europe, and it is an abbreviation of To Insure Promptness. This is to pay a certain tip as appreciation and satisfaction for the service, which is a common culture in the United States and Europe. In particular, as tipping became institutionalized in the United States, it became an inseparable culture in American life. Tipping has been institutionalized through the minimum wage system, and workers receiving a tip are subject to a lower minimum wage than ordinary workers. This minimum wage system and tips are set differently by states and governments in the United Sates. That is why workers receiving a tip have irregular incomes and are more dependent on tips. Tips, which were set at 10% to 15% of meals until a few years ago, are set at 20% to 30% of meals as prices rose after COVID-19. In response, consumers felt burdened by the rise in tip rates, and the new word tipflation, which combines tip and inflation, was coined. Moreover, tips are sometimes required even if services are not provided, such as takeout spots or ordering through kiosk, and new words, such as tip fatigue, are emerging. In addition, rather than paying as many tips as consumers want in appreciation of the service, the majority of restaurants calculate the tip with a certain percentage of their meals and demand them first with the tip on the bill, which seems to be a compulsion, not an option. According to a report in the Washington Post, a new study by the Pew Research Center found that Americans are confused about when they should pay the tip, and the majority of people don’t like the extra fee, such as tip. Drew DeSilver, the senior writer of the report said, “Tipping is one of those things in American society where there aren’t clear rules,” he said. “There’s not a single generally accepted way of doing things, like with traffic lights, where we all know that red means stop.” To prevent this confusion in the United States, where tip culture is most deeply located, some states apply the same minimum wage to tipped workers as ordinary workers. However, it is difficult to solve this problem because if tip culture is eliminated, there will be a lot of side effects. Tip Culture and Korea As mentioned above, controversy is brewing in Korea as some restaurants now require a tip like the American tip culture. In addition to the case of a tip box, some places offer a tablet screen that allows you to select tip prices by percent, saying, “What do you think about tips for hard-working employees?” when ordering. In Korea, the final price, including both VAT and service fees, must be indicated on the menu in accordance with the enforcement regulations of the Food Sanitation Act. Therefore, it is illegal to force customers by asking for tips. As such, Korea has a different system from the United States and the same minimum wage system is applied to workers, so there is a great reluctance among domestic consumers to the tip culture. Nevertheless, there is also an opinion that giving a certain amount of tip can work positively if you have received satisfactory service. As for the tips paid as an appreciation for the service, the tip rate increased over time and the method changed. Both positive and negative responses to these tip cultures exist. I hope it will settle the bad points and establish itself as a good culture. In addition, since Korea has a different wage system from the United States, the unfamiliar tip culture will feel more burdensome to consumers, so the introduction of tip culture is not expected to be easy. Sources: https://blog.naver.com/mosfnet/223205743278 https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25199537#home https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/11/09/american-tipping-confusion-culture-study/ https://www.mk.co.kr/news/economy/10811532 https://www.mk.co.kr/news/society/10815703
제 20 호 A War against Bedbugs
Kicker: LIFE A War against Bedbugs By Ye-Dam Hwang, Cub-reporter hwangyedam1108@naver.com Do you know about bedbugs? Bedbugs have appeared in foreign countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and China. However, recently bedbugs are emerging even in Korea quite speedily. Bedbugs trouble people by biting them and clinging to their clothes like a coat. Because of this appearance and the speed of the spread of bedbugs, people started to worry about bedbugs and even therefore, some people don’t want to take their seats of public transportation and some even hesitate to go to the movie theater because of anxiety about the bugs. Since bedbugs are in full swing these days, the need to know and analyze about these bugs and take an action to deal with this situation is growing in importance. What is a Bedbug? Bedbug is a bug which lives in people’s houses, nests, bat caves, and body of the livestock which is raised in the house. It is brown and its length is 6.5~9mm. It is nocturnal and it feeds on the blood of people. By feeding on blood, it makes unpleasant pruritus to people and to some people, it makes people have disturbed sleep and allergy. These are not all of the effects of bedbugs. Its excreta, which looks like mold, makes the house be dirty with its look and bad smell. Situation of Foreign Countries In foreign countries, especially in Western countries, bedbugs have appeared since about ten years ago. Particularly, France, which will host the Olympic Games in 2024, is suffering from this bug. The schools in France are even closed since the fast spread of bedbugs. Therefore, many tourists traveling to European countries warn and alert people to know about bedbugs in Europe with their experiences of it. Then, why has the number of bedbugs increased in such foreign countries? The reason why bedbugs are appearing in Western countries is that there are many wooden buildings and old buildings in Europe, compared with Korea. With this condition, the bedbugs hide in bed mattresses and furniture and live by feeding off human blood. Thus, in European countries, the authorities and travelers have been at war with bedbugs from then to now. Situation of Korea Bedbugs no longer only appear overseas. These days, bedbugs have also appeared in Korea, and it raises people’s concerns. They are seen in the subway, KTX, and even in living spaces like college domitories and family houses. Since bedbugs can be moved on clothes or some objects, the spread of it becomes fast and people are worrying about the transfer of this bug unwittingly. As an example of this situation, a 29-year-old office worker created online bedbug status board which shows all the daily, weekly, monthly, and the total number of bedbug’s appearance, as well as the appearance area and related articles. He said, “I’ll help drive out the bedbugs with this board”. Also, the special beddings which keeps out bedbugs are selling fast. One officer in the bedding industry said that the problem of bedbug will not be ended easily and each company is busy developing or promoting additional bedding that strengthens bedbugs prevention and eradication functions. How to Prevent Bedbugs As the problem of bedbugs is becoming bigger, the need to know about how to prevent bedbugs is clear and important these days. To prevent it, if you are in an accommodation, it is important to check the room to see if there are any bedbugs and not to keep your luggage on the floor or on the bed. If the bedbug is in there, you can control the pest both physically and chemically. The physical control methods are spraying high-temperature steam to the crack between the furniture and walls, removal with vacuum cleaner, and using dryer in 50 to 60℃ for at least 30 minutes to treat the contaminated fabric. The chemical control methods are using pesticide and not using the smoke bomb because bedbugs will move to another place to avoid the smoke when we use it, and not spraying pesticides on fabrics such as bedding and clothes that touch the skin directly. The Seoul city government has started to inform people of the accommodations which have the ‘bedbugs prevention facility’ sticker. Also, the city government operates an online bedbug outbreak reporting center and provides information to solve the people’s curiosity about bedbugs. In addition, the seats of KTX and subway are being sterilized to prevent bedbugs. The bedbug problem is no longer just a foreign problem. As the speed of the spread of bedbugs is getting faster, people’s anxiety and concern are growing bigger. Thus, we need to know exactly about what is the bedbug and how to prevent it in detail. I hope this article will help students cope with the bedbugs problem. Sources: https://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2023111508503173795 https://www.mk.co.kr/news/business/10877169 https://naver.me/x95zd6LT https://news.seoul.go.kr/welfare/archives/557157?listPage=1&s=%EB%B9%88%EB%8C%80 https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20231115038200001?input=1195m https://naver.me/G7ZNgWrf
제 19 호 What Is the Enemy of Modern People, SNS Fatigue Syndrome
Kicker: LIFE What Is the Enemy of Modern People, SNS Fatigue Syndrome? By Su-Young Kim, Reporter /kimsuyoung@gmail.com Have you ever heard of Threads which is the new social network service to counter Twitter with a medium service between Instagram and Twitter? Since the advent of the Threads, it has spread rapidly, attracting many people’s attention, with some viewing freer forms of Threads positively, but others feeling tired of the new social network service. These symptoms are called SNS fatigue syndrome. From now on, let’s find out about SNS fatigue syndrome. What is the SNS Fatigue Syndrome? SNS fatigue syndrome refers to fatigue caused by excessive use of SNS. As a side effect of the SNS era, it is an example of information fatigue syndrome first presented by neuroscientist Dr. David Lewis in 1996. SNS fatigue syndrome is drawing attention as more and more people suffer from stress due to excessive information sharing and distribution of personal network management while using multiple SNSs such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Stress arising from political ideology differences with people in relationships and uncomfortable relationships with their bosses is also an example of SNS fatigue syndrome. According to SK Communications and Embrain’s “2011 Domestic SNS Use Status” survey, 40% of SNS users said they were stressed by using social media, which is increasing further. The Symptom of SNS Fatigue Syndrome The symptoms of people with SNS fatigue syndrome are roughly like this. They feel uneasy if they don’t do SNS even for a day. They are getting curious wondering who posted what comments they posted on Twitter or Instagram. It’s depressing when there are few comments on their post. When they wake up in the morning, they look for their smartphone first. The number of people complaining of fatigue is also increasing rapidly enough to check SNS in subways and toilets. Some workers complain that they cannot sleep well because they must deal with problems in the company through SNS even in the middle of the night. As information is poured out through smartphones in real time, there are even people who receive professional treatment due to SNS fatigue syndrome, such as paralysis of analysis ability, anxiety, and self-skepticism. How to Solve SNS Fatigue Syndrome: Digital Detox Have you seen the phrase “Disconnect to Reconnect”? It is the slogan of an institution (digitaldetox.org) that develops digital detox, meaning disconnect to reconnect. It shows that the essence of digital detox is not just to deny the digital environment, but to strive to be a better user. However, it is obvious that doing SNS is interesting and controlling that is difficult. Therefore, you can start a light digital detox by creating your own rules such as deleting your unnecessary applications, not checking your smartphone when eating, resting without your smartphone even if it is short, and not looking at your smartphone before bed. Eric Schmidt, chairman of global IT company Google, also emphasizes the need for digital detox. "Life cannot be done on a monitor," Schmidt said in a congratulatory speech at Boston University's graduation ceremony on May 20, 2012. "Turn off your cell phones and computer for an hour a day and talk to your loved one in the eyes." On the one hand, Recently, "Dumb Phone" have become popular among Generation Z in the U.S. and Britain, especially among those who feel fatigue syndrome. Unlike smartphones, dumb phone is an old feature phone that only has basic functions such as phone calls, text messages, GPS, and music playback. Millions of mobile devices, like those launched in the early 2000s by companies such as HMD Global, Nokia's manufacturer, continue to be sold around the generation Z. In a society where digital communication is greatly involved in our lives, there is a situation we feel tired of SNS. We should look back on our digital lives for a healthy life and try to reduce excessive SNS through digital detox. Sources: https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=1987181&cid=43667&categoryId=43667 http://www.kihoilbo.co.kr/news/articlePrint.html?idxno=779044 https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=2070365&cid=55570&categoryId=55570
제 19 호 Are You a Cherry-sumer?
Kicker: LIFE Are You a Cherry-sumer? By Yun-Seo Jung, Reporter yysj1230@naver.com Have you ever ordered a package with a friend to save on shipping, or shared an OTT subscription with others to save money? Then, do you know what we call people who do these kinds of consumption that we're used to doing? As mentioned earlier, people who spend intentionally and efficiently are referred to as "cherry-sumers".This word is a combination of cherry and consumer.In other words, a cherry-sumer is someone who is strategic and intentional about their spending in order to achieve extreme efficiency.In the case of a cherry picker, it means that people only take away profits, just like they only take away the delicious cherries on the cake.Unlike the negative connotations of cherry picker, cherry-sumer is a consumer trend that maximizes value by being as frugal as possible with the limited resources they have. So why has cherry picking become popular? The main reasons are the rise of one-person households and the inflation due to the recession. Rising inflation has dampened consumer sentiment, and consumers have begun to spend more deliberately and efficiently in response to this situation. In addition, changes in the social structure due to the increase in single-person households and nuclear families have led to the cherry-sumer trend. What are the consumption strategies of cherry consumers? Typical examples include joint purchases such as sharing an OTT service account, as well as purchasing small and small packaged products. Perhaps the most common behavior associated with cherry-consumers is the sharing of OTT service accounts. Although there may be price differences between OTT service companies, most companies allow account sharing, so people usually use OTT service using one account together. They post on social media to find people to share their OTT accounts, not only among friends, but even strangers. Sharing Coupang Play Account The following are small-sized and small-packaged products related to the increase in single-person households. This buying strategy is particularly prevalent in food consumption. Some might argue that this is inefficient consumption because it is cheaper to buy in bulk purchase than in small purchase. However, if a single person buys in bulk, food spoils quickly and has to be thrown away, so it is more efficient for them to buy in smaller quantities to avoid overspending and reduce food waste. To capture these cherry-sumers, companies launched smaller portions and packaged goods that are more affordable for single people. Major convenience stores launched their own fresh food brands for one-person and two-people households. For example, CU launched a series of prepackaged vegetables. It sells 15 types of popular vegetables such as garlic, potatoes, peppers, leeks, and cabbage, packaged in small portions for one to two meals. The actual price of the vegetables ranges from a low of 900 won to a high of 4500 won, which is reportedly 30% lower than the industry average. Not only convenience stores, but also large supermarkets are increasingly selling various food products in small packages. Fresh Food Brands of CU for One-person and Two-people Households While many companies are launching products and services that reflect the efficient consumption patterns of cherry-sumers, there are limitations. In some cases, companies are actually losing money because of the tendency of cherry-sumers to buy goods and services collectively. OTT companies in particular are suffering from the negative impact on their profitability due to account sharing. In particular, Netflix, which has the largest share of the global OTT market, has been losing new subscribers due to consumers sharing their accounts with others. As a result, Netflix has taken steps to ban free account sharing. This means that if you want to share an existing account with someone who is not part of your household, you'll have to pay extra per month on some plans, or sign up for a new membership altogether. In fact, the Netflix website makes it clear that Netflix accounts should be shared between people who live in the same household, and that non-household members must create their own accounts to watch Netflix. This does not currently apply in Korea, but if it does in the future, it will be illegal for people who do not live together to share an account, so no matter how efficient consumption you seek, you should never break the provision. As the recession continues, consumers are becoming more intentional about their spending. Unlike before, when they closed their wallets to inflation, cherry-sumers try to reduce the financial burden while spending more reasonably. It is also a change caused by the increase in single-person households. And companies are implementing various sales strategies to meet the needs of consumers with changing consumption trends. In response to the cherry-sumer trend, companies should not exploit characteristic cherry-sumers to make money, and consumers should also be cherry-sumers who consume wisely based on good citizenship and paying fair prices for goods and services. Sources : https://www.dbpia.co.kr/journal/articleDetail?nodeId=NODE11407041 https://www.ddaily.co.kr/page/view/2023072014484930118 https://www.bgflive.com/assets/upload/image/editor/20220613093205185342296.jpg
제 18 호 Sharing Economy
Kicker: Life Sharing Economy By Myung-Gwan Kang Kmmg199999@naver.com How much do you know about the sharing economy? And do you know what kind of sharing economy is happening in our daily lives? The sharing economy refers to economic activities in which a product is not owned and used by one person, but rather cooperatively consumed by several people, such as sharing or lending to each other. The sharing economy, also known as the collaborative economy or peer-to-peer economy, refers to a system of economic activities where individuals or businesses share their underutilized resources with others. In this model, a product or service is not owned and used exclusively by one person, but rather it is cooperatively consumed by multiple individuals through sharing, renting, or lending. Meaning and examples of the sharing economy What does the sharing economy mean? Let's take a closer look at the sharing economy, which lies somewhere between the market economy and the gift economy, through its definition and examples. First of all, in order to understand the definition of a sharing economy, you need to know what a market economy and a gift economy are. A market economy is a free market economic system in which prices are set and trade is made between consumers and suppliers to maximize profits. On the other side of this, the gift economy is literally a gift, not giving something for money. It is not a commercial element, but through the act of gifting, giving things, forming a social relationship and building trust between members of society through this. In the gift economy, the role of money as we know it is the social relationship, or trust. In summary, you can think of it as a combination of maximizing profits by exchanging money and building trust between members of society through donations.To help you understand in detail, I will explain three companies called accommodation sharing companies, Couchsurfing, Airbnb, and Onefinestay as examples. Couchsurfing First of all, the way to use Couchsurfing, which is the most gift economy form, is to become a member after signing up, and you can stay in another member's bedroom. And if other members want to stay in your area, you can give them your own bedroom. There is no such service that money comes and goes when you give up your bedroom here, and you have to return it as much as you received. It is not a system where you just give away your bedroom and get back the amount you gave, but it is a service that connects you to stay at a stranger's house, just like when we go on a trip to a friend's house and ask for a night's sleep. If so, you may be wondering what kind of benefit the person who provides the house naturally gets. Couchsurfing is not a lodging platform but rather a social networking service. Members consider making new friends and forming a new community with them a meaningful act in itself by sharing their home. It can be said that it is a platform that is a little difficult to explain in the market economy that we are familiar with. Onefinestay Onefinestay stands for the market economy that is completely opposite to Couchsurfing. Onefinestay is a site that rents luxurious homes, yachts, and villas. The service includes amenities such as changing bedding and 24-hour service, just like the hotels we know, and the owner shares his or her luxurious home.It belongs to the sharing economy in that the accommodation owner shares the accommodation because it includes various amenities and services. Airbnb Airbnb is one of the most neutral accommodations sharing providers. First of all, Airbnb offers a certain amount of commission to service providers who share their home with others. Accommodation is also available for those who wish to use it, although it is cheaper than a hotel, and must pay the price listed on the site. In this respect, Airbnb has the characteristics of the market economy we know. But Airbnb includes the nature of the gift economy here. Among Airbnb hosts, the characteristic of the gift economy is that they offer their free space to others as if it were a gift and provide food or wine made by themselves. Furthermore, you can see that Airbnb users share personal things in their homes, such as family photos of others, and communicate socially. Finally, when you leave a review of an accommodation even if there are no benefits, listing the advantages of staying at the property while providing information to others is also a gift economy feature. In summary, the sharing economy is a new type of economic system located in the middle of the market economy we are familiar with and the gift economy based on contributions and social bonds. Sharing Economy Origins of the sharing economy The term “sharing economy” was first introduced in 2008 by Professor Lawrence Lessig of Harvard Law School in his book Remix. The concept of the sharing economy was created because of the economic depression caused by the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States. This financial crisis did not stop in the United States in 2008, but spread around the world. At this time, the first economic act of sharing space arose, and the saying, “Let’s share lodging and share profits together” was popular. At this time, lodging sharing companies using this were extremely popular, surpassing the corporate value of famous hotels. Since then, various forms of sharing economy models have begun to emerge one by one. The sharing economy became full-fledged more quickly with the spread of smartphones. The sharing economy has grown explosively as a new business method in just 10 years as a lot of people participate and the sharing economy creates a system that works well. Size and Prospect of the Shared Economy in the Future The sharing economy has witnessed significant growth and shows promising prospects for the future. According to a report by PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) titled "The Sharing Economy," the global sharing economy was estimated to be worth around $15 billion in 2014. However, it is projected to reach a value of $335 billion by 2025, indicating substantial potential for expansion. The same report highlights that the sharing economy has the potential to impact several key sectors, including transportation, accommodation, finance, and professional services. The rise of sharing platforms and collaborative consumption is expected to disrupt traditional business models and drive innovation in these industries. Furthermore, the report emphasizes the importance of digital platforms and technology in enabling the growth of the sharing economy. The widespread use of smartphones, increased internet penetration, and the development of efficient online marketplaces contribute to the scalability and accessibility of sharing economy services. Additionally, the sharing economy has the potential to generate socioeconomic benefits such as job creation, increased resource efficiency, and reduced environmental impact. By utilizing existing resources more efficiently, the sharing economy promotes sustainability and reduces waste. It's important to note that while the sharing economy has shown significant growth and potential, its exact size and future trajectory can vary depending on factors such as regulatory frameworks, consumer behavior, and market dynamics. Sources: https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=6032396&cid=67200&categoryId=67200 4차산업혁명시대의공유경제/ 아룬순다라라잔/ 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRiupUXWqD8 https://www.pwc.com/ https://www.kdi.re.kr/kdipreview/doc.html?fn=15275_21946&rs=/kdidata/preview/pub https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFVgJzdNWvQ
제 17 호 Everything about COVID-19
Kicker: LIFE Everything about COVID-19 By Myung-Kwan Kang Kmmg199999@naver.com The COVID-19 pandemic started in 2019 and has swept across the world by 2023, causing huge damage to many countries. It has been changing a lot. How much do you know about COVID-19? The coronavirus began to occur in a group of unknown viral pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. On Jan. 7, 2020, the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detected a previously unknown novel coronavirus from pneumonia patients, and on Jan. 11, genetic information of the novel coronavirus was released worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) named it COVID-19, which means a disease caused by the coronavirus in 2019. In January 2020, infections were also confirmed in Thailand, Japan, and Korea, and on March 11, less than three months after being confirmed to have COVID-19, the infection spread to 114 countries, killing more than 4,000 people. COVID-19 Causes Public Jobs to Decline Due to the influence of COVID-19, the number of monthly salary (wage work) jobs in their 20s and 30s has decreased by 150,000. On the other hand, the number of jobs in their 60s and older increased by 347,000, the highest since statistics were compiled in 2018. Critics pointed out that the government tried to overcome the job market shock caused by COVID-19 with public jobs, but it did not work for young people and only produced jobs for the elderly. The number of jobs in the manufacturing sector, the foundation of the real economy, also decreased by 87,000, the largest decline ever. According to the "Wage Work Job Trends in the Third Quarter of 2020" released by the National Statistical Office, the number of wage work jobs as of August last year was 1,198,000, up 369,000 (2.0%) from the same period last year. However, if you look at it by age, there were mixed feelings of joy and sorrow. Those in their 20s and younger decreased by 86,000 (-2.6%) and those in their 30s by 64,000 (-1.5%). 150,000 jobs in their 20s and 30s have disappeared. On the other hand, those in their 60s and older increased by 347,000 (14.9 percent). Damage to Self-employed People Due to COVID-19 The majority of self-employed people are experiencing a decline in sales after the outbreak of COVID-19, and the average sales decline rate reached 53.1%, according to a survey. The COVID-19 Emergency Response Committee held a press conference in front of the Seoul Library on the same day and announced the results of its investigation on the impact of COVID-19 on self-employed people for a year. Of the 1,545 participants in the survey, 1,477 (95.6%) said their sales were lower than before the COVID-19 outbreak in January last year. In addition, their average sales decline rate was 53.1% due to measures such as restrictions on business hours and group restrictions to prevent COVID-19.The average sales decline rate in the non-metropolitan area was 43.7%, and the average sales decline rate in the metropolitan area was 59.2%, indicating that the sales decline of self-employed people in the metropolitan area was large. 81.4% (1,257) of the respondents said their debts increased, and 44.6% (689) of the survey participants said they were considering closing their businesses. Damage to the Aviation Industry Due to COVID-19 COVID-19 has caused great damage to the aviation industry (as of May 2022.) The downturn in Korea's aviation industry began before COVID-19. Even before COVID-19, Korea's aviation industry had already shrunk due to worsening external conditions such as the boycott of Japanese products, U.S.-China trade war, and exchange rate hike last year. At this time, COVID-19 has caused fatal damage. The aviation industry is a state-based industry that connects the world to promote the flow of trade, tourism, and investment. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 35% of the global trade is done by air, witha total of 65.5 million jobs and economic activities worth $2.7 trillion and about 3,294 trillion won are related to the aviation industry worldwide. In particular, Korea, which has a high a number of exports, has a 47.6 billion dollar aviation industry. This is 3.4% of GDP, creating more than 838,000 jobs. The slowdown in the aviation industry spread to all related industries such as airport service, tourism, and service industries, adversely affecting the economy and employment as a whole. In Korea, passengers on major routes to China and Southeast Asia have decreased significantly due to the influence of COVID-19. As of the third week of March, the number of international passengers decreased by about 93.5% year-on-year, and the average daily passengers at Incheon Airport disappeared 91.6% from 190,000 on March 16, 2019 to 16,000 on March 16, 2020. Changes in Education Due to COVID-19 The influence of COVID-19 was also great in the educational world where group life is dominant. As school classes are replaced online, there are many aftereffects. As the proportion of online education increases, students are in a situation where they have to study by themselves and keep their own daily lives. Students who have difficulty using their time feel a struggle to focus on classes, and their emotional communication, empathy, and bonds, which were mainly in charge of school, are not properly formed. In the case of elementary school students, serious problems occurred, such as being immersed in games for more than 10 hours a day or not being able to read Korean. In particular, the gap between these problems is widening depending on the family situation, but the class was conducted without any investigation or supplementary measures. Due to COVID-19, learning efficiency has decreased, and there are also second to third graders who do not know Hangul in vulnerable families who lack parental care. As the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased significantly, people's concerns about COVID-19 in their daily lives are also decreasing significantly. Accordingly, since January 30, Korea has been lifted from the obligation to wear indoor masks in most indoor areas except for some facilities such as public transportation, hospitals, and pharmacies. The government and quarantine authorities are also in a position that they should not relax yet, but there have been no major issues related to quarantine recently, so they are preparing to switch to their daily lives by turning some regular briefings in writing. The WHO Secretary-General also said, "Marathoners should not stop until they reach the finish line, and they should play harder with all their remaining strength," and said the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is visible in the future. Sources : https://kiss.kstudy.com/thesis/thesis-view.asp?key=3770410 https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20210226001018&wlog_tag3=naver https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20210329091700004 http://www.m-economynews.com/news/article.html?no=28534 https://www.dailyt.co.kr/newsView/dlt202108060005 Image sources : https://pixabay.com/illustrations/coronavirus-virus-blood-plasma-5174671/
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