This week's is a simple but unique one and really showcases the effect that technological advancement has on our basic relationships and social activity.
In Korea, we (and when I say “we,” I mean virtually 99.99999% of Koreans) use a communication app called Kakaotalk or “Katalk” for short. It's an all-in-one messaging system that allows you to text 1-to-1, in groups, send voice messages, have phone calls, exchange photos, etc. etc. etc. It's similar to WeChat or Line for those who have used other 3rd-party systems but with so many cutesy and efficient features.
Anyway, one of the most distinct features of the app is that when you send someone or a group a message, a number pops up next to your message – the number indicated how many people have yet to read the text. For instance, if you were planning dinner with 3 friends, my texts would immediate have “3” next to them and as each opened the app to check the full message, the number would drop to 2 then 1 then disappear.
This has created a unique point of anxiety for people. In the US where phone apps do not have this feature, you have no idea whether or not the person received the text. If they don't respond for a while, you can give them the benefit of the doubt that either their phone is dead or they're in a meeting, etc. There's almost no room for doubt with the Katalk feature, you know to almost 99% certainty that if the number goes done, some of all of the people have read it.
And if they don't respond? What do we call this?
Eating Your Message
In Korea, we often use the slangy phrase “To Eat/Chew Something” - Sshib-uh/씹어 – as a way to describe ignoring something, someone, or a piece of information. If someone calls you and you intentionally don't pick up or if someone texts you and you don't text back, these are situations where we say “you ate/chewed the call/text.”
Thus we have the phrase Eelk-Sshib/읽씹. “Eelk” means to read. So Eelk-Sshib combines to describe a situation where everyone knows you read the message but have (at least for now) ignored it.
Sent a message to your date and you saw the number “1” disappear without a reply? They just ate you text. Eelk-Sshib burn.
So next time you message a friend or colleague and there's no reply but you're pretty certain they got it? Follow-up with a phrase, “Hey, don't 읽씹!”
카톡 사용 99% 한국! 카톡 채팅 메세지 창에 뜨는 숫자 표시의 콘셉을 소개하며 왜 "읽씹" 이라는 단어가 생기게 된지 소개합니다. 또, 한글에서는 "씹다"라는 단어가 무시하다의 의미로 사용될 수 있는 점도요. 한국에만 있는 단어, 읽고씹기. 읽씹!
HanSpot Episodes-
Episode 1: 꼰대: Kkondae // The Korean Curmudgeon
Episode 2: 성괴: Seonggwe // Plastic Monsters
Episode 3: 깡패: Kkangpeh // Korean Gangsterisms
Episode 4: 듣보잡 // Name Value
Episode 5: 팩트폭행 // Fact Violence
Episode 6: 혼밥혼술 // "Alone" Culture
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and check out my design collective @hitheryon
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and check out my design collective @hitheryon
!