[Hyungyoung's Creator World]
Flooding of childcare, marriage, and hate-inducing content
Focus on extreme and stimulating stories chasing ratings
Marriage hell broadcasts that expose the worst spouses

“Korea is so screwed.”

This statement by Joan Williams, professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley Law School, became a 'meme' after she heard on EBS's "Documentary K Population Project: Ultra-Low Birth Rate" that South Korea's total fertility rate was 0.78 as of last year.

This 'meme' is becoming more and more real. The total fertility rate in the second quarter of this year was 0.7, the lowest ever recorded. Considering that the number of births usually decreases towards the end of the year, some predict that it could fall below 0.6 this year.

South Korea is currently facing the serious issue of low birth rates. Why is this happening? There are various issues. The problem of the 'Seoul Republic,' where the population is excessively concentrated in the metropolitan area, the patriarchal family culture where women are burdened with work, housework, and childcare, the long working hours where education also becomes the responsibility of women, leading to reluctance towards childcare, and high housing prices and childcare costs, among others.

One of the issues I want to address as a content creator is 'childcare and marriage hate-inducing content.' There are already fires burning due to the bigger problems mentioned above, but this content is adding fuel to the fire by instilling fear of marriage and having children.

Watching shows like 'Marriage Hell,' 'Precious My Child,' and 'Teenage Parents,' nobody would dream of getting married and having kids. It's not about saying it's good to show fantasy, but rather pointing out that the examples shown by the participants in the aforementioned programs are extremely extreme and can incite hatred towards childcare and marriage.

The most shocking video recently was that of Oh Hyun-sil from 'Teenage Parents 4,' who appeared with three dads with different stories. The first father of her child, whom she trusted and loved, turned out to be married, the second father went to prison for theft, and the last third father would constantly say, 'I want to have a child who looks like us,' but when she revealed her pregnancy, he changed his attitude, saying he couldn't take responsibility and left her.

What did the production team hope to gain by showing this story through a program that teenagers, who need to see and learn about healthy relationships, primarily watch? The production intent of the teenage parents on the broadcast station's homepage is this: 'What is the life of those who made the courageous decision to not give up on a new life?'

Oh Hyun-sil's third child is currently in an orphanage due to childcare and financial issues, saying, 'I want to live with my mom, as big as the universe.' Did they have to show 'the real lives of those who made the courageous decision to not give up on a new life' so tragically?

'Marriage Hell' showed various cases of the worst husbands and wives. Netizens commented that the stories of 'couples crossing the line' and 'sexless couples' themselves provided more despair than hope for marriage.

The more shocking and stimulating the cases are, the higher the ratings and viewership, but it can also lower the preference for marriage and childbirth along with fear. In this crisis, where 'Korea is so screwed' has become a meme, content creators need to feel a sense of responsibility when creating content.

South Korean youth are gasping for air, but there is no one to help them. Everyone is obsessed with making money. Broadcast stations prioritize stimulating content that guarantees viewership. After overcoming the immense fear they instilled, they gather the courage to take the next step towards marriage, only to be met by Korea's 'wedding market' that charges 2-3 times the original price, forcing them to spend all their savings.

Next comes the 'dream of owning a home,' which is impossible to achieve with a normal salary, leading them into a 'debt trap.' Only after going through this difficult, challenging, and exhausting process are they granted the license to enter the realm of 'childcare.'

Ah, exhaustion. You can't help but say, 'I can't do this anymore.' These high hurdles make young people think, 'Let's just go bankrupt, let's just collapse.' There are layers of issues that need to be addressed within the single outcome of 'low birth rates.' Until these issues are resolved, the problem of low birth rates cannot be solved.

South Korea, which grew rapidly, is rapidly disappearing. The entire nation feels burnt out. There are mountains of issues to solve, but in order to find solutions, it is important to have 'hope,' regardless of the method. Because you can't expect any change from someone who has given up in their heart.

This is a time when hope is desperately needed. Let's stop 'childcare and marriage hate-inducing content' and create content that gives a glimmer of 'hope.'