South Korea’s lonely, stressed Gen Z find comfort in apps that do nothing
Fake delivery and smoke-break sites offer stress relief to South Korean youth, simulating orders without cost and easing cravings
3-MIN READ3-MIN Listen
At 2am, Kim, a 25-year-old office worker, opens a site designed to look like a food delivery app, though he has no plan to order. He chooses menu items, drops them into a cart and simulates the experience of placing an order.
“It somehow feels like I actually ordered something,” he said.
Kim said the habit helps him resist late-night cravings.
Advertisement“There are many times when I crave food late at night but hold back to save money. It feels like a real delivery app, so I somehow keep looking at it,” Kim said, referring to a site whose name is a spoof of a food delivery app.
“I don’t end up ordering anything, but it feels like it relieves a little stress,” Kim said.
AdvertisementSo-called dopamine sites – online spaces that offer quick stimulation – have recently spread among young people in South Korea. The fake food delivery site is one example, recreating the experience of using a delivery app without the transaction. Users can browse menus, select items and place them in a cart without sending an order.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x