Application Form 'Mobile Phone' Field Filled with 'iPhone 12 Mini' Instead of Number... Literacy Controversy

"Still, This Is Not Right" vs "Considering Changing Times"
Recent Decline in Literacy Among Young Generation Emerges as Social Issue

A story about a job application form where the field labeled '휴대폰' (cell phone) contained the phone model instead of the phone number has sparked renewed controversy over literacy skills.

On the 22nd, a photo of a 'job application form' presumed to have been filled out by a part-time job applicant was posted on an online community. In the photo shared by user A, the typical job application form has the field labeled '휴대폰' filled in with 'iPhone 12 Mini,' indicating the phone model instead of a phone number.

[Photo by Online Community]

Netizens who saw the post reacted with comments such as "Kids these days are really serious," "This is truly shocking," and "Is there really such a job application form?" Among them, one netizen pointed out that "Our part-timer also wrote the phone model under '휴대폰' and the mobile phone number under '전화번호' (phone number)," suggesting that this happens quite often.

On the other hand, some argued that the situation of the younger generation, who do not use 'home phones,' should be taken into account. In the past, each household had a wired or wireless 'home phone,' but as times have changed, usage has noticeably declined. Since there are separate fields for phone number and cell phone, it might be unfamiliar to younger generations. Therefore, those who have never used a home phone might interpret the '전화번호' field as asking for a phone number and the '휴대폰' field as asking for the smartphone model. Thus, this is not simply a literacy issue among the younger generation but a natural phenomenon reflecting changes in the times.

Despite this argument, netizens' opinions were sharply divided. While the majority responded with comments like "No matter what, wouldn't you look it up at least once when filling out something like that?" some minority opinions suggested, "Honestly, it might be better to just unify it as 'phone number' now."

Meanwhile, as the decline in students' literacy skills continues to emerge as a social issue, the government has begun reviewing the need to systematize the duties of professional librarian teachers responsible for reading education at each school and to expand their staffing. On the 11th, the Ministry of Education commissioned a research project on 'Systematization of Librarian Teacher Duties and Deployment Models.' Through this research, the Ministry plans to assess the current status of librarian teachers in school libraries and review the need to improve deployment standards and increase staffing.