[MZ Dictionary] 'Cyber Trash Picking'... Collecting 1 Won at a Time on Your Phone

The MZ generation's frugal struggle to overcome the era of high inflation and high interest rates has begun. They tighten their belts themselves and join 'Geojibang (KakaoTalk open chat rooms)' with the purpose of drastically reducing consumption and getting permission for expenditures. Their hands and feet have become busy. MZ generation office workers practice 'gathering dust bit by bit' by doing 'cyber waste paper picking.'

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'Cyber waste paper picking' or 'online waste paper picking' is another term for 'app-tech (application + finance management).' It means collecting points given by reward-type apps.

The nickname comes from the fact that the points given through actions such as watching advertisements are small amounts like 1 won or 10 won.

Inspired by the reality that picking up waste paper and selling it to scrap dealers does not make much money, people collect small amounts through app-tech, and it seems humor is used to prevent feelings of discouragement.

Additionally, people share links to receive points, sometimes saying, "Cyber waste paper picking is here. Take 2 billion won." This phrase can also be interpreted as humor that sublimates skepticism about small amounts with hope that the small amounts collected now will become a large sum later.

In some circles, the term 'cyber waste paper picking' is also used as a concept of a 'side job.'

Representative apps where you can do 'cyber waste paper picking' include ▲Toss ▲Cash Walk ▲Hana Money ▲Cash Slide. Points are given in various ways such as 100 points for achieving '10,000 steps,' 20 points for arriving at a specific location, 1 point for clicking 'read article,' and random points for solving quizzes.

The points collected diligently like this are exchanged for cash or gifticons. Just like 'real waste paper picking,' it does not give a large amount enough to turn one's life around, but if you collect diligently, you can buy a cup of coffee or a meal with points. It becomes a meal or a cup of coffee you can enjoy comfortably in the era of high inflation.

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The holy land of cyber waste paper picking is also emerging.

Last month, the 'Toss' app held an event called 'Turn on Toss with Friends and Get Points.' It is a service where people who connect to the Toss app together using Bluetooth can accumulate points. As a result, office workers gathered at places like the Seoul Museum of Art during lunch breaks to do 'cyber waste paper picking,' creating a remarkable scene.

People who find it difficult to visit the holy land create opportunities in their daily lives.

Recently, many online communities posted a message titled "I wish all 2030 MZs would do this on their subway commute." The author introduced the 'Turn on Toss with Friends' event and reports about the 'holy land,' saying, "I don't want to go to the holy land," and "(Instead) let's all earn (points) together during the commute." The intention is to help each other by turning on Bluetooth on public transportation such as subways and doing 'cyber waste paper picking.'

Meanwhile, an analysis showed that if the jeonse deposit, which is not captured in existing international statistics on household debt, is included, South Korea's household debt last year approached 3,000 trillion won.

The Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) under the Federation of Korean Industries announced on March 6 in the report 'Estimation and Implications of Household Debt Including Jeonse Deposits' that domestic household debt including jeonse deposits increased by more than 700 trillion won over the past five years (2017?2022).

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