A Glimpse of a Society Conscious of Others' Gaze
Challenges Faced by a Generation Lacking Social Skills
Kim, a man in his 30s, often works as a 'role substitute part-timer.' When applying for this job, he receives prior information about the client and instructions on the words and actions to perform at the event from the company. Kim said, "While looking for various jobs, I came to know about role substitute part-time work," adding, "Wedding guests are recruited nationwide every weekend regardless of the season."
Recently, role substitute part-time jobs such as wedding guests, condolence visitors, and bar customers have become popular. This is because more people want to hire others to be conscious of others' eyes and to show off. Experts pointed out that this reflects a facet of a socially disconnected society.
On the 3rd, Park (28) said, "I usually don't have a wide social circle, but when I was getting married, I was worried because there weren't many people to invite," and added, "If there are few guests, it might leave a bad impression on acquaintances and parents, so I looked into the service."
In fact, on a wedding preparation cafe, over 100 posts about 'wedding guest part-time jobs' were uploaded just last month. On another role substitute service company's website, services for roles such as workplace superiors, seniors, parents, funeral condolence visitors, and participants in protests, performances, and preview events were being offered.
A representative from the role substitute part-time job industry explained, "There are many unavoidable situations where it is difficult to ask others, but in such cases, you can request the necessary role, which is an advantage as it reduces stress. The demand is gradually increasing."
Experts expressed concerns about the phenomenon of consuming human relationships in an instrumental way. Professor Choi Cheol of the Department of Consumer Economics at Sookmyung Women's University said, "It is a facet of our society characterized by nuclear families and hyper-individualization," adding, "There is concern that it may cause excessive costs at events and that the true meaning of celebration or mourning at these events may be diminished."
Professor Gu Jeong-woo of the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University said, "Not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), H1N1 flu, and others, the younger generation has lacked opportunities to meet people and develop social skills. This accumulated cause has manifested as a result," and advised, "Our society must help overcome the difficulties faced by a generation lacking sociality."
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