"When Will You Get a Job?" Young People Avoid Nagging During 'Contactless Holidays' [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

Young Adults Choose 'Jipkok' Instead of Returning Home... 3 out of 4 Adults Have No Plans to Return Home During Seollal Holiday
2 out of 5 Office Workers Suffer from Holiday Stress

A large banner promoting social distancing during the Lunar New Year holiday to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is hung on the exterior wall of Seoul Library in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

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

# Kim (25), a job seeker, has been unable to visit her hometown during holidays due to the impact of COVID-19, despite having gone every year before. Kim said, "I'm secretly relieved not to have gone home," adding, "Every holiday, relatives would say things like 'You need to get a certain GPA,' or 'You should prepare certifications in advance.'" She continued, "Although adults might say these things without much thought, it often causes stress. Even though I only see relatives a few times a year, hearing nagging every time makes me feel upset, so I sometimes hesitate to visit their homes."

Due to the government's recommendation to refrain from visiting hometowns amid COVID-19, many young people are giving up on returning home. Some of them welcome the non-face-to-face holidays, saying it gives them an excuse to avoid relatives' nagging that repeats every holiday. Words carelessly spoken by relatives have become a source of stress for young people. Experts emphasize that younger and older generations need to resolve this through mutual dialogue.

Office worker Jo (27) recently canceled his KTX train ticket to his hometown. Jo said, "I was reluctant to go home because I was afraid of getting infected on transportation like the KTX," adding, "My parents also told me not to come first, probably because they were worried about COVID-19. I plan to rest at home this Lunar New Year."

Like Jo, a significant number of young people have given up on returning home this Lunar New Year holiday. According to a survey conducted by the job portal 'Incruit' along with 'Albacall' targeting 999 adults nationwide, 72.5% of respondents said they have no plans to return home. That means 3 out of 4 adults are not returning home.

The main reason for giving up on returning home was 'due to the COVID-19 situation and quarantine guidelines' (56.5%), accounting for the majority. Additionally, 15.5% of respondents said, 'I originally planned to go, but gave up due to quarantine guidelines.'

There were also responses citing family nagging as a reason for not returning home. 7.2% of respondents said, "I did not return home because I expected family nagging and stress."

A banner promoting social distancing during the Lunar New Year holiday to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is installed on the exterior wall of the Yeonje-gu City Council member office building in Busan. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In fact, the stress young people experience every holiday is not insignificant. Job seekers suffer from relatives' pressure to find employment, and unmarried men and women face pressure to marry.

Another office worker Lee (32), who identifies as a non-marriage advocate, said, "Since my late 20s, relatives have asked me, 'When will you get married?' or 'Do you have a partner?' When I answered, 'I won't get married,' they said things like, 'You still have to get married,' or 'You'll be lonely without a spouse or children when you get older.'"

He added, "I don't understand why they pressure me to marry when so many people nowadays don't get married. Such conversations themselves are stressful for me," and "Since last year, I've been avoiding going to relatives' homes, citing COVID-19 as the reason."

As such, unmarried individuals tend to suffer more from holiday stress. According to a survey conducted last year by Saramin targeting 1,001 office workers, 39.1% of respondents said they experience holiday stress. Especially among the unmarried, 'nagging from elders (related to marriage, work, etc.)' was cited as the number one cause of holiday stress.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, some expressed the opinion that instead of going home, they would focus on self-development such as job preparation. College student Jung (26) said, "I planned to have a group contest meeting with acquaintances during the Lunar New Year holiday," adding, "It was hard to coordinate schedules with acquaintances, but since everyone has more free time during the holiday, we decided to hold the meeting."

Experts urge efforts for communication from the younger generation and active understanding from the older generation. Professor Kwak Geumju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology analyzed, "Young people think they cannot give the answers the older generation wants. In other words, they feel burdened by all questions and want to avoid them," adding, "On the other hand, the older generation sees asking about young people's well-being or questions as a form of showing interest."

She continued, "If young people keep avoiding gatherings with elders, their relationship may become more distant and uncomfortable. Also, the older generation needs to actively understand the younger generation."