Waking up early in the morning, making a green smoothie for breakfast, working out every day, and avoiding procrastination – this is a rough version of the routine that has become somewhat ‘standard’ for productive days among the young generation.
If you doubt whether this lifestyle is exclusive to young people, we’ve coined the term “That Girl,” which embodies the pursuit of self-improvement, healthy habits, and productivity. It’s easy to find a lot of content about That Girl across social media, such as vlogs and guides on becoming a That Girl. You can also discover similar content using keywords like ‘productive life,’ ‘how to be the perfect student,’ and more.
We also have a similar trend in Korea called “God-saeng,” which means ‘living the best life as a god.’ ‘God’ is the English word for ‘god,’ and ‘saeng’ means ‘life.’ In most cases, productive, busy, and hustling life is considered God-saeng. People work out or study before they head off to work, read books and write journals at night, and prepare healthy lunch boxes for the next day. They study to improve their professions or to create additional profit pipelines beyond their primary jobs. They join the book club, running crew, and one-day classes for hobbies to become better versions of themselves. And they share their lives on social media.
The press reads that this flow has been feverish since the pandemic. With people unable to maintain their previous routines and having to stay indoors, it has caused a boom in efforts to keep healthy and productive lifestyles.
I was one of them. My friends and I challenged ourselves to send photos of our morning routines with timestamps. We shared photos of ourselves doing morning yoga, reading books, taking vitamins, and so on. It was a way to wriggle out of the collapsed routine caused by online classes – I was a sophomore at the university.
While ‘productive life’ has been a trend for some time now, the enthusiasm continues among people.
However, this trend can be a double-edged sword. The media are creating images and criteria of a proper way to live ‘right.’ And these are leading the young generation to burnout. Opinions vary on what causes burnout in Gen Z. The high inflation rate, intense geopolitical conflicts, and the pandemic are mentioned as some of the factors. But I would like to focus on the influence of the media, especially the trend of productivity.
One aspect of Korean culture that many foreign people consider peculiar is the hustle lifestyle. It might be too grandiose to label the hustle lifestyle as a national sentiment, but, indeed, many people can’t bear the status of ‘doing nothing.’ As far as I know, America is kind of on the same boat. Let’s recall a scene from the Netflix series “Emily in Paris,” where Luc (French) says “You live to work. We work to live,” to Emily (American). This is merely one example that presents a typical image of the U.S.
Based on cultural sentiment, the trend of a productive life has accelerated in both countries. Short and long videos featuring the terms That Girl and God-saeng pour in day by day. People draw motivation from each other’s lives and encourage themselves to become better individuals.
On the other hand, the criteria for a ‘good life’ are getting higher and higher. Many young people try to manage their days based on the content they consume and replicate the lifestyle and aesthetic they admire. In this process, some get tired of sustaining the perfect routine, and others feel a sense of shame if they can’t spend a day as organized as the cohort they see on social media. Even if this trend began with the purpose of well-being, edited-perfect-life on social media is bullying young people into suffocating themselves.
There has been a backlash in response to the pursuit of the perfect life. The new term “Lazy Girl Jobs” was coined by a Gen Z TikToker and has become quite a hot potato among the younger generation for a while. This trend emphasizes minimal effort and a better work-life balance, focusing on mental health.
In Korea, we call it “Gyang-saeng.” ‘Gyang’ is a nonstandard word short for ‘Gue-nyang’ which represents ‘normal’ or ‘average’ in this context. People who are sick of God-saeng are attempting to release themselves from the compulsions of pursuing the best life and simply live as a normal people, not as god. And this is the new trend of Gyang-saeng.
Frankly speaking, I am one of the productivity-holics. As a girl who spent almost her entire life in Korea, I always believed that a busy life is a good life. I was motivated by people who lived enthusiastically and tried to follow their lifestyles. Sometimes, I blindly copied others without knowing that their methods didn’t suit me, and tasted the bitterness of failure. As time went by, I could discern which lifestyle would fit me and drive positive changes. I don’t hold negative views toward trends like That Girl or God-saeng. Ultimately, they are all in pursuit of a better life.
But we, Gen Z, should think not to fall into burnout. Regardless of That Girl, Lazy Girl Jobs, or whatever, rather than being swept away by trends, we should find ways of life that suit ourselves.
Person A struggles throughout the day after advancing their wake-up time to 6 a.m., typically wakes up at 9 a.m. Person B binge-eats with stress after attempting intermittent fasting and is not used to resisting appetite. They are wrecking their bodies for the sake of something deemed good.
If A figured out they are night owls, they don’t have to wake up early in the morning like That Girls. If B has a problem with not eating for 14 to 16 hours, they can try other methods to stay healthy and fit. They can just find their ways according to their schedule and lifestyle.
We, Gen Z, have to develop our strengths to utilize massive information intelligently. We should practice distinguishing whether the information is a poisoned apple or an apple of the morning to survive under the pressure of a good life. I wish my generation, including myself, could deal with those pressures wisely and attain happiness.
Kyungmin Min is an international intern from Korea.
