Youth Sickened by Employment Crisis... From Alcohol Addiction to Gambling [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

Young Adults Hit Hard by COVID-19 Job Crisis
20s and 30s Avoid Alcohol and Gambling
Experts: "Stressed Youth Tend to Seek Pleasure"

As the employment crisis deepens, the number of young people relying on alcohol and gambling to forget the hardships of reality is increasing. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] [Editor's Note] How is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we deliver the joys and sorrows unique to 'youth.'

"Stress should be relieved with alcohol.", "It's so hard because of the employment crisis."

As the employment crisis deepens, the number of young people relying on alcohol and gambling to forget the hardships of reality is increasing. Young people, who are familiar with digital devices such as smartphones, access illegal gambling sites online and relieve stress with easily accessible alcohol and cigarettes around them.

Experts pointed out that the narrowing job market due to COVID-19 has led to lethargy among young people, who then seek pleasure, resulting in addictions to alcohol and gambling.

The youth employment crisis is worsening. According to the 'May 2020 Supplementary Survey on Youth Economic Activity' released by Statistics Korea, the youth employment rate as of last May was 42.2%. This is a 1.4 percentage point decrease compared to May of the previous year. The youth economic activity participation rate was also 47.0%, down 1.4 percentage points from the same month last year.

Job seeker Kim (26) said, "Because of COVID-19, the number of hires has decreased compared to last year, and even when hiring, it seems they mainly recruit experienced workers." He added, "How can I apply when I have no experience? I even applied for a graduation deferment because I couldn't find a job, but I feel empty."

He continued, "I have been trying to get a job for several years since college. I prepared for TOEIC and certifications in advance. But now that the results are like this, I feel lethargic," and lamented, "I don't know when this situation will improve, so it's even harder."

The problem is that young people like Kim fall into stimulating things such as alcohol and gambling due to various stresses including the employment crisis. With the job market narrowed by COVID-19 and hiring schedules postponed, they complain of lethargy and end up addicted to alcohol and gambling.

In particular, the number of people in their 20s complaining of alcohol addiction due to excessive drinking is increasing. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of alcohol addiction patients in their 20s was 6,521 last year. By gender, there were 3,565 males and 2,956 females, representing increases of 34.52% and 34.60%, respectively, compared to 2015.

College student Lee (24) recently enjoys 'honsul' (drinking alone). He said, "When I'm stressed, I buy beer at a convenience store and drink alone at home. If it weren't for COVID-19, I would have enjoyed drinking outside with friends more." He added, "I drink more than four times a week. If I don't drink at night, I can't sleep well."

Some young people are going beyond alcohol and smoking to gambling, which is problematic.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some young people are moving beyond alcohol and cigarettes to gambling. Rather than visiting domestic or international casinos, they mainly use online gambling sites that can be played with small amounts of money via smartphones.

The proportion of gambling addiction patients is highest among people in their 20s and 30s. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service's 'Status of Gambling Addiction Patients in the Last 5 Years (2014?2018),' a total of 5,113 patients received treatment for gambling addiction during that period. By age, those in their 30s accounted for 1,871 patients, or 36.6% of the total, followed by those in their 20s with 1,594 patients (31.2%). In other words, gambling addiction patients in their 20s and 30s make up 67.8% of the total.

Posts complaining of damage caused by gambling addiction are also appearing on online communities. One netizen, who introduced himself as a serious gambling addict, wrote on an internet cafe, "At 27 years old, I have a debt of 40 million won. It might seem like nothing, but when I see myself struggling in gambling like this, I think about dying dozens of times a day." He lamented, "Gambling is a really serious mental illness. I feel miserable seeing myself like this for a year."

Experts point out that people in their 20s and 30s suffering from the employment crisis fall into alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling to relieve various stresses.

Professor Kwak Geumju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said, "The employment crisis has been a problem in the past, but recently, due to COVID-19, young people have even lost the opportunity to take exams. Uncertainty about the future has increased." He explained, "Even if they work hard, they may feel that everything has been in vain. Because of these things, young people become lethargic."

He added, "Especially for people in their 20s and 30s, depression caused by COVID-19 will be felt more deeply," and said, "In this process, young people want something that can give them pleasure, and the easiest things to access are cigarettes and alcohol. They get addicted to these and then move on to gambling."