By Kim Jin-heon
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In this situation, as an alternative, the smartphone is the preferred method for living more freely. Most youngsters have over seven secret accounts and know how to use the tool as a part of everyday life, connecting with people with various hobbies such as but not limited to pets, flowers, or pop art.
Such networking with individuals at home and abroad has caused them to develop their own culture and grow as a powerful group. Kim Nan-do, the author of the book titled "Trend Korea 2020," said that youngsters' identities are so diverse that they are considered multi-personas.
For example, at the office, after work, or during daily life, they respond to any situation appropriately. Psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) said that human beings have one thousand personas and use them in any situation freely. In light of that point, the youngsters may be living sensibly.
Kim, the author and a baby boomer with only one social media account, also shares information with many people through social media including YouTube. Thanks to this tool, most citizens in South Korea have had opportunities to communicate more and have helped themselves to become a source of information since 2010.
Lately, Korea's pop culture, spirit of resistance against injustice, and flexible attitudes permitting multiple religions and cultures have encouraged online services to become major melting pots.
For example, a candlelit vigil in 2016 by citizens led to the collapse of a government that was ignoring their lives. In that process, they held a demonstration with a festival and peaceful march, realizing that justice is the first value in public life. The smartphone played a decisive role in the event's success.
The Korean pop artists BTS debuted on YouTube, attracting netizens from across the world and earning worldwide fame. In addition, the Korean movie "Parasite" was a box office hit globally and won four Academy Awards in 2019. It is evident that the tool played an important role in promoting the movie.
Through its method for fighting the coronavirus since February 2020, Korea has become a role model for the world, especially for the government's transparent release of information, citizens' high civic consciousness, and doctors' skill based on smartphones. These kinds of various factors have caused our society to become more energetic.
Success stories such as K-pop, K-movies, and Korea's coping with COVID-19 go to show that Korean culture is dynamic and creative, which is leading our society to a new world called "phono sapiens," which I the writer interpret to mean that everything is solved by smartphones.
The writer is an English teacher at Chung-mu High School in South Jeolla Province.
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