Even After Work, KakaoTalk Keeps Buzzing... MZ Generation Suffering in 'KakaoTalk Hell' [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

Over Half of MZ Generation Stressed by "Work KakaoTalk"
Some European Countries Guarantee the "Right to Disconnect"
Experts Say Young People Prioritize "Work-Life Balance"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "You must reply whenever I send a KakaoTalk message."

It has been found that an increasing number of MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) are experiencing stress from receiving work instructions via KakaoTalk (KakaoTalk). They pointed out that the boundary of 'work-life balance' (WLB) is breaking down due to work orders coming incessantly through KakaoTalk. As a result, some have expressed a desire to separate work and personal matters by using a company-specific messenger instead of KakaoTalk. Experts analyzed that the individualistic tendencies of the younger generation influenced this trend.

Office worker Jeon Mo (25) said, "Even when I am at the office with my boss, I mostly receive work instructions through KakaoTalk, so I keep checking it," adding, "If my reply is slow, my boss gets angry, saying 'Were you doing something else?' so I end up paying more attention to KakaoTalk even while working."

He continued, "It is not uncommon for work-related KakaoTalk messages to come even after work hours," adding, "When my boss sends a message saying 'It's urgent, please handle it,' I have no choice but to work."

Like Jeon, many office workers are stressed by the use of KakaoTalk as a work messenger.

According to a survey conducted by Open Survey on the 5th among 1,000 domestic office workers aged 20 to 50, 54.2% of Generation Z (born mid-1990s to early 2000s) and 55.4% of Millennials (born 1980s to 2000s) answered 'yes' to the question 'Do you feel stressed because KakaoTalk is used for work?' In other words, more than half of the MZ generation reported fatigue from work-related KakaoTalk messages.

On the other hand, 40.6% of Generation X (born late 1960s to 1970s) and 25.7% of the Baby Boomers reported stress from work KakaoTalk messages, showing that the older the age group, the less stress they feel from work-related KakaoTalk.

The main reason for stress from work KakaoTalk was 'work and personal life are not separated,' accounting for 58%, followed by concerns about privacy exposure and infringement at 18%.

In summary, office workers are experiencing fatigue as the boundary between work and personal life becomes blurred due to continuous work instructions outside of working hours.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, some expressed a preference to discuss work-related matters through a company-specific messenger rather than KakaoTalk. Another office worker Kim Mo (30) said, "When I chat with my boss or colleagues on KakaoTalk, I inevitably end up talking about personal matters as well as work. That is burdensome," adding, "Also, sometimes when I am on vacation, my boss asks me to handle work without realizing I am on leave. That causes a lot of stress."

In this regard, the 20th National Assembly previously discussed the so-called 'ban on work KakaoTalk after work' law to protect workers' privacy.

At that time, former lawmaker Shin Kyungmin of the Democratic Party proposed a bill to prohibit work instructions via text messages or social networking services (SNS) after work hours. However, it was criticized as 'excessive regulation' and ultimately failed to pass the National Assembly.

However, some European countries have legislated the 'right to disconnect' to guarantee workers' privacy outside of work hours. The 'right to disconnect' means that workers have the right not to receive work-related texts or emails after work hours.

In particular, France guarantees the full enjoyment of leisure time through the 'Log Off Law (El Khomri Law),' and Germany also enforces the 'Anti-Stress Law' to clearly distinguish between working hours and rest time.

Experts analyzed that unlike the older generation who did not separate work and personal life, young people pursue 'work-life balance' by clearly distinguishing between the two.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "Young office workers want to separate work from their daily lives. Unlike the older generation whose work and personal lives were mixed, today's youth want 'work-life balance.' Especially, young people want to finish their work within working hours so that they can use their evening time for leisure."