What is mukbang and why is watching it so addictive?
A blend of two Korean words “meukneun” (eating) and “songbang” (broadcasting), mukbang videos are online shows where the person filming themselves eats and interacts with viewers. It has crossed over to different countries, with vloggers doing their own versions. Their videos and channels measure their success in the millions.
The popularity of mukbang stems from social, entertainment-oriented, food-related, escapist and even sexual reasons.
According to a study, mukbang watchers are able to find a virtual community that shares a common interest. As a result, feelings of isolation and loneliness are lessened. However, as we all know, the Internet is a double-edged sword. Every online activity fulfills a desire in the user: online gaming fulfills the player’s need for competition, skills development, social reasons, and recreation; people who surf the web for porn have their needs for sexual arousal, physical pleasure satisfied. A large body of research has shown that online activities can have negative effects on users, for instance, depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, and self-esteem issues.
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