In South Korea, The Trend Of Owning A Pet Rock Is Going Viral & This Is The Reason!

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Calling all crazy animal lovers who have never had the chance to own a cute puppy or cat, this Asian country has a new pet for you! Oh, it’s not a furry animal, but a non-living thing. Years and years of evolution of humanity, technology, science and more, but the South Koreans turned to stones and rocks and used them as non-living companions. They call it a pet rock and no, we’re not talking about Dwayne Johnson as a pet. We know why Koreans gravitate towards buying a pet rock rather than a living, breathing animal.

Why having a Pet Rock is going viral in South Korea?

There has been a rather unusual trend that is going viral in South Korea, where you buy a pet rock and personify it. Koreans call this lifeless pet, draw facial expressions, put googly eyes, cute clothes or blankets to cover their body and more. All this for a piece of rock to be his companion that helps fight crippling loneliness and burnout.

The sizes and shapes of these pet stones vary. Regardless of the exterior, it gives South Koreans a sense of companionship, supposedly. They take him on walks, coffee dates, lunches and more. Basically, doing all the things that people would normally do with their pets without the hassle of keeping them alive.

Also read: South Koreans actually fry toothpicks and eat them; The authorities remind him that it is not a food product

With pet rocks, it is cheaper compared to raising dogs, cats, parrots or other animals. Therefore, the former gains an advantage with low maintenance and affordability during the fluctuating economy.

A psychological reason behind this trend

Collecting beautiful or unusual looking rocks was a common hobby long ago, but it has become popular again during the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the trend of animal stones came as the times of the pandemic were quite lonely for some people with zero social interaction. According to some experts, young people are more stressed, find it difficult to forge real connections and relationships that make them feel lonely.

To deal with judgmental society, burnout, loneliness and more, South Koreans have stones to fill this void. The association of people who are very attached, loving and caring towards their pets is similar to pet rocks. It’s like children from the stone age era are playing with stones again in the year 2024!

Also read: Japan has beautiful art on apples and it has been turned into collector’s items; For Sale

Have you ever considered buying a rock to fight loneliness?

Cover image courtesy: X/ImJustHere4X

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