"Will I Get a Job This Year?"... MZ Flocking to 'Contactless Fortune Telling'

90% of MZ Generation "Have Checked Their Fortune"
Non-Face-to-Face Fortune-Telling Popular Using Apps and YouTube
Offering 'Likes' and 'Comments' Instead of Money

# Recently, Jang Narae (27, pseudonym), an office worker, installed a fortune-telling application (app) to check her New Year's horoscope. Jang, who works in sales at a pharmaceutical company, said, "I started looking at my fortune because I felt that my current job doesn't suit me," adding, "While the fortune doesn't provide a clear answer about my career path, it does offer some directional guidance that I can refer to." She continued, "When my mind is troubled, looking at my fortune often brings me comfort," and added, "I try to take good words to heart and let bad words pass by."

At the beginning of the year, more people are visiting fortune-telling places both online and offline, such as saju (Four Pillars of Destiny) or tarot readings. Due to the impact of COVID-19 and the economic downturn, anxiety about the future has increased, leading to a growing interest in divination. Especially among the younger generation familiar with digital devices, many are using YouTube or apps to receive non-face-to-face fortune-telling services.

MZ Generation Immersed in Divination Amid an Uncertain Future

Photo by Pixabay.

Lee Ji-young (28), a second-year office worker, recently visited a saju cafe with acquaintances. She said, "Even if the results are not always accurate, hearing good things brings comfort and lifts my spirits," adding, "Sometimes I check my fortune to see if the goals I set might actually come true."

According to a survey conducted last year by Alba Heaven, 9 out of 10 MZ generation members (Millennials + Generation Z) said they have checked their fortune at least once. This means that the majority of young people have experience with fortune-telling at least once.

The reasons for checking fortunes were found to be ▲ vague curiosity (42.7%) ▲ seeking comfort amid an uncertain future (22.9%) ▲ relieving stress and worries (13.2%), among others.

Using Apps and YouTube for 'Non-Face-to-Face Saju'

Tarohorang, a tarot YouTuber with 420,000 subscribers. Photo by YouTube screen capture.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the 'untact' (contactless) trend has increased the number of people receiving saju readings remotely. They use services through apps or YouTube.

Fortune-telling apps are especially popular because once users register their birth date and other details, they can easily check their fortunes whenever they access the app. The representative fortune app 'Jeomsin' records 500,000 daily visits and 12 million cumulative downloads. 'Jeomsin' offers various content such as daily horoscopes, overall fortunes, and time-specific fortunes.

Tarot readings on YouTube are also popular. Tarot readers draw cards to create five card piles, then viewers choose a number, and the reader interprets the corresponding pile. This format is popular because it is simple and accessible, allowing viewers to select card piles themselves.

The number of YouTube channels specializing in tarot is also increasing. According to 'Playboard,' a YouTube statistics analysis site, there are over 1,100 tarot-related domestic channels.

Among them, a representative tarot channel is 'Tarohorang,' which has 430,000 subscribers. The channel mainly features monthly and semiannual horoscopes and love fortune predictions through tarot readings. Instead of money, the channel accepts 'subscriptions' and 'likes' as offerings.

Users of non-face-to-face fortune-telling services cite 'convenience' as the biggest advantage. They do not need to take time to visit a philosophy center or saju cafe, and there is no waiting time, which reduces hassle.

Kim Jin-young (26), a first-year employee at an advertising agency, said, "The appeal is that I can check my fortune anytime I want through the app," adding, "Especially since using the app usually doesn't cost anything, sometimes I just check my fortune for fun."

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