제 24 호 Ditto Consumption
Kicker: LIFE Ditto Consumption by Ji-Won Choi, Reporter support0321@naver.com Have you ever thought, "If OO uses it, I should try it too"? This trend of following the choices of specific individuals is called "Ditto Consumption". Recently, there has been a surge in the behavior of blindly purchasing products mentioned by people or in content that you like. The trend book "Trend Korea 2024" coined the term "Ditto Consumption" based on the English slang "ditto" meaning "me too". This consumption trend has become popular among the MZ generation. Types of Ditto Consumption Ditto consumption refers to the act of purchasing products or services based on the recommendations or choices of others, such as influencers, celebrities, or popular content. It's essentially following the trend of "if they have it, I want it too." There are three main types of ditto consumption. 그림 1 A prime example of ditto consumption; Dubai chocolate Firstly, "people ditto" involves mimicking the purchasing habits of influencers, celebrities, or even everyday experts. For instance, if a popular TikTok influencer is seen consuming Dubai chocolate, it can spark a trend, leading others to try it as well. Secondly, "content ditto" refers to making purchases inspired by content such as dramas, movies, or YouTube videos. For example, visiting filming locations from a popular drama or purchasing clothing worn by a leading actress. Lastly, "commerce ditto" involves following purchase recommendations from various shopping platforms. For instance, many people rely on the "recommended" section of shopping apps like ‘Coupang’ or ‘Musinsa’ to make purchasing decisions. Psychological Reasons for the Trend of Ditto Consumption Until last year, ditto consumption wasn't as prevalent. In 2023, the primary consumption patterns were "liquid consumption," where consumers tried various brands, and "solid consumption," where consumers stuck to a few trusted brands. However, the psychological factors behind the surge in ditto consumption this year are intriguing. In an era where products and sales channels have proliferated, consumers often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices. This has led to a phenomenon known as "FOBO" (Fear of Better Options), where consumers hesitate to make decisions out of fear of missing out on something better. Ditto consumption offers a solution to this decision paralysis by providing a clear path to follow. Effects of Ditto Consumption What are some of the influences of ditto consumption? First, when ditto products are consumed as a beneficial influence, information search time can be shortened. Also, you can feel a sense of belonging while making buying decisions according to the celebrities and media you like. It helps to build a bond by easily finding a topic of conversation with people who use the same product. And it gives a sense of stability because you can get a sense of trust that other people are satisfied after using it. However, there are also disadvantages. First, it causes overconsumption. If you buy products used by your favorite influencer without planning to make a purchase, impulsive consumption increases, causing unnecessary expenditures. Second, you lose your personality. Many people use similar products, and uniform consumption patterns may increase, resulting in their own unique personality disappearing. Third, the trend of the same product causes excessive production, causing environmental pollution. Fourth, the trend of these products may lead to incorrect production by being deceived by exaggerated promotions or false information from influencers. Therefore, the risk of purchasing low-quality products increases, and consumers may regret it. Ditto consumption can be seen as an attractive consumption method with advantages, but it is necessary to be familiar with these shortcomings and to judge them carefully when shopping. Beyond being a mere trend of the year, ditto consumption is poised to become a new consumer culture centered around individual preferences and values. With the growth of social media and the increasing influence of influencers, ditto consumption is set to accelerate further. In the future, ditto consumption, coupled with advancements in artificial intelligence, will lead to a proliferation of personalized products and services. Moreover, ditto consumption will extend beyond mere consumption patterns, exerting a broad influence on society, culture, and the economy. In this era, consumers need to spend carefully. Sources: https://magazine.cheil.com/55182 http://www.hallymmedialab.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2061 https://newneek.co/@gosum_beat/article/11016
제 23 호 DARK PATTERNS
Kicker: LIFE Dark Patterns By Ji-Won Choi, Cub Reporter support0321@naver.com Nowadays, it is not only common for modern people to shop directly at the mart outside, but also to buy things online, such as Coupang. Have you ever experienced that before when shopping online? You may have experienced inconveniences such as the difficulty of finding a cancellation page after signing up for a fee on an app, or passing by important information because the letters are small or light in color. This is actually a way for brands to intentionally deceive users. This kind of technique, called dark pattern, is UX (user experience) that tricks users into making unintended choices. Dark patterns are often broad and sophisticated, from obvious deception to everyday marketing. According to data released this month by the Korean delegation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), about half of consumers with a history of e-commerce purchases experienced dark pattern damage in 2020. https://m.kmib.co.kr/view.asp?arcid=0016601446 What are the types of dark patterns? The Korea Fair Trade Commission's announced online dark pattern types can be divided into four main categories. Pattern 1: Type of Fraud https://fromhyung.tistory.com/entry/%EB%84%B7%ED%94%8C%EB%A6%AD%EC%8A%A4-%ED%99%98%EB%B6%88%EB%B0%A9%EB%B2%95 Fraud types include hidden renewal and sequential public pricing. Hidden renewal is when a service is converted from free to paid or when the payment amount increases, the contract is automatically renewed without separate consent or guidance to the consumer, and the amount is automatically paid. Most subscription services, such as Netflix and Apple TV, have introduced this type. Second, the price was marked low on the first page of the product search results, but it gradually showed a hidden price, and later charged the final price for all of them. Pattern 2: Type of Misleading Misleading types include false recommendations, incorrect hierarchical structure, and pre-selection of specific options. The first is to delete unfavorable reviews or to falsely write favorable reviews. In the delivery app 'Baedal Minjok', there was a case that 114,000 false reviews were detected and blocked. Second, items that are disadvantageous to consumers or advantageous to business operators are visually displayed. This makes the consumer misunderstand it as if they must choose it. Third, it selects options that are advantageous to business operators in advance, such as membership subscription, and encourages consumers to pass them inadvertently, allowing them to accept them as they are. Pattern 3: Type of Interference Interference types include cancellation, interference with withdrawal, and hidden information. The first complicates procedures such as cancellation, termination, and withdrawal rather than purchasing, contracting, and membership registration, thereby hindering the free cancellation, termination, and withdrawal of consumers. The second omits and reduces important information necessary for product purchase decisions, making it difficult for consumers to know. Lastly, when consumers choose an advantageous option or obtain the desired information, it requires a lot of clicks. This encourages consumers to feel tired and give up choosing options or collecting information that is favorable to them. Pattern 4: Type of Pressure https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=5534523 Finally, pressure types include repeated interference, emotional language use, and low inventory notifications. They psychologically pressure consumers to induce them to perform the desired behavior. Repeated interference is an act of repeatedly requesting a specific action through a pop-up window, etc. to pressure consumers to perform the action. In the middle of cancellation and refund, unnecessary pop-ups continue to appear. In the process, consumers sometimes give up cancellation or requesting a refund because they make a mistake or feel bothered. This frequently appears in the process of canceling and refunding digital sound source services. Emotional language uses emotional language expressions that stimulate emotions such as "giving up benefits" and "buying expensive" to pressure consumers' behavior. Low inventory notifications pressure consumers to make decisions by indicating that they are out of stock or in high demand. How are countries around the world responding to dark patterns? As digital transformation accelerated after the COVID-19 pandemic, and e-commerce increased, dark patterns began to attract attention. In fact, most of the topics discussed at the OECD Committee of Consumer Policy(CCP) were related to e-commerce. Among them, discussions on dark patterns were the most active. The OECD CCP presented guidelines for dark patterns. It will also promote a global awareness campaign which will spread the core message, “Think Before You Click!” through social media. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ordered consumers or companies? to quantify and compensate for the time wasted because of dark patterns after announcing that it sees the top priority of its work as dark patterns. The EU's Digital Services Act prohibits making it difficult to cancel regular subscriptions or distorting consumers' choices through pop-up windows. Israel has banned all online transactions from setting consumer consent as the default. However, it is important not only to regulate countries, but also to change consumers' own perceptions. To avoid being deceived by dark patterns, you must understand and recognize the types of dark patterns. It is also important to make a habit of making decisions after carefully examining information. If you let your guard down, you can make an unplanned purchase in a dark pattern. This is a capability that is necessary for all of us living in the digital age and for rational consumption. Sources: https://m.kmib.co.kr/view.asp?arcid=0016601446 한국소비자원, 온라인쇼핑몰의다크패턴실태조사보도자료, 2023 https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=5534523
제 22 호 Let’s Explore Caffeine
Kicker: LIFE Let’s Explore Caffeine By Min-Ju Kim rlaalswn029@naver.com What is the most frequently consumed drink by all ages? In addition to water, coffee, green tea, and the like may be mentioned. What do these things have in common? They contain caffeine. Even though they are our favorite drinks, we are not sure what effect they have. Let's take a look at this. Caffeine-containing Food and Appropriate Intake Coffee is definitely the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to food that contains caffeine. Caffeine is contained in many foods, more than we thought. Let's find out about unexpected caffeine-containing foods that we didn't know. Ice cream, a popular snack for men and women of all ages, also has caffeine. The average caffeine content in ice cream is 82.9 mg/kg, and some even contain a larger amount of caffeine depending on the main ingredients. According to a study conducted by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 100 grams of caffeine per 100 grams of green tea ice cream is 99.83 mg. This is three times the amount of canned coffee (39.03 mg per 100 ml) sold in the market. Also, children's favorite chocolate snacks contain about 50 to 125 mg of caffeine per bag. Chocolate snacks are made with cacao beans, the raw material for chocolate, because cacao contains caffeine. Most people chew gum for a variety of reasons, such as mouthfeel and to avoid drowsiness. According to an analysis by the Korea Consumer Agency, a pack of gum contains about 32 mg of caffeine. In addition, some medicines also contain caffeine. According to data from the Korea Consumer Agency, a pill for headaches and a pill for colds have about 50 mg of caffeine, while a pill for just colds has about 10 to 15 mg of caffeine. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recommends daily caffeine intake of 400 mg or less for adults (300 mg or less for pregnant women) and 2.5 mg or less per kilogram of weight for children and adolescents. Be careful not to exceed the recommended amount, and do not consume caffeine five hours before going to sleep. The Efficacy and Side effects of Caffeine Depression is highly associated with dopamine and serotonin hormones. Dopamine is a hormone that sends signals about pleasure, and so on that makes you feel happy. Serotonin is a hormone commonly known as the happiness hormone. Caffeine is said to help relieve depression and stress by affecting the secretion of dopamine and serotonin hormones. Coffee consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of developing depression by about 24 percent, and one cup of coffee per day has been shown to lower the risk of developing depression by about 8 percent. The low-risk section for the development of depression was the section where the daily caffeine content was 68 mg or more and less than 509 mg. Caffeine's chlorogenic acid helps to control hunger and suppresses appetite, while it helps to lose weight by activating brown fat, which helps burn calories. However, the negative effects are not small either. The body has a substance called adenosine, and adenosine in the brain combines with adenosine receptors to cause drowsiness. Caffeine has a structure that allows it to enter the brain well and is similar to adenosine, which binds to adenosine receptors in the brain and interferes with adenosine's activity. At this point, the brain has an arousal effect. These effects, if you consume too much caffeine or if it is not appropriate depending on an individual's condition, can lead to anxiety symptoms and an increase in your heart rate, which can also lead to insomnia. In addition, caffeine excessively secretes gastric acid, damaging the stomach wall and causing gastrointestinal disorders such as heartburn, gastritis, and reflux esophagitis. Therefore, if your stomach is not good, you should limit your coffee intake. Irritable bowel syndrome refers to a chronic disease that causes unpleasant digestive or bowel movements after a meal or stress. Although the cause has not been identified, caffeine is known to be a factor that worsens the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, so if you have irritable bowel syndrome, you should avoid excessive caffeine intake. Caffeine is a big part of our daily lives, found in many foods and drinks beyond just coffee. It can boost our mood, help us stay awake, and even aid in weight loss. However, too much caffeine can cause problems like anxiety, trouble sleeping, and stomach issues. To enjoy caffeine safely, it's important to stick to recommended limits and know where it’s hiding in our diet. By understanding how caffeine affects us, we can make smarter choices to stay healthy. Remember, enjoying caffeine in moderation is the best way to get its benefits without the drawbacks. Sources: https://m.health.chosun.com/svc/news_view.html?contid=2022121301925 https://bareunnutri.com/health_info/278553
제 22 호 Mandatory ID Card
Kicker: LIFE Mandatory ID Card Bring Your ID Card When You Go to the Hospital by Ji-Won Choi, Cub Reporter support0321@naver.com A notice that says hospitals check your ID cards https://www.msn.com/ko-kr/health/other/%EB%8B%A4%EC%9D%8C-%EB%8B%AC-20%EC%9D%BC%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0-%EB%B3%91%EC%9B%90-%EA%B0%88-%EB%95%8C-%EC%8B%A0%EB%B6%84%EC%A6%9D-%EA%BC%AD-%EC%B1%99%EA%B8%B0%EC%84%B8%EC%9A%94/ar-BB1lwC5l Do you remember when you visited a hospital? First, the nurse probably asks you to write a form. You record your name, residential number, home address, and then you can see a doctor after you waited for a moment. Like this, you do not have to take anything to the hospital.However, from May 20th, it will be mandatory to present your ID card when visiting medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics in Korea.You can receive medical treatment without an ID card, but you will not receive health insurance benefits. Reasons for the Change This is due to the revision of the National Health Insurance Act on May 19, 2023. Until then, anyone could receive medical treatment when they presented their ID card at the hospital.In other words, there was no need to prove one's identity directly. However, this convenience led to cases of illegal supply and demand. According to the Health Insurance Corporation, there were 3,514 cases. The total of damage caused by this is more than 60 billion won. There are many types of fraudulent use:People who do not qualify for health insurance steal others ID cards or lend them to acquaintances to treat and prescribe them instead. In addition, much misuse of mental health drugs occurred due topirating. To solve this problem, from 2019, the punishment for illegal recipients has been strengthened to prison labor for not more than two years or a fine of up to 20 million won. However, illegal supply and demand have continued to occur. This has led to infringement of individual rights and interests and an increase in national health insurance. Revised Content of Policy To prevent this, a new amendment will be implemented from May 20. Therefore, when you receive medical treatment through health insurance, you must present ID cards containing photos and resident registration numbers such as resident registration card, driver's license, disabled registration card, foreigner registration card, and mobile ID card. If you violate this, you will be fined. However, people that are under 19 years of age, emergency patients, and those uncomfortable with their movements can receive medical treatment if they only present their resident registration number without bringing their ID. Also, you don't have to show your ID at the pharmacy after receiving the prescription. When visiting a hospital or clinic in the future, please bring your ID card to prevent any difficult situations. Controversy However, on the other hand, there are voices of concern about this policy. Opponents refuted that the identity verification system unilaterally transfers the responsibility to medical institutions to prevent illegal supply and demand. This is because medical institutions must use their labor to detect illegal use, and if fraudulent use is revealed, they must be responsible for not properly confirming it. There is also controversy over the effectiveness of the identity verification policy to prevent illegal supply and demand. When visiting hospitals and clinics in the future, please bring your ID card with you to prevent any difficulties. ID cards not only help accurate identification and verification of necessary information in the process of receiving medical services, but they are also basic data necessary for prompt medical action in case of an emergency. Therefore, students of Sangmyung University should prepare their ID cards before visiting the hospital in the future, and through this, we ask that they cooperate with medical staff so that they can receive smoother and safer treatment. Please join us in creating a healthy society through joint efforts. Sources: https://www.medipharmnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=104922 https://www.moel.go.kr/news/enews/report/enewsView.do?news_seq=14373 https://www.msn.com/ko-kr/health/other/%EB%8B%A4%EC%9D%8C-%EB%8B%AC-20%EC%9D%BC%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0-%EB%B3%91%EC%9B%90-%EA%B0%88-%EB%95%8C-%EC%8B%A0%EB%B6%84%EC%A6%9D-%EA%BC%AD-%EC%B1%99%EA%B8%B0%EC%84%B8%EC%9A%94/ar-BB1lwC5l
제 22 호 Student Syndrome
Kicker: LIFE Student Syndrome By Ye-Dam Hwang, Reporter hwangyedam1108@naver.com Are you an organized person when you are doing your work? There are maybe some people who starts their tasks with planning, but I guess many people have the experience of having left the work to the last minute and just did it when the deadline came close. Especially for the students like me, I think they may have some experiences of cramming for the exam at least just one time. This tendency of students about putting their work off until the deadline not only happens in Korea, but also in other countries so that we can call this a common thing across the world as “student syndrome”. The Meaning of Student Syndrome What is the exact meaning of student syndrome? Student syndrome was first introduced in the “Critical Chain” of Eliyahu M. Goldratt in 1997. It describes students’ planned procrastination until the last moment before the deadline of their assignment or tasks. In the experience of student syndrome, people only start to make notable progress when they are pressed for time and they have to do and finish their work with the sense of urgency. This can remove temporarily the burden of tasks, but ultimately puts people under stress and pressure to do them. According to Steel, Piers, in "The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure"(https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65), an estimated 80 to 95 percent of college students engage in some form of procrastination. Therefore, we can assume that this term of delaying tactics does not only apply to students, but also to many people in various fields globally. The Reasons Why Student Syndrome Occurs In spite of the pros such as making the best efficiency and lessening stress temporally, it is certain that the bad sides of this syndrome are bigger than the good sides. Then, why do people put off beginning their assignment or tasks and experience student syndrome? One reason is that many people are likely to procrastinate when they have to do something that they don’t want to do as much. Samuel Johnson, a poet and critic of the United Kingdom, said “‘Postponement’ is, no matter what it is big or small, one of the universal weaknesses that everyone has”. Like his saying, many people usually make a plan to do their assignment based on the deadline and take some time to relax in the initial time. Then, when the relaxing time ends and the time to start to do their tasks comes closer, they work with a sense of hurry that causes the people to put a decent enough amount of effort into their tasks. This poor time management of people can make people to fail to appropriately set priorities of their work and to put effort into them in a timely manner. The second reason and third one for this can be fear of failure and overload. For many people, failure may be the thing that they don’t want to meet. Therefore, fear of failure can lead people to postpone beginning to work on something, because they don’t want to confront the possibility of not doing well on their tasks. This fear is somewhat critical because it can eventually cause people to establish the concept that they are basically losers. Also, overload or burnout makes people to strive to finish their work and other responsibilities because they may be exhausted or worn out already with other tasks. In addition, due to the nature of assignments in college and some fields where people should make and manage their working plan, people are more likely to delay their work and this is particularly true for the people who use the methods to self-regulate which can be fluid. With many accessible distractors like social media or games, they can easily go off on a tangent and lose focus to complete the task at hand. Student syndrome which refers to planned dilatoriness is happening universally in many different field and can be caused by poor time management like delaying tendency, being fearful of unsuccess, and overload or burnout. Besides these causes, there can be some other causes or accelerators of student syndrome for each person. Thus, to avoid failure by experiencing this syndrome, I suggest for you to try self-cause-analysis of your delaying habit, and I hope for you to establish a constant studying plan or long-term plan for your assignments or tasks when you have to do them. Sources: https://www.koreahealthlog.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5014 학생증후군과파킨슨법칙 | 힘껏차라 (wordpress.com) Student syndrome - Wikipedia https://naver.me/5pwFtmgU
제 21 호 SHORT FORM
Kicker: LIFE SHORT-FORM Dopamine addiction is short-form addiction? By Myung-Gwan Kang Kmmg199999@naver.com Short-form is content produced as short videos that last an average of 15 to 60 seconds and a maximum of 10 minutes. Examples of short-forms include Shorts, Reels, and TikTok. People with cell phones, regardless of age or gender, use many short-form social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. People can easily become addicted to short videos of less than a minute, such as Reels, Shorts and TikTok, and can enjoy the video with a simple scroll without thinking about it. Why is short form fun? Modern people spend a lot of time watching YouTube shorts, Instagram reels, TikTok, etc. When I look at a short form, I also spend 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or even several hours. When I come to my senses, a lot of time has passed, and I feel like I want to see it again. If you keep watching the short form, you may even get the feeling that other things are no longer fun. Why? This is because short-form allows you to obtain new information in a short period of time and stimulates the brain with sensational images to secrete dopamine. When creating short-form video media, engineers repeat AB tests in a way that maximizes the secretion of dopamine in them. In this way, an interface that can most effectively addict humans is created, and those interfaces are further developed through repeated competition. For example, YouTube had shorter and more provocative videos than Netflix. TikTok is much shorter and has more provocative videos than YouTube. Thus, TikTok grew greatly in a short period of time, YouTube created shorts, and Instagram created Reels. Because of this, people are easily exposed to short forms and have fun with them. The AB test referred to here means that when creating an interface, you create model A and model B, and then show A to some people and B to others to an unspecified number of people. In this experiment, if B's dwell time is higher and people choose B more, they abandon model A and go with B. Short form addiction Short-form is easy to get addicted to because you can access short videos quickly and easily. So why does addiction occur? The reason is that immediate rewards occur. For example, if you drink alcohol, and you will get drunk a week later. Then you won't drink. You go to the racetrack and place a bet, and the horse finishes in three weeks. Then you will not place a bet. In this way, addiction is a result of immediate reward. What kind of reward can you get by looking at short-form? When you look at the short form, you immediately get a hit of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine is secreted in the brain when we feel pleasure or happiness, and more is secreted when we receive strong stimulation. You may develop a tolerance to the same stimulus and become addicted to a stronger stimulus. When the dopamine signal is repeated, the structure of my brain changes, and I find myself seeking out more and more of the stimulation provided by dopamine. These behaviors can create a habit of seeking dopamine and create an addiction circuit. Things that are increasingly provocative, and things that are short and can be enjoyed right away. People have collectively named the addiction to this type of stimulation as dopamine addiction. Dopamine addiction is a buzzword, not a technical term. In particular, short-form is stimulating and difficult to control, so dopamine addiction is sometimes referred to as short-form addiction among the younger generation. Additionally, as a result of comparing the average monthly usage time per person of OTT platforms and short-form platforms based on mobile market research company WiseApp, the OTT platform was 9 hours and 14 minutes, and the short-form platform was 45 hours and 29 minutes, which was more than 5 times more. Popcorn Brain Popcorn Brain is a term coined by David Levy, a professor at the University of Washington Graduate School of Information. It is named so because when exposed to visual and stimulating images, the frontal lobe of the brain becomes resistant to responding, causing people to lose interest in daily life and seek only greater stimulation like popcorn. If this phenomenon worsens, depression, anxiety, impulsive emotional changes may occur, and cognitive function decline such as decreased concentration may occur. Preventive To prevent short-form addiction, critical acceptance of short-form is necessary. Additionally, it is necessary to make an effort to recognize that you are viewing short-form content excessively through preventive education, and consistently practicing closing your eyes even briefly and taking deep breaths for 10 to 15 seconds is also good for preventing short-form addiction. If the condition is serious, changing your cell phone to a feature phone rather than a smartphone can be very helpful. You can limit the time you use your phone by setting a time limit. Moreover, you can create a daily schedule and live according to the schedule. Lastly, you can prevent short-form by meeting and socializing with friends offline rather than online. In the dynamic realm of digital content, short-form formats like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts have created a captivating universe. The allure video in their brief duration, spanning 15 to 60 seconds, delivering instant doses of entertainment, information, and a quick hit of dopamine. Episodic content's charm video in its swift delivery of fresh, engaging material, often keeping viewers immersed without a conscious grasp of time. This addictive quality is rooted in rapid rewards, particularly the release of dopamine. To address the potential risks of short-form content addiction, it's crucial to be critically aware of its impact. Source: https://www.goodnews1.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=426797 https://open-pro.dict.naver.com/_ivp/#/pfentry/9c7136033d90440d8d511053c88cba71/5fa61de88a334c1da977cbd7cd883fcc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcn5F2cT8Pw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj3NiSRWYfY&t=825s https://blog.naver.com/2001juncom/222762841636
제 21 호 Yellow Dust: An Unwelcome Guest of Spring
Kicker: LIFE Yellow Dust: An Unwelcome Guest of Spring By Ye-Dam Hwang, Reporter hwangyedam1108@naver.com Have you ever suffered from yellow dust? As spring comes, yellow dust comes to our daily lives. Yellow dust refers to a phenomenon in which small sand, loess, or dust in deserts and loess zones in the center of the Asian continent, such as China and Mongolia, floats in the sky and then flies far in the upper wind. It contains oxides such as magnesium, silicon, aluminum, iron, potassium, and calcium. Yellow dust gives damage not only to our health but also to industry, mainly through air pollution. The yellow dust phenomenon damages us every year, so it is necessary to prepare and cope with yellow dust, and it is important to know about this. The Causes and the Process of the Yellow Dust Phenomenon Yellow dust is a phenomenon in which fine sand dust, which has risen high in the sky by the wind, spreads in the atmosphere and then gradually falls after covering the sky. The main source of yellow dust affecting Korea are the desert areas of China and Mongolia (Taklamakan, Sea Factor, Ten-gel, Ordos, Gobi, Manchuria) and the loess areas of the Yellow River Midstream. These dry areas in China’s northwest have less than 400mm of annual precipitation and are mostly deserts, so a lot of sand dust is generated. Of the dust emitted from the source, 30% usually sinks back to the source, 20% is transported to the surrounding area, and 50% is transported long distances and deposited in some area such as Korea, Japan, and the Pacific Ocean.A satellite picture of yellow dust phenomenon https://terms.naver.com/imageDetail.naver?cid=63166&docId=2108692&imageUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fdbscthumb-phinf.pstatic.net%2F1843_000_1%2F20120618162240124_JRT4PSLR9.jpg%2F192_i1.jpg%3Ftype%3Dm4500_4500_fst_n%26wm%3DY&mode=entry&clickArea=relatedImage&categoryId=51014 Another cause of yellow dust is that dry soil, which had been frozen throughout the winter, melts in spring and breaks down into small pieces, generating small sand dust less than 20㎛ in size. When a low pressure passes on the sand dust generated in this way, it rises to a high altitude of 3,000m to 5,000m due to strong rising air currents and then moves by the westerlies and jet stream at a speed of about 30m per second. Yellow dust is created in these ways and blows into our country and damages us every spring. The Damage from Yellow Dust Yellow dust, a phenomenon in which small sand blows in the wind and falls, causes great damage not only in terms of health but also in industrial terms. First, in terms of health, yellow dust causes air pollution, mainly causing diseases in a person’s respiratory organ and eyes, such as asthma, irritable conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and dry eye syndrome. When yellow dust phenomenon occurs, patients with severe asthma or the elderly, children, and patients with respiratory diseases, especially bronchial asthma, chronic respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, may experience worsening of existing symptoms, so stricter management is required. Next, in terms of industry, there was more damage than I expected. When thick yellow dust occurred in March 2003, there was a problem in the operation of precision machinery such as semiconductors and aircraft, causing a lot of damage. Businesses that produce silicon wafers, a raw material for semiconductors, increased the number of defective products despite 100% operating air purifiers at manufacturing factories. Automobile manufacturers stopped painting work for an hour due to the growing concern that dust would mix on the surface. In addition, yellow dust also affected aircraft safety, causing many flights to be canceled. According to a study by the Samsung Economic Research Institute, strong yellow dust caused 5 trillion won in industrial damage and 10 trillion won in health damage. In the case of crops, yellow sand dust blocks the pores that the plants breathe and interferes with the growth of trees with wide leaves, and when the pores are closed, resistance increases and metabolism is abnormal. When yellow dust adheres to the surface of a greenhouse, the amount of sunlight transmission decreases, and photosynthesis cannot be properly performed, causing disorder of growth. The Method of Prevention Then, what are the preventive methods to prevent yellow dust damage and how to deal with it in case of occurrence? First, check the windows to prevent yellow dust from entering the room at ordinary households, prepare protective glasses, masks, and long-sleeved clothes when going out, and refrain from outdoor activities for the elderly and respiratory patients. Avoid going out as much as possible when yellow dust occurs, wear protective glasses and masks when going out, and wash your hands and feet after returning home. In addition, it is recommended to wash and eat agricultural and fishery products such as vegetables and fruits exposed to yellow dust. Livestock in the paddock should be promptly evacuated into the shed so that they cannot be exposed to yellow dust. Close the doors and windows of greenhouses and sheds, and make as little contact with outside air as possible. Foods to prevent diseases caused by yellow dust include fruits, garlic, green onions, onions, and pork. First, if water is insufficient, the respiratory mucosa becomes dry and there is a high probability that yellow dust components penetrate, so drinking water, eating fruits, and vegetables can prevent immunity from deteriorating. Second, garlic has the effect of discharging mercury, and sulfur components contained in garlic and onions combine with heavy metals such as mercury in the body and have the effect of being excreted in feces, thereby preventing the accumulation of mercury in yellow dust in the body. Finally, pork can help prevent diseases caused by yellow dust because it has the effect of neutralizing pollutants accumulated in the lungs and absorbing and excreting heavy metals in the body. The yellow dust phenomenon is a rising and clear problem that comes every year especially in spring time. Thus, check the methods of prevention of yellow dust and keep healthy. I hope you will have a healthy school life in preparation for yellow dust in spring during the upcoming semester. Sources: https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=40942&docId=1155636&categoryId=32299 https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=58947&docId=3577742&categoryId=58981 https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=63166&docId=2108692&categoryId=51014 https://blog.naver.com/kbsavingsbk/223051957905 https://www.safekorea.go.krr/idsiSFK/neo/main_m/nat/dustStorm.html#none https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/096/0000105951
제 21 호 Foreign Language Effect
Kicker: Life Foreign Language Effect by Si-ho Park, Reporter pnshse05@naver.com When I was in an English Language and Culture program in Canada, I felt like I became more confident and freer when I was using English. I always feel like I become a different person when I am using a different language. And that’s why I love to learn and use foreign languages. It may be related to cultural, educational, or psychological factors. For instance, Korean culture emphasizes being humbler compared to Canada, whereas Western culture emphasizes being more confident. I was also educated in a freer environment when I was learning English. When I am using my mother tongue, Korean, I feel like I have to be more perfect, but I feel like it’s okay to be imperfect in English because it is a foreign language for me. Is this only a personal experience? I find out that this applies similarly to others. Let’s look inside what this theory is. How Does Foreign Language Free People Vladimir Nabokov is a Russian American writer, who wrote a bestseller Lolita. His mother tongue is Russian, but he wrote several books in English, which is his second language. Lots of researchers say that his knowledge of multiple languages might free him to write more creatively and that one’s own exposure to other languages can in some way help one’s writing. It’s easy to become locked into a certain way of speaking or writing; we grow accustomed to certain linguistic conventions and it’s hard to see past them to write with a fresh voice. When I was in a different country speaking a different language, the biggest thing I learned was how to use my brain in a different way. The simplest example is this: We usually say only “hello” for greetings in Korean, but in other countries, we can say “Good morning, how are you?” or many other expressions for greetings. How about this? When we want to say, “It fits you well, or it perfectly suits you” in Korean, we can say “It is a glutinous rice cake for you,” because it is a food that sticks to our teeth. Every language has its own creative expressions that come from different cultures in each country. And learning other languages also means learning other creativities. And that’s why we can say that foreign languages free us to describe things in more diverse ways. It gives us more flexibility and creativity. Foreign Language Effect by Boaz Keysar Besides the fact that foreign languages set us free, another study has shown that using foreign languages improves our decision-making abilities. It is Boaz Keysar's "Foreign Language Effect." He says that using foreign languages not only improves memory but also affects financial and ethical decisions. In the “trolley problem,” which asks us whether we should kill one man to save five people, experimenters were far more likely to make the utilitarian choice when they were using a second language compared with a native language. Also, in the memory game,people who recalled a childhood trauma in a second language showed less emotional distress than those recounting the event in their native tongue. These studies show us that people become more rational in foreign languages, whereas they are more emotional in native languages. Here is another concept about foreign languages. “Linguistic determinism” proposes that the specific words and grammar of a language can change the way we perceive the world, and I feel like using many other languages helps us to perceive the world in many other ways. Based on all these other theories about languages that I introduced to you above, I believe that it would be helpful for you to learn and use foreign languages. One of my friends added a few words about using foreign languages. “First of all, learning or being able to use a foreign language enabled me to widen my network of friends and people from various countries. Second, I can also discover the culture of each country by knowing the history of a language.” As he said, there are lots of advantages to using different other languages. I wish you could find out these merits of foreign language learning and get a chance to perceive the world in many ways. Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/sep/17/how-learning-thinking-in-a-foreign-language-improves-decision-making https://writeitsideways.com/can-a-foreign-language-enhance-your-writing/
제 20 호 What is America’s Tip Culture
Kicker: LIFE What is America’s Tip Culture by Ji-Min Baek, Reporter pjm5875@naver.com Have you ever paid for a tip? Overseas it is customary to leave a tip when traveling and living abroad, however, this type of culture is absent in Korea. Nevertheless, there has been a recent movement to introduce a tip culture in Korea. Examples include a famous bakery in Korea created a tip box with a phrase that means “if you liked our store, give tips” which caused debates. In addition, Kakao Taxi, one of the most frequently used taxi calling applications in Korea, was controversial because it allowed the customers to pay audit tips if the customer gave taxi drivers five stars in service satisfaction assessment. Although tips in these cases are not compulsory, consumers are concerned about the establishment of tip culture in their daily lives. In addition to concerns about this unfamiliar tip culture, there are various opinions. In this article, I will take a general look at tip cultures that are not familiar to us. About America’s Tip Culture Tip culture is a culture that originated in Europe, and it is an abbreviation of To Insure Promptness. This is to pay a certain tip as appreciation and satisfaction for the service, which is a common culture in the United States and Europe. In particular, as tipping became institutionalized in the United States, it became an inseparable culture in American life. Tipping has been institutionalized through the minimum wage system, and workers receiving a tip are subject to a lower minimum wage than ordinary workers. This minimum wage system and tips are set differently by states and governments in the United Sates. That is why workers receiving a tip have irregular incomes and are more dependent on tips. Tips, which were set at 10% to 15% of meals until a few years ago, are set at 20% to 30% of meals as prices rose after COVID-19. In response, consumers felt burdened by the rise in tip rates, and the new word tipflation, which combines tip and inflation, was coined. Moreover, tips are sometimes required even if services are not provided, such as takeout spots or ordering through kiosk, and new words, such as tip fatigue, are emerging. In addition, rather than paying as many tips as consumers want in appreciation of the service, the majority of restaurants calculate the tip with a certain percentage of their meals and demand them first with the tip on the bill, which seems to be a compulsion, not an option. According to a report in the Washington Post, a new study by the Pew Research Center found that Americans are confused about when they should pay the tip, and the majority of people don’t like the extra fee, such as tip. Drew DeSilver, the senior writer of the report said, “Tipping is one of those things in American society where there aren’t clear rules,” he said. “There’s not a single generally accepted way of doing things, like with traffic lights, where we all know that red means stop.” To prevent this confusion in the United States, where tip culture is most deeply located, some states apply the same minimum wage to tipped workers as ordinary workers. However, it is difficult to solve this problem because if tip culture is eliminated, there will be a lot of side effects. Tip Culture and Korea As mentioned above, controversy is brewing in Korea as some restaurants now require a tip like the American tip culture. In addition to the case of a tip box, some places offer a tablet screen that allows you to select tip prices by percent, saying, “What do you think about tips for hard-working employees?” when ordering. In Korea, the final price, including both VAT and service fees, must be indicated on the menu in accordance with the enforcement regulations of the Food Sanitation Act. Therefore, it is illegal to force customers by asking for tips. As such, Korea has a different system from the United States and the same minimum wage system is applied to workers, so there is a great reluctance among domestic consumers to the tip culture. Nevertheless, there is also an opinion that giving a certain amount of tip can work positively if you have received satisfactory service. As for the tips paid as an appreciation for the service, the tip rate increased over time and the method changed. Both positive and negative responses to these tip cultures exist. I hope it will settle the bad points and establish itself as a good culture. In addition, since Korea has a different wage system from the United States, the unfamiliar tip culture will feel more burdensome to consumers, so the introduction of tip culture is not expected to be easy. Sources: https://blog.naver.com/mosfnet/223205743278 https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25199537#home https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/11/09/american-tipping-confusion-culture-study/ https://www.mk.co.kr/news/economy/10811532 https://www.mk.co.kr/news/society/10815703
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