유료 구독자 전용
무료 회원 공개
전체 공개
YouTubers Wrecking South Korea
South Korea has a vibrant cyberspace. It also suffers from an ingrained culture of hate amplified by so-called 'issue YouTubers'.
로그인한 회원만 댓글을 쓸 수 있습니다.
Youtubers Wrecking South Korea shows how the influence of youtubers in Korea is ruining people’s lives. The article discusses how people called “cyber wreckers” will take a social situation and bend it to their will before referencing it to the public. By bending the situation, cyber wreckers can point blame at people or create false rumors. This has led to celebrities who were victims of cyber wrecking to take their own lives due to false accusations.
I believe that this was an important article because of how powerful these influencers were, despite their lack of physical or political power. These people just use their own opinions and state it as a fact to ruin people’s lives. To me it seems like a petty argument for attention that was driven to the extreme. These cyber wreckers want attention and will start their own arguments and hate towards people for it. Due to humans being social animals, the view of others has a big impact on our self worth. It is human’s nature to seek the attention and approval of others. These cyber wreckers crave this power they gain with their following and need it like an addict needs a drug.
(Caleb Chung, CA.USA)
8/21/22 - I found this article particularly interesting because I had heard a lot about South Korea’s bullying problem, with some major South Korean actors and celebrities falling into huge scandals because of it. However, I hadn't known that such severe bullying had become even more prominent online. In such a technology-driven country like Korea, I would imagine that this problem is even more amplified and harder to tackle.
I also noticed how many of the victims of “wrecking” are targeted by men specifically, who seem to take light-hearted jokes, feminism, and queerness as personal attacks against them. I remember such scrutiny befell Irene of Red Velvet when K-netizens noticed her reading a feminist book. Many male fans even posted pictures ripping up any merchandise with her face on it and harsh statements renouncing their support.
Unfortunately, I do not think this culture will change anytime soon unless Korea’s defamation laws are updated, as it is difficult to enforce any punishment on the anonymous who profit from the huge loopholes within them. I hope to see change though, as it is heartbreaking to watch as people drive those enjoying their lives to suicide. (Jina Han, USA)