[SSG nudge Leadership] From Confirmed Cases and Weight Gain to Becoming a 'Hwaksinja' (Confident Person)

-Avoidance of Confirmation Bias Created by Social Media

Changwook Park, CEO of Korea Knowledge Leader Association (Secretary General of Daewoo World Management Research Association)

These days, when elementary school students are given the classic assignment of writing about a "person they want to emulate," that is, a great figure, there is reportedly a caveat. They are told to exclude this person. Who could it be? The "YouTuber." This is what a mother of an elementary school student told me. Since YouTubers freely show fun activities and even make money from it, they have become the "president" of elementary school students. The older generation cannot understand it and it has become something incomprehensible.

The term "hwakjinja" (literally "confirmed case person") emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. It means a person who has definitely gained weight because they reduced outdoor activities to avoid the risk of becoming a confirmed case and just kept eating. It has become a symbolic expression of the sad self-portrait of this era.

Last October, Naver was fined by the Fair Trade Commission for manipulating search algorithms to increase commission revenue from products listed on its open market. There was an uproar at the regular National Assembly inspection session due to suspicions that even news was being manipulated. At the same time, there were allegations of real-time search manipulation related to the military leave issue of the son of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. There are still vivid memories of lawmakers caught exchanging messages on social network services (SNS) while protesting reports of party leaders' speeches, causing embarrassment when caught on camera.

In fact, these phenomena are the result of combined attacks by big data and artificial intelligence (AI), which are the core themes of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is the concrete form of the world we have been eagerly awaiting, something we have often encountered when watching YouTube for a long time. It is common to see a series of videos with similar tendencies lined up after opening a YouTube broadcast once.

Coincidentally, Netflix aired a documentary film called Social Dilemma. The content summarized the causal relationship: "Internet platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix require our attention and time. Advertisers spend more advertising money on platforms where we stay longer." Everything?from newspaper articles, TV dramas, to TV news ratings?is driven by records of attention and time, attracting advertisers. Even when trying to purchase from cyber open markets, restaurants, movies, or books, influencers relentlessly try to influence us. We all live within such an environment.

The warning message introducing the film Social Dilemma is striking: "Modern society plagued by addiction and fake news. Silicon Valley experts courageously warn: Beware of their creation, social media."

Today, before going to bed, while setting my alarm clock, my gaze drifted to Kakao and Facebook. Without realizing it, I became a slave, and 20 to 30 minutes passed in an instant. I could not resist the temptations coming from devices like PCs or smartphones. Society is increasingly polarized overall. Depending on one’s political convictions, watching news, YouTube, fake news, and inflammatory words, one gradually becomes a "hwaksinja" (a person with firm conviction). The beliefs or faiths that were once vague become more biased due to the injection from various media outlets.

So, I abruptly canceled my Netflix subscription two months ago, which I had subscribed to because I liked movies. I was unable to do anything else while watching American, British, and Korean dramas. However, Google search, Naver or Kakao search, and news from media outlets persistently follow me. Persistent recommendations to re-subscribe to Netflix appear on sites and products I accidentally visit while searching.

Due to the spread of confirmed cases, we are told to stay home until the end of the year without moving. This is a big problem. In addition to efforts not to become a "hwakjinja" (weight-gainer), we must also strive not to become a "hwaksinja" (person with firm conviction). Even as I write this column, the temptations follow me. I wonder if I should cut off the internet cables and Wi-Fi.

Park Chang-wook, CEO of Korea Knowledge Leader Association (Secretary General of Daewoo World Management Research Association)

◆ What is 'Nudge Leadership'?

- 'Nudge Leadership' is about leading organizational or personal change through small and gentle interventions or motivation rather than coercive and directive oppressive methods. It also involves improving human relationships through small changes in oneself and transforming into a person others want to follow. Ultimately, it breathes creativity and passion into organizations or relationships, creating new value and happiness.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.