The American Dream: Consumption in South Korea

If someone asks you a question such as “What is the American Dream?”, what would you say? Some of you might come up with numerous people who head for the United States to be successful and happy. However, the American dream can be a broader concept than you might think because it also includes a hope for being wealthier which can be led to capitalism. Consequently, when there is a society with high capitalism, there seems be a tendency for excessive consumption among people. Surprisingly, this sort of the American dream is not only seen in American society but can also be seen in South Korean society since South Korea has been a capitalistic society for a long time. The prosperity of eating show called ‘Mukbang’ on social media and the popularity of certain brands and franchises are some examples of this.

 Firstly, if you visit social media such as YouTube or Instagram, you can find out the evidence of overconsumption of food. For example, when you watch YouTube, you can easily find YouTubers called ‘Mukbang YouTubers’. Though they use different nicknames, there is one thing they have in common; they are food influencers. Food influencers are the ones who influence various people by holding food-eating shows on social media. The process of the shows is quite simple; they purchase diverse kinds of foods and eat them in front of the camera. Because the show is getting more and more popular from teens to adults, the viewers are also increasing these days. People who enjoy watching the shows tend to follow the YouTubers by buying and eating the foods. In addition, there are also many people who upload types of food they eat on Instagram. Those who like to upload the photos are eager to take photos before they start eating. They use applications which make the food look more colorful and delicious. Thanks to such shows and photos, we can acquire new information on food and feel pleasure by watching them. However, at the same time, consumers might spend more money on buying and eating food. This can be led to overconsumption and unhealthy lifestyle.

Secondly, the prosperity of certain brands and franchises seems to be another example of excessive consumption. Even though there are countless brands and franchises in South Korea, you can realize that there are certain famous ones which are seen more frequently on the streets. Since people tend to choose to visit the places which are familiar to them, those seen more frequently can be chosen more easily. The bright side of the popularity of certain brands and franchises is that it can be led to economic growth. However, it also has the dark side since certain brands and franchises might dominate the industry. If so, the gap between the rich and poor can be way worse.

To sum up, the American dream that is related to capitalism is formed as Mukbang and the growth of certain brands and franchises. As stated above, Mukbang can be helpful for us since it can help us get new information on food and feel happy. However, it might lead us to overconsumption and unhealthy lifestyle. In the same manner, the prosperity of certain brands and franchises can make the economy grow but can also broaden the gap between the rich and poor. Since everything has its own advantages and disadvantages, it is up to us. If we have an eye for balancing our desire for consumption, the world can be a better place to live. However, if we fail to balance it, the world might be a worse place with negative effects of capitalism.