This is the <50 Things Koreans Like> series, which has been run by Gallup Korea since 2004. It's been 20 years this year. When I was a college student, I was a little shocked to learn that Gallup Korea (Gallup Korea Research Institute) was a different company with no connection to Gallup in the United States, but this is an editorial, and there are some notable aspects of this survey. @無異on Twitter visualized it better.
There is something that came to mind in this survey, and that is reading. If reading was that important, book sales could not be this low. My personal guess is that people also responded by reading webtoons and web novels.
The phenomenon of people enjoying more active hobbies as they get younger and switching to more passive hobbies as they get older can be explained by a number of social, psychological, and physiological reasons. First of all, differences in physical energy and stamina play an important role. Younger generations have more physical energy and are able to enjoy physically active activities. This naturally leads to active hobbies such as games, sports, and travel. At the same time, young people have a strong tendency to seek new experiences. This is related to what psychology calls ‘exploratory motivation’, which leads to the desire to explore and learn about the world through various activities. Additionally, young people value social interaction with friends and colleagues, and sports, games, and club activities are great ways to promote this interaction.
At first, when I looked at this survey, I thought that people do a lot of active activities when they are young and do a lot of passive things as they get older, but when I thought about the fact that the survey was conducted between 2004 and 2020, I realized that people in their 40s today are still enjoying games from 20 years ago. And when I think about how this will be inherited in the future, I thought that it should not be simply viewed as active or passive. (Of course, there are physical issues that prevent you from enjoying it more due to physical limitations...)
On the other hand, as we age, our physical abilities decline and it becomes difficult to continue doing activities we previously enjoyed. This naturally leads to a shift towards less active hobbies. According to cognitive psychology, as we age, our ability to process new information and learn decreases. Therefore, we prefer familiar and comfortable activities rather than complex and new activities. Additionally, after middle age, the tendency to seek stability and tranquility in life becomes stronger, which increases the preference for passive hobbies such as reading or watching videos that can be enjoyed in a quiet and calm environment. Changes in family members or social roles can also lead to more limited time and a preference for less energy-intensive activities.
It is especially noteworthy that among men, a strong hobby of gaming has emerged since the Internet generation. Men in their teens and 40s enjoy gaming as their main hobby, reflecting their strong interest in digital content and interactive media. Beyond simple entertainment, games are also used as a social networking tool, which promotes social interaction among young men.
In the case of women, it is impressive that listening to music has emerged as an important hobby from childhood due to the influence of K-POP and other genres. Listening to music has emerged as one of the most popular hobbies among women in their teens and twenties, showing that they find emotional comfort in music and prefer listening to it as a way to spend their free time. Additionally, the process of forming social bonds through fandom activities and feeling a sense of belonging as a member of a community is related to this.
These changes in hobbies are also closely related to generational consumption patterns. Younger generations spend a lot of money on travel, new experiences, and consuming digital content. On the other hand, middle-aged and older people are more interested in health care, comfortable household items, and cultural activities (e.g. reading, listening to music). Actual industries are also reflecting these changes. Fitness centers, clubs, and sporting events target young people, while media content, cultural classes, and comfortable travel packages are increasingly targeting middle-aged and older people.
Theoretically, this phenomenon can be explained through life cycle theory, social choice theory, and activity theory. Life cycle theory explains behavioral changes throughout the human life cycle, emphasizing the importance of adventure and exploration in youth and stability and rumination after middle age. Social choice theory emphasizes that as people get older, they value efficiency and stability in their choice of social relationships and activities, which explains the shift towards hobbies that provide mental satisfaction rather than active hobbies. Activity theory argues that maintaining active activity is important for successful adaptation to old age, but emphasizes that this activity does not necessarily have to be physical and may also include mental activity.
In conclusion, the phenomenon of people enjoying active hobbies as they get younger and switching to passive hobbies as they get older is due to not only physical and cognitive changes, but also changes in social roles and the desire to pursue stability. By understanding this, I think it will be possible to develop customized services and products that reflect the characteristics of each generation. Considering the population, the market size of hobbies enjoyed by those in their 40s and 50s will grow larger, and the market size of hobbies enjoyed by those in their 10s and 20s will inevitably become smaller. Considering the predicted future, I think this would be a good point to think about.
