[Jihye Choi's Trend] The Era of 'Aboha': The Value of an Ordinary and Peaceful Day

Backlash Against Displaying Happiness
A New Trend of Focusing on Oneself
Attention on Ordinary Daily Life and Positive Thinking
Indications of a Changing Discourse on Happiness

A daily life that is neither too happy nor too unhappy. The value of an ordinary, uneventful, and peaceful day is being reappraised. The attitude of life that aims for everyday consumption without adding or subtracting anything is called 'Aboha,' a shortened form of 'a very ordinary day.' Let's take a look at the people who believe that even if it is not great happiness or tremendous success, a harmless and uneventful day is enough.

Most notably, consumption focused on oneself rather than showing off to others is emerging. Recently, sales of premium toothpaste have been increasing. According to Olive Young, toothpaste category sales in 2023 grew by 45% compared to the previous year. The pleasure of premium toothpaste is a very private enjoyment that is not visible to others, unlike expensive bags or lipsticks. This means that 'consumption focused on oneself' is spreading rather than showing off.

In the exercise domain, instead of flashy sports like golf or tennis that once had a craze, people are beginning to take an interest in steady exercises such as running and hiking. According to an analysis of transaction data from January to October 2023 by Lotte Members, purchases of golf (-4%) and tennis (-15%) equipment and apparel decreased, while purchases of running (13%) and hiking (11%) related items increased. By age group, the purchase growth rate of sports goods was highest among people in their 20s (23%) and 30s (7%). The common feature of golf and tennis is that the sportswear is flashy and pretty, making it good for taking stylish photos to post on social media. On the other hand, running and hiking do not require flashy fashion or gear. They are sports where you just focus on yourself, making them close to #Aboha-type hobbies.

Secondly, ordinary daily life is gaining attention. According to social analysis by Conan Technology, the online mentions of 'uneventful, ordinary, normal' have gradually increased over the past two years, and the associated words mentioned together are impressive. Family members such as 'family, parents, children, husband,' ordinary meals like 'meat, rice,' and everyday activities such as 'YouTube, Netflix' appear as representative related words.

Photo by Getty Images Bank

In the content area, videos dealing with uneventful daily life are growing significantly. A representative example is 'Life Recording.' 'Life Recording' is a channel that rapidly grew after its launch in January 2024. The reason this channel is impressive is that it has nothing particularly impressive. The main content consists entirely of black box recordings of conversations between a couple. There is no special theme. Most are trivial conversations between the couple while driving, exchanging songs in a back-and-forth manner. There is no attractive background music. Only surrounding noises such as the sound of dishes clinking and snacks being eaten are heard. Yet, people listen attentively to this ordinary couple's real daily life. The fact that such plain content is popular on YouTube, which is flooded with sensational content, shows well that many people are interested in ordinary daily life even if it is not a special moment.

A similar case is observed in Japan, where there is a strong tendency to prefer calm maintenance rather than dramatic change. Analyst Jung Hee-sun, author of 'Tokyo Retail Trend,' points out that young people in their 20s in Japan nowadays visit 'local bathhouse saunas.' It is impressive that they seek out local bathhouse saunas, which are usually visited by older adults, rather than cafes with stylish interiors or hot springs with neat open-air baths.

Lastly, the popularity of positive thinking can also be seen as an extension of the attitude that cherishes an ordinary day. Recently, the humor of living with an 'inner child' to endure the hardships of present life has become popular. For example, a graduate student endures the tough graduate school life by thinking of themselves as "a trainee becoming an idol under the boss called the advisor." It is a kind of 'mental victory' thinking, "Jennie also went through 8 years as a trainee, so I can endure the degree period, right?"

Aboha suggests that the discourse on happiness in Korean society is changing. The attitude of affirming an uneventful and peaceful day, free from the obsession with having to be happy or achieving grand accomplishments, is spreading. The socioeconomic structure can be pointed out as the cause of this life attitude. Aboha reflects the frustration of the current generation who feel that no matter how hard they run, they are unlikely to be happier than now. Humans tend to focus on the present when it becomes difficult to dream about the future. The current Korean market is not only significantly slowing down in growth due to various domestic and international issues but is also caught in uncertainty where the future is unpredictable. It is perhaps a natural consequence that a trend focusing on the present rather than setting grand goals and dedicating oneself to them appears.

Wherever the Aboha trend originates, the important thing is that the attitude of feeling proud of oneself for having spent a peaceful day is meaningful. In modern society, where every day is a struggle, the attitude of people nowadays who feel proud of themselves for having lived today to the fullest, even if they do not reach happiness, leaves a considerable resonance as we start 2025. We hope 2025 will be a year that cherishes very ordinary days, and thus our 2025 will be uneventful and harmless.

Jihye Choi, Research Fellow, Seoul National University Consumer Trend Analysis Center