Beyond Anxiety and Worries to Hobbies... MZ Generation Fascinated by Tarot

'Employment' 'Dating'... Seeking 'Tarot' to Relieve Anxiety
Popularity of 'AI Tarot' and 'YouTube Tarot' Amid COVID-19
MZ Generation Learning Tarot Directly... Buying Tarot Books and Attending Lectures

Popular Weight Tarot Cards. Photo by Namuwiki Capture

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] "It's fun, but above all, it soothes anxiety."

A man in his 20s, office worker A, has recently become deeply immersed in tarot. His tarot teacher is YouTube. As of 10 a.m. on the 13th, searching for tarot on YouTube channels yields over 600,000 tarot-related content videos. While there are many contents covering the historical meaning of tarot, such as 'What is Tarot?' and 'The Beginning of Tarot,' the popular contents among the MZ generation are about employment, romance, daily worries, and fortunes.

In an era of high prices, such as the increase in TOEIC exam fees, this is a kind of lifestyle-oriented tarot content for people in their 20s who can't help but sigh over preparing their specs. Comments on related videos include "I'm a job seeker, hope for good results," and "I feel reassured after seeing the tarot."

B, a job seeker in his late 20s, said, "I don't blindly believe in tarot," adding, "I just get comfort and healing and sometimes share (links) with acquaintances." This is why tarot content that gives positive hope is popular among people in their 20s and 30s.

◆ MZ Generation Turning to 'Tarot' Due to Anxiety

Tarot is one of the divination methods originating in the West. When a client asks a question, they draw several cards from 78 cards, each illustrated differently. The fortune teller interprets the meaning of the cards to answer the question. The price per question starts at an average of 5,000 won.

As uncertainty about the future deepened due to COVID-19, young generations seeking to relieve anxiety are flocking to the fortune-telling market (Saju, Tarot, Fortunes).

According to a survey by Alba Heaven, 9 out of 10 MZ generation respondents said they have had their fortune told. The main reasons for seeing fortunes were ▲ vague curiosity (42.7%) ▲ seeking comfort due to future anxiety (22.9%) ▲ to reduce stress and worries (13.2%), among others.

Experts analyze that tarot can be sought as psychological comfort for anxious generations. Professor Kwak Geum-ju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said, "Young generations look for choices, opportunities, and possibilities in their remaining lives amid unstable situations such as COVID-19 and real estate," adding, "At this time, they tend to rely on tarot."

C, an office worker who regularly views tarot, said, "Frustrating worries like career and romance are resolved." He emphasized, "Although I sometimes have doubts, the excitement and wonder are the charms of tarot."

Lee Young-sook, president of the Korea Tarot Association, explained, "Tarot has a lower threshold than counseling centers, so young generations can approach it lightly," adding, "They can directly see the pictures and 'communicate,' so the MZ generation seeks it a lot."

This is a scene where the reporter personally used HelloBot to see today's tarot. The character Pulipi is answering the reporter's questions. Photo by HelloBot screen capture

◆ Rapidly Growing Tarot Industry

As demand increases, so do industry workers. Especially due to COVID-19 characteristics, non-face-to-face tarot and so-called 'YouTube tarot' using videos are also rising. AI tarot (HelloBot) using applications and tarot subscriptions costing 9,900 won per month have also appeared.

The AI chatbot HelloBot operates services including tarot, Saju, compatibility, zodiac fortunes, and psychological tests. Various characters predict the user's fortune for the day.

Tarot YouTubers such as Tarot Myomyo and Tarot Horang have hundreds of thousands of subscribers. YouTuber Tarot Horang's channel grew to 430,000 subscribers about a year after launching in September 2019.

◆ MZ Generation Learning Tarot as a Hobby

On the online education platform 'AIR KLASS,' tarot teaching content is also gaining popularity. Prices range from 50,000 won to 500,000 won, covering everything from card interpretation to counseling. According to another education platform, 'Class 101,' tarot consistently ranked high among popular search terms in November and December last year.

Classes that appear when searching for 'Tarot' on the online class platform Class101. Photo by Class101 (screen capture)

D, a university student currently studying tarot after purchasing a tarot book recently, said, "I started tarot because I happened to receive a tarot book as a birthday gift." He explained his reason for getting into tarot, saying, "Seeing people rely on someone and get answers during difficult times made me think it was a promising profession."

Professor Kwak said about the MZ generation learning tarot directly, "The MZ generation who found psychological stability through tarot reflects a desire to help those around them as well."

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