West vs. East: Who Is More Hooked?

Only few would be surprised that Koreans use smartphones a lot more than other nationalities, especially those in the Western countries. An interview with three young respondents turned out to be a self-evident example.

Our interviewees were Do Hee Kim (21), Caroline Alencar (22) and So Young Na (21). All three of them are students at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS). While Kim and Na are full time Korean students, Alencar is an exchange student from Brazil. The group, though, was diverse in more aspects than nationality…

KakaoTalk

Probably the biggest obsession of Koreans is the KakaoTalk. They kakao each other – yes, to kakao has become verbalized – all day, every day. Both Kim and Na admitted that they kakao their friends even when they meet other friends live. And what do they do when they meet the other friends? They admitted again, that they kakao to the friends they were spending time with before.

This seems quite unthinkable to me, as a European. Alencar agrees; she and her friends use a “smartphone jail” for their phones when they hang out so that they can spend real time with each other. At the same time she isn’t offended when her Korean friends use smartphones – because that’s just what they do and it isn’t personal.

All three also agreed that the most used apps were those for communication; however, there is still one significant difference which makes Koreans more addicted to their smartphones.

Alencar uses WhatsApp, which is a widely spread application for sending free text messages – provided the user is connected to the Internet. The problem is that it is not the only service out there. Its competitor, Viber, enjoys great popularity as well, among others because it enables free phone calls along with text messages.

People in the Western countries are not only divided into these two “camps” but there are also many people, who aren’t smartphone users at all. They send “old-school” text messages.

In Korea, where 64% of population uses smartphones, the #1 messenger is KakaoTalk. Both Kim and Na are very keen on using it.

But why? What is so attractive about it?

Na explains: “In Kakao, there is the number one. If you check the message, the one disappears.” Apparently, knowing that your respondent had read your message but didn’t answer is so uncomfortable that Koreans avoid that by immediate replies.

Not only are people uncomfortable not responding but after they do so, they themselves check if the other person has read it. Creating this vicious circle was a clever move by the developers to make people hooked with the feeling of guilt.

Shouldn’t KakaoTalk be referred to as KakaoStalk instead?

Other Usage

However, Koreans, just like other nationalities, put their smartphones to good use too. They use it for taking pictures, maps, GPS, mp3 players, or for reading news or books. The phones are called smart for a reason: the number of applications out there enables the users have all their gadgets in one little rectangle device that fits into pocket or purse.

We had “representatives” of both Android and iPhones. Android is known for providing most of its apps for free in the Google Play, while Apple Store prefers paying customers. Both Kim and Na are iPhone users but only Na confessed she buys apps: “It’s not expensive and some of them are worth it.” She also prefers to buy those she can also use on her iPad – which is a handy feature of Apple products.

Excessive usage of smartphones can also be dangerous. Once walking outside and texting with a friend, Kim bumped into a tree – a big tree, she says. She also saw two people bumping into each other, both using smartphones. That might be embarrassing and possibly cause a bump on your forehead, but Alencar shared more dangerous experience – she feels tempted to read her incoming messages while driving.

She is not the only one – texting and driving become drinking and driving of this decade.

Test Yourself

In the end of our interview I asked them to undergo a simple physical test of smartphone addiction: hold your thumbs in a closed fist, stretch your arms front and try to bend your wrists down (see photo below).

Does it hurt? If you’re screaming out of pain instead of saying “no”, you may consider reducing the time you spend on your smartphone.

For the record, all three Koreans (two respondents and our photographer) felt pain, while our Brazilian respondent and Czech interviewer/writer did not. Is that a proof enough?