Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Brain Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten shared important information about the Korean Pop (K-Pop) music movement and advice to families.
In recent years, Korean Pop (K-Pop) groups, which are well-known in Turkey as well as all over the world and whose number of fans is increasing, are influencing young people not only with their music but also with their image and lifestyle. Experts state that young people with high social anxiety, poor communication skills and inability to establish healthy friendships may be more affected and harmed by such trends. Experts advise parents to respect their children's development and support their efforts to be individual instead of entering into conflict with them.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten shared important information about the Korean Pop (K-Pop) music trend and advice to families.
Korean government turns a blind eye
Pointing out that Korean Pop (K-Pop) groups, which have become quite well-known in Turkey as well as all over the world in recent years and the number of their fans has been increasing, have influenced young people not only with their music but also with their image and lifestyle, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten continued her words as follows:
"These music groups, which started to increase in number after the 2000s, were not welcomed by the Korean government at first, but over time, they became supported by the government as the financial income they brought to the country stood out. The market, which is managed by a few powerful music companies in the country, makes the children, whom they sign contracts at a young age, work at a very intense pace, train them in voice, dance and oratory training, have girls undergo aesthetic operations at an early age, and ensure that they are added to a group with the definition of an idol when the day comes. The children, who work for as long as 18 hours a day and are fed a low-calorie diet to prevent them from gaining weight, are exploited by being put into an extremely flawless and perfect image where there is no gender. The government or any other authority does not speak out against this abuse because it is so well known all over the world and generates huge sums of money."
Strong ties and shared values
Stating that K-Pop groups represent not only a music genre but also a belief and a way of life, Gökten said, "There is a strong bond that fans share among themselves, jargon that only they understand and common values. Therefore, all these can easily influence adolescents between the ages of 12-18, who have certain developmental sensitivities."
Adolescents become K-Pop fans for many reasons
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, 'Adolescence is the second stage of life when brain development is the fastest. During this developmental period, the emotions, thoughts and behaviors of adolescents are quite different from those of a child and an adult" and continued her explanations as follows:
"Adolescents experience their emotions intensely but have difficulty controlling them, they are sensitive, they think that they are not loved and liked. It is very important for them to belong to a group. For this reason, adolescents do everything they can to be included in their peer groups, they may start smoking to gain social acceptance, they may commit crimes to gain favor with the group. In such a sensitive period, especially if he/she cannot easily enter the peer groups he/she wants, if he/she is not accepted enough, if he/she is often criticized by his/her family, he/she feels lonely, unhappy and feels worthless. At this point, fan groups such as K-Pop, which will connect him to a group, in which he will feel safe and find his idol, come to his rescue. Thus, they find themselves in a social network, in contact with like-minded peers, where they can reflect their desire to have a perfect physical appearance, which is imposed on everyone in today's society, on an idol, and where they are presented with a belief system that is exactly what they need."
Not all adolescents are at equal risk
Stating that not all adolescents are at equal risk of falling under the influence of such groups, Gökten said, "Especially young people with high social anxiety, poor communication skills, and those who cannot establish healthy friendships that make them feel good are at higher risk of being affected and harmed by such trends. In addition, the fact that society makes too much reference to physical characteristics, and that beauty, perfection and weakness are prioritized over knowledge, learning and having good morals confuses young people who are already struggling with their physical characteristics in adolescence."
Families should see the miracle of positive communication
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, "Although it is a period of increased peer influence and some distance from the family, adolescents need a family environment where they feel safe, know that they are loved and unconditionally accepted" and continued her words as follows:
"For this reason, instead of entering into conflict with the child, parents should respect his/her development, support his/her efforts to be individual, and not ignore the miracle importance of positive communication. It is very important to refer young people who show symptoms such as social anxiety, communication difficulties, unhappiness, and introversion, which have been going on since childhood or emerged with adolescence, for psychiatric support as early as possible. Young people with these problems are more easily influenced by harmful trends and belief systems."
Risk can be reduced through social and cultural values
Stating that the harmful effects of such destructive movements can be reduced by having strong social and cultural values and passing them on from generation to generation, Gökten said: "In addition to family support for our young people to develop their individual identities in a healthy way, it can be said that raising them in an environment where values such as knowledge, work and labor, other people's rights, respect for nature and all living things are at the forefront will also reduce the risks."
