Can an avatar help overcome social isolation? Korea's 'Shy Cafe' says yes

A participant operates a virtual character on a computer from the fourth floor of a cafe building during the "Shy Cafe" pop-up in Seongsu-dong, Seoul in June. The monitor displays both the avatar broadcast to the kiosk and a live view of the cafe captured by a camera mounted on the kiosk. Courtesy of NHIS Seoul-Gangwon Regional Headquarters Facebook

Customers ordering drinks at a cafe in Seoul's Seongsu neighborhood interacted with a virtual avatar instead of a standard menu screen. They ordered drinks while chatting with the avatar about topics covering their favorite songs or whether they preferred summer or winter.

When a female customer complimented the character's voice and suggested she would be good at counseling, the avatar said she previously worked at a call center but struggled with severe anxiety. Other customers immediately offered encouragement, telling the character it was not an easy job and that they were doing well.

Behind the virtual character was a young person experiencing social withdrawal. The three-day "Shy Cafe" pop-up, which operated from June 23-25, is a work-experience program where socially isolated young people operate virtual characters to respond to customers.

During the three days, six young people participated and communicated with around 700 patrons. The Korea Youth Foundation, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Seoul-Gangwon Regional Headquarters, social enterprise Not Scary Company and IT startup Overthehand jointly planned and operated the event.

Buffer created by virtual characters

Virtual technology, often criticized for disconnecting people from the real world, is being used to help socially isolated young people rebuild social connections. By allowing participants to interact with others while adjusting physical and psychological distance, the avatars serve as a medium for young people to start conversations at their own pace.

Currently, Korea has an estimated 540,000 young people experiencing social withdrawal due to emotional difficulties, relationship burdens or past failures. Forcing them directly into society often backfires.

A pamphlet provided at the "Shy Cafe" pop-up displays the virtual characters, nicknames, self-introductions and program goals of the participants. Korea Times photo by Jung Ye-rim

Jin Seung-bae, a manager at the NHIS Seoul-Gangwon Regional Headquarters, said when young people who have lacked social interaction for extended periods go straight into the real world, even small rejections or awkwardness feel magnified, causing them to retreat into isolation.

Visitor Kim Tae-young, 33, who previously experienced social withdrawal, said forcing a young person who finds it difficult to even leave their room to go out and talk to people is like "pushing a level-one character to fight a boss monster."

Virtual characters provide a lower-pressure setting where socially isolated young people can gradually reintegrate into society. Young people participating in the "Shy Cafe" program observed customers through computer monitors and talked from a separate room on the fourth floor of the cafe building.

A customer takes a photo with a virtual character at the "Shy Cafe" pop-up. Courtesy of NHIS Seoul-Gangwon Regional Headquarters Facebook page

A participant using the nickname "Som-meon-ji" said she felt comfortable having conversations with customers.

"Even if my gaze wandered during the conversation, I didn't have to worry about what others thought," Som-meon-ji said. "I have been told my gestures were distracting, but the technology masked those parts, allowing me to converse more comfortably."

Jin explained that the virtual technology removes physical barriers, providing an opportunity to participate from home even for young people whose degree of isolation makes going out impossible.

Steps beyond virtual

Organizers set up equipment at the site to encourage active conversations and prevent the virtual technology from becoming a mere tool to hide behind. Before ordering, customers received guidelines asking them to focus on the current moment rather than asking about past isolation experiences, and assuring them that occasional pauses were fine.

Organizers also placed conversation cards containing casual questions in front of the ordering kiosk, helping participants practice conversational skills by naturally sharing their own stories beyond repeating basic ordering phrases.

A customer orders a drink while talking to a virtual character at the "Shy Cafe" pop-up in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Courtesy of NHIS Seoul-Gangwon Regional Headquarters Facebook page

Shielded by the virtual buffer, participants were able to comfortably receive positive feedback.

"Even when I stuttered a bit, customers waited patiently and cheered me on, saying things like, 'You speak so well, it's a shame for you to stay hidden at home,'" said a participant, who used the nickname "Sogeum."

"I originally walked to the cafe looking only at the ground, but today I looked at the scenery outside the subway and even spoke first to someone walking their dog."

"I gained confidence through the conversations, so today I stepped out in front of the cafe to do promotions in person," Som-meon-ji said.

A customer takes a photo of a virtual character on the screen at the "Shy Cafe" pop-up. Courtesy of NHIS Seoul-Gangwon Regional Headquarters Facebook page

The event also provided an opportunity for the public to change its perception of socially isolated young people. Visitor Kim Min-young, 28, said the program made her more supportive.

"I hesitated to ask about travel destinations, but after talking, I found they had traveled much more than I had," Kim said. "Hearing about their active pasts made me support them even more."

"Hearing about the high number of socially isolated young people just felt like someone else's problem," said another visitor, Shim Yang-jin, 62. "But talking directly built empathy and was so enjoyable that I visited on the first day and returned again with my younger sibling."

Next step from virtual to reality

Support for socially isolated young people using remote technology is taking various forms. Seoul's Gwanak district established a virtual company on a metaverse platform and operated a program for young people to learn social skills by working online.

Nowon district also ran a Discord-based online virtual company called Neuseunhan Company to let participants experience online attendance, department activities and weekly meetings before transitioning them to physical workplaces in the region.

A customer chats with a virtual character at the "Shy Cafe" pop-up. Courtesy of NHIS Seoul-Gangwon Regional Headquarters Facebook page

Building on these remote experiences to help socially isolated youth form real-life relationships and to enter society is an equally important next step. Jin said participants finished the program realizing their own capabilities and expressed a desire to take on in-person roles like actual cafe or convenience store part-time jobs.

"It is important to translate this willingness into actual opportunities through continuous work experience and tailored support from specialized institutions," Jin said.

Many of the customers who visited the cafe that day said they had also experienced periods of social withdrawal.

"I hope these work experience opportunities aren't just a one-off event," visitor Im Chae-man said. "They need to be ongoing and expanded to regions outside of Seoul."

Kim Min-young said procedures should be simplified to increase accessibility for support programs.

"When you are dealing with social isolation, you change your mind constantly," Kim said. "One minute you want to go out, and an hour later, you want to give up and stay in."

"Instead of just having withdrawn young people talk only to each other, I hope we see more chances for them to interact with everyday people," Kim Tae-young said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.