After the COVID-19 crisis there has been an upswing in romantic entertainment shows. Examples are 'We Got Divorced' in 2020, 'I'm Solo', 'Doll Singles', 'Transferring Love' and 'Solo Hell', which aired last year.

However, according to the '2021 Population Forum Statistics' by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 78% of young people have not met a new person after the pandemic. The popularity of dating programs is inversely proportional to the ratio of dating among young people.

One upfront reason for the low ratio of dating among young people can be found in the economic loss. In February of this year, 244,864 youth recipients of basic livelihoods were the worst ever. This is not the first time that the economy has been included in the reason young people 'cannot' in a relationship. Pre-pandemic the vulnerability of the youth economy was pointed out through the '3rd, 5th, and Npo generation' and 'I'm sorry (I'm sorry)'. At that time, the popular broadcast form was 'mukbang'.

'Mukbang' draws communication with viewers by disclosing how they eat on the Internet. A man in his 20s living in Iksan said, “(I don't watch mukbangs often), but I don't have money, so it's a means of surrogate satisfaction.” In the end, as the poverty of young people deepened, 'mukbang' emerged as a tool to represent the situation in which even the most basic need, 'appetite', could not be satisfied.
Content like Mukbangs entrusts the work of emotions to the outside is called 'outsourcing of emotions'. The 'breakup notice agency business' is a typical example. This is a prime example of the younger generation who fear even emotional failure. It is also a way of handling work that is familiar to the younger generation, who outsource various things from housework to laundry. 

Actor Yoon Si-yoon appeared in 'Global Thumb & Fight International Couple 2' last year and showed satisfaction with the romance of the performers. He revealed that he had not been in a relationship for a long time, saying, "As I get older, I can't afford to take risks through someone.

Now, not only young people but also middle-aged people are seeing this trend. A prime example is that the 'mating' program, which was mainly made for single men and women in their 20s and 30s, now features men and women who are divorced from 'Miss Gold, Mr.' in their 40s as the main characters.

A woman in her 20s living in Incheon who said she enjoyed the OTT TV show 'Transfer Love' in the past said, “I was more sympathetic because it is the story of 'ordinary' people who are similar to me, not those who are too good-looking. I thought it was like a story, and I was satisfied instead.” He continued, “It's not that I don't want to be in a relationship, but because of Corona 19, the number of meetings naturally decreased."

Ha Jae-geun, a cultural critic, said, “The younger generation does not feel the need for face-to-face contact, as non-face-to-face contact is becoming more active through the Internet. Also, economic stability is necessary to have a rational meeting, but if you can't do that, you lose confidence.” As a result of fewer people ‘on the market’ the competition is steeper. While television and other entertainment can serve to make individuals feel less lonely, these fixes are temporary. 

Instead, governments and officials should consider economic relief and social wellness programs to encourage young people to connect more in person and develop meaningful relationships. 
 
Source: Yoo Da-yeon, Newsis (May 27)