"A Generation Caught Between Millennials & Gen Z and the Older Generation"
"Reflecting Young People's Backlash Against Age-Based Hierarchy"
The BBC in the United Kingdom has highlighted Korea's "Young Forty" culture. The article reports that as people in their 40s who emulate the style of younger generations have become the subject of AI memes, critical public opinion is spreading.
On the 17th (local time), the BBC introduced the "Young Forty" phenomenon spreading in Korea, presenting a man in his 40s wearing streetwear and holding an iPhone as the representative image. "Young Forty" originally referred positively to people in their 40s who are sensitive to trends, but the BBC explained that recently, the term has often become an object of ridicule online.
The BBC cited members of Korea’s Generation Z, defining "Young Forty" as "someone who tries excessively hard to look young" and "someone who refuses to accept the passage of time." The article also mentioned fashion and tech items that symbolize the Young Forty, such as Stussy T-shirts, Nike sneakers, and the iPhone 17. In particular, the BBC introduced changes in generational market share for Apple products, adding statistics that "iPhone market share has risen among people in their 40s, while it has decreased among Generation Z."
The BBC pointed to Korea’s strong "age hierarchy culture" as the background for the popularity of the Young Forty meme. The broadcast explained, "In Korea, even a small age difference sets the basis for relationships, and it is common to ask someone’s age when meeting for the first time." It added that "the emergence of Young Forty is linked to young people feeling skeptical about the respect expected for older people."
Citizens are lining up to purchase Apple's new product, the iPhone 17, last September (photo for article understanding purposes and unrelated to the article content). Photo by Yonhap News.
Some analyses suggest that while "Kkondae" was previously a derogatory term for the older generation, "Young Forty" is now taking its place. According to the online analysis platform SomeTrend, there were more than 100,000 mentions related to Young Forty last year, with more than half of them used in a negative context, such as "old" or "disgusting." In particular, the expression "Sweet Young Forty" has emerged to satirize middle-aged men approaching young women.
The BBC also reported the view that this phenomenon is more than just a trend, but a sign of generational conflict. As competition intensifies among Generation Z due to issues such as employment and housing, a discourse has formed criticizing middle-aged people who accumulated wealth during periods of economic growth, making Young Forty a target of ridicule. However, some argue that Young Forty represents a "middle generation" caught between Generation Z and the older generation.
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