"Everything Feels Overwhelming" Anxious 20s and 30s Seek 'Online Fortune Telling' [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

'Online Saju' Viewed on YouTube and Apps Popular Among 20s and 30s
9 out of 10 Young People Have Experienced Fortune Telling
Experts Say It Is Related to Uncertainty About the Future

Recently, young people have been alleviating their anxiety through online fortune-telling services. The photo shows a fortune-telling shop located in downtown Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] [Editor's Note] How is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we share the joys and sorrows unique to 'youth.'

# Kim (26), a job seeker, recently started frequently visiting so-called 'online fortune-telling sites' such as tarot and saju readings on YouTube. Kim said, "Because the job market has shrunk due to COVID-19, I started looking up saju on YouTube out of frustration," adding, "I feel a great anxiety not knowing when I will get a job, and even if I do, I worry whether I can do well. But since there is no appropriate time to share these worries, I ended up looking at saju or tarot." He continued, "After seeing the saju, I feel somewhat relieved from the frustration," and added, "Online fortune-telling sites are free, unlike offline ones, so I visit them more often without any burden."

Recently, among young people, the number of those seeking 'online fortune-telling sites' to relieve anxiety about an uncertain future is increasing. Instead of expensive offline fortune-telling, they rely on a kind of 'superstition' such as saju, tarot, or talismans through affordable online fortune-telling sites to consult about their future, including job preparation. Experts cite uncertainty about the future as the reason why young people are enthusiastic about tarot.

Lee (24), a college student, recently checked his New Year's fortune through a saju application (app). He said, "I originally did not believe in saju at all, but as the job season approached, I started looking up fortunes," and confessed, "Seeing acquaintances struggling with the employment crisis made me afraid to enter the job market myself." He added, "I habitually check fortunes because I want to gain some comfort."

There are quite a few young people like Lee who enjoy checking fortunes. According to a survey conducted by 'Alba Heaven' targeting 1,608 members aged 10 to 30 nationwide, 90% of respondents said they have experience looking at fortunes.

When asked about the frequency of checking fortunes, the most common answer was "once a year" (25.5%), followed by "once every six months" (25.1%), "once a week" (13.3%), "once a month" (13.3%), and "2-3 times a month" (12%). The response "every day" accounted for 10.8% of the total.

They check fortunes to satisfy curiosity and to dispel anxiety about the future. 42.7% of respondents said they look at fortunes out of 'vague curiosity,' followed by 22.9% who do so to find comfort due to anxiety about the future, and 13.2% to relieve stress and worries.

Recently, the number of young people consulting their fortune through applications (apps) or YouTube has increased. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The reason why people in their 20s and 30s seek online fortune-telling sites is related to the harsh realities faced by young people. Young people are giving up on dating, marriage, and childbirth due to increasingly difficult lives and economic burdens, and are also struggling with home ownership and human relationships. Those who give up on employment or marriage are sometimes called the 'N-po generation,' a term that has come to represent youth.

Lee (28), an office worker who identifies as part of the 'N-po generation,' said, "I am working, but due to COVID-19, the company's situation has worsened, and I don't know when I might be laid off. Last year, housing prices rose so much that 'owning a home' became just a dream."

He added, "As reality becomes harsher, I tend to rely on saju for even small things," and confessed, "I have been preparing to change jobs for a few months, and even then, I refer to saju or tarot results."

Experts analyze that the reason young people are enthusiastic about superstitions such as saju and tarot is related to anxiety. Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University explained, "People do not believe in superstitions when the results of what they are doing are certain or when they can achieve the desired results through effort. On the other hand, when anxiety and uncertainty are high, the number of people who believe in such superstitions increases. The current COVID-19 situation has changed everything from what we expected. Ultimately, because uncertainty about the future has increased compared to before, people have come to believe in these superstitions."

She continued, "In psychology, the phenomenon where reality seems to be realized as one wishes is called a 'self-fulfilling prophecy,' and it seems that people try to relieve anxiety through such self-suggestion."

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