Introduction: Everything about success and fame in this era

matter waves
Consumer critic, his tongue is special
Amy's desperately wanted ready bag
Things that money can buy
100% Pure Inssa Hot Place Hunt
The Prince and the Pauper's Live-Action Remake: His Secret #Flex
Group Interview ① - Material Wave
ⓣ Am I also a materialist?

Physical wave
I am the apple hip goddess
Your name is Helchang
The Man from the Animal Kingdom
If you tell me to take it off, I will.
Tomorrow is K-Star
Blonde Henry's Korean Experience
Group Interview ② - Physical
ⓣ Am I also a physical person?

Mental wave
A Day in the Life of a Facebook Sage
Bourgeois, Bohemian, and a Silver Coin
Do you know patriotism?
In search of the next Velvet Underground
Group Interview ③ - Jeongshinpa
ⓣ Am I also crazy?
★ Case studies by type, as told by heavy users

The joys and sorrows of fame

1.
The Birth of K-Digital Anthropology: In Search of the 2030s Who Dream of Fame
― Overview and significance of publication

Successful people are naturally famous.
But becoming famous as a result of success is a thing of the past.
Nowadays, it doesn't matter why or how you became famous.
First, you have to become famous and get public attention and recognition.
Then, wealth and fame will naturally follow.
People who enjoy this kind of fame are called influencers.
The power of legacy media such as newspapers and broadcasting is waning.
Instead, the influence of social media such as Instagram and YouTube is growing.
This changing media environment makes anyone dream of becoming famous.
It's now common knowledge that elementary school students' number one dream job is to become a YouTuber.
Now is the era of ‘popularization of influencers.’


But we don't know what influencers do or who they are.
They are just vaguely envious or blindly jealous.
Now is the time to see the truth for yourself.
Author Jeong Yeon-wook was curious about how people in their 20s and 30s who dream of fame actually work and what their thoughts are.
So, I met them in person, and based on their stories, I submitted a short thesis titled “A Study on Instagram User Types” as an assignment for the “Qualitative Research Methodology” class at the Graduate School of Cultural Anthropology at Yonsei University.


This book was born from this very short essay that became the 'seed'.
The author conducted in-depth interviews with 325 social media influencers with more than 2,000 followers over a period of 16 months.
We have thoroughly investigated the true nature of influencers.
To realistically convey their vivid voices, we created virtual characters for each type.
It delves into their lives in a 'faction' style, meaning fiction based on facts.
Thus, the prelude to ‘K-Digital Anthropology’ opened.
(★Selected works for the 2021 Small and Medium Publishing Company Publishing Content Creation Support Program)

Fame is like an 'unscratchable lottery'.
It is almost the only alternative to escape this boring reality where there is no way to get by with labor income.
This book is about those who create and share such fantasies, and about us.
The specific questions are:
We asked and sought answers to the following questions: What does fame mean to them? How do they utilize IT to attract people's attention? Did they really get what they wanted after all their hard work? What are the positive and negative aspects of fame?
― Page 18

2.
In-Depth Interviews with 325 Influencers - Hyper-Realistic Stories
- Main contents

Hmm… When I become famous, the first thing I want to do is buy a white Porsche.
“I have my eye on the 911 Carrera model.” This is the answer given to 29-year-old influencer K when asked what he would do first if he became famous.
He said he had been to a Porsche dealership and seen the model he wanted several times.
He said he went to hundreds of car communities and meticulously read all the test drive reviews.
I don't have the financial means yet, but I'm just waiting for the day when I can buy one.
For him, Porsche is a 'dream car'.
And fame is what makes that dream come true.
― Page 283

“It’s better to be a millionaire known to everyone than a billionaire no one knows about.” As one influencer put it, today’s hottest criterion for success is fame.
The fastest way to success is to become an influencer.
Especially for young people who have difficulty saving up their salaries to buy a house, becoming famous is one of the few golden ladders for social mobility that can lead to a 'big hit in life'.


There are three main ways to become an influencer on social media today.
First, they boast of their material wealth.
They take us to expensive consumption sites.
Second, show off your physical attractiveness.
They consider their physical capital as an important asset.
Finally, it shows the mental aspect, for example, the intellectual aspect such as knowledge, information, and insight.
These are the 'mentalists'.
They seek recognition and attention by showing off their intellectual abilities rather than material wealth or physical attractiveness.
These are the three strategies to get people's approval.


This book features 4-5 characters representing each type: material, physical, and mental.
Although it borrows the format of fiction, you can hear the vivid voices of young desires that can only come from long-term reporting and research.
And at the end of each article, we took a colorful look at the landscape of digital fame centered around the core keywords extracted from each episode (unboxing, body profile, vlog, hot place, hipster, cappuccino, nationalistic, etc.).
Additionally, in the interviews with the three groups of materialists, physicalists, and spiritualists, you can hear their daily lives and inner thoughts, both happy and bitter, about being famous.


♥ 3 Success Strategies for Becoming Famous

Material Wave, “You guys, you’ve never done anything like this before, right?”
“The most timeless boast in the world is the boast of money.” This is a sentence that summarizes the essence of the materialist wave.
Since the birth of mankind, flaunting wealth has always existed regardless of era or civilization.
From Bronze Age dolmens to the splendid palaces and costumes of absolute monarchies.
In modern times, showing off one's wealth has shifted to supercars, expensive art, and breathtaking architecture.
Today, the internet is a showcase for show.
I unbox my orange Hermes Birkin bag, laying it on the hotel bed sheets.


Body enthusiasts, “The better your body, the more you should take it off.”
The body wave emphasizes the body, face, and overall appearance.
They constantly brag about how attractive their bodies are online.
“The more handsome a person is, the better short hair he should have, and the better his body, the more he should take off his clothes.” For these people, exposure is their destiny.
For those who are physically active, social media is an attractive portfolio, a personal billboard, and a place to make money.
Their bodies are the trigger that creates the 'SNS craze'.

Jeongshinpa, “Basically, we are a story.”
The mentalist wants to become famous for his intellectual content.
Although they may not be works by great writers, the movie you saw yesterday, the book you read today, and the exhibition you see tomorrow can all be good content.
They claim to be the hungry Socrates of our time.
The struggle to wear the title of 'Korean Sartre' begins.
Criticism requires intellectual capacity.
You don't need a lot of money or attractive looks here.
Just tell the story.
It's the best value for money.


Introduction of main characters

Kim Hyun-sik (living in Hannam-dong) “Spending money was the easiest thing in my life.”
What he believes in most in the world is his own exceptional sense of taste and texture.
I currently live in Hannam-dong, and my salary is just enough for a small allowance.
After eating out at a few fancy places, your salary will already be hitting rock bottom.
But he has one thing he believes in: the rent for the 'Our Dad' building.
Thanks to this, he continues to explore delicious restaurants all over the country.
As he says, true aristocratic taste grows on a solid material foundation.
How can you be an impartial critic without money? True taste is built on a solid material foundation.
Taking a sip of champagne, he nods.
"I am the true aristocrat of the Republic of Korea. I am." In his daily life, we savor the lifestyle of a true aristocrat of our time.


Park Hee-jin (Ilsan resident) “Which hot spot should we conquer today?”
What's so great about a bag strap? I can't live in Gangnam anymore.
She believes that her family's financial situation has deteriorated rapidly because her father sold the house in Jamwon-dong.
I resent my professor father who starts his sermon from the breakfast table.
Those who say material things aren't everything should start by checking their bank balance.
What kind of nonsense are you talking about when you're in such a desperate situation?
She wants to throw away such useless preaching and instead live the life of a fancy mid-level heroine.
If I say that out loud, I might end up looking like someone who only cares about money, so I'm constantly censoring myself.
I just think to myself.
Her philosophy is that there is no spirit better than matter, and that humanity comes from the granary.
A true little princess of this era, who is organizing the hot spots in Gangbuk and Gangnam in Excel and stamping them one by one.

Jo Jeong-ho (Seocho-dong resident): “Even when I go to the convenience store, I drive a Porsche.”
He is a successful financier in Yeouido.
But he also has a hidden pain: the aftereffects of plastic surgery.
I've hit rock bottom in life.
Now he has almost overcome it and is living the life of a successful financier.
I feel good every day with the bonuses deposited into my bank account and the praise for my competence.
When he gets a little tipsy at a drinking party, he often says that there is nothing in this world that money can't buy.
Here, #chastagram is a declaration to the world that I am doing well.
When I was young, I had plastic surgery without knowing anything and experienced the bitterness of life, but now my life is full of the confidence that money gives me.
A true young and rich person of this era who feels satisfied only when he drives his Porsche to the nearest convenience store.

Kim Hyung-jun (living in Geumho-dong) “Every woman in the world wants me.”
Health trainer.
They search for him all over the country.
He is very happy with his runaway popularity.
The source of his immense popularity is his own body.
I didn't know there would be so many people looking for their own bodies.
It may seem like I don't care, but I actually manage my Instagram with a lot of care.
Instagram is the benefactor that brought him popularity and money.
Even today, I am in contact with countless women through that benefactor.
After showering, take a full-body photo in the full-length mirror.
I look at myself in the mirror proudly and smile with satisfaction.
People who keep contacting him to take his classes may not be interested in exercise.
Maybe I just want to have a good time with him.
He can tell.
Because I have experienced many times that the 'real' purpose lies elsewhere.


Lee Woo-seong (living in Hoehyeon-dong) “Blue House, will you call me?”
An ordinary office worker at a large corporation.
But he also has another 'title'.
Political influencer.
He is still typing hard on the keyboard today, practicing ultra-precision real-time sniping.
He ends his workday by mentioning various issues such as politics, economy, diplomacy, and security, and attacking specific individuals.
I am a 'keyboard warrior' working for a large company and receiving a salary.
I don't post anything on weekends.
That's what he often says when drinking.
"Our country also desperately needs to discuss basic income." I'm blown away by the cheers I hear from people around me on Facebook.
Now, having lost his mind, he has forgotten his main job and is absorbed in playing the role of a political influencer.
I believe that real-name sniping together creates solidarity.
They also engage in joint name-calling attacks with celebrities.
This way, your recognition will increase even more.
And he thinks of himself as a “like” to them.
No, I think it's even better.
Why? Because I think of myself as a next-generation political commentator.
The rising star is me.


Han Ki-hwan (living in Gahoe-dong) “Have you heard of the East Village behind the Hyundai Construction building?”
Graduate students preparing to study abroad in the United States.
I entered a university in Sinchon through a typical writing program.
At the time, people were in an uproar, thinking he was some genius poet like Rimbaud.
Rambo's ass.
He expresses his own 'Rambo' in the style of an elementary school student's picture diary on Instagram.
The stage that often appears in his picture diary is Seoul National University.
The master's program at Seoul National University, which I ran away to after quitting my job, is almost the only achievement I've made in my life.
It is more special and precious.
The place he lives, risking his life to study abroad in the United States, is behind the Hyundai Construction building.
It is located to the east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, so he calls it East Village.
As I was taking a taxi home, I blurted out words out of habit.
“Sir, please go to East Village behind Hyundai Construction.” Rambo lives in East Village.
Behind the Hyundai Construction building.


Kim Jun (living in Imun-dong) “Tomorrow, I will be a K-star.”
SNS advertising model, celebrity trainee.
He claims to be the model for every product that makes money.
Ask for as much money as possible.
In this world, money ultimately determines everything.
He exposes his body as much as he gets paid.
The more exposure, the higher the price.
As expected, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
In fact, he has a small wish: that people would focus on his face rather than his body.
He claims that he resembles Cha Eun-woo, who is currently the most popular actor.
The beginning and end of his work is imitating Cha Eun-woo's expressions and lines.
I believe that tomorrow, K-Star will conquer Southeast Asia.
I believe in the power of my mother's banana dream.