2023-08-12 10:42:55
The feelings that emerge from Korean productions may not be whimsical, but have a particular psychological reason that has fueled their popularity.
According to data from Netflix, one of the most successful streaming platforms on the internet, the popularity of K-Dramas has increased substantially since 2022. By that date, at least 60% of users had seen at least one Korean fiction production.
For this same reason, the entertainment application decided to increase its budget for these realizations to $2.5 billionas collected Trade.
But the popularity that these productions enjoy is not whimsical, much less new.
One of the most popular and well-known K-Dramas in our country is Boys over flowers (Boys are better than flowersin Spanish), which was broadcast on open television through Mega in 2012. But this was just a taste for the fans who now meet in streaming.
Despite the fact that the drama concept is usually used for series produced throughout Asia (Japan, China, Thailand and South Korea), the truth is that it only refers to stories created in Japan.
Under this logic, the most appropriate thing is to define that K-Dramas are series of more than 8 chapters set in South Korea. These usually tell everyday problems, just like a Latin American soap opera would, however, in these productions there is a lot of influence from Asian culture.
For this reason, it is common for topics such as class struggle, unrequited love or economic problems to be addressed. However, the most current stories have begun to touch on more taboo topics in Asian countries, such as the bullying, disabilities and suicide.
It should be remembered that South Korea is the fourth country in the world with the highest suicide rate. By 2019, it had 28.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the world Bank.
Educate about mental health with doramas
It may be the emotionality that the stories provoke, the empathy that their characters arouse, or simply the sensitivity of the viewer, but the truth is that K-Dramas tend to put feelings on the surface and be quite emotional.
However, the fact that the fans of these dramas cry with these productions could have a hidden background. According Andrea Cid, psychologist at Integramedica: “Dramas in general can make viewers cry because encourage and emphasize the emotions that precede crying“.
“People cry when manage to connect with these intense emotions, particularly sadness. K-dramas often use as a resource music, which facilitates the viewer’s emotional connectionand it increases the probability that he empathizes with the actors and the story that is told, which can generate the emotion of sadness”, he explained.
Therefore, it is not surprising that a study carried out by specialists from the University of California and the State University of San José, in the United States, published in the National Library of Medicine have analyzed the use of episodes and scenes from these productions to educate about physical and mental health.
From the impressions collected from the research participants, the specialists concluded that “Regarding the scene of depression, some expressed that the scene was encouraging, it made them happy (that there was a positive result), it emphasized the importance of receiving treatment and it was informative”.
@just_kdramas The worst thing that could have happened to my life is that this series ended [cry] #always #foryou #itaewonclass #parkbogum #parkseojoon #whom #parksaeroyi #disney #kdrama #netflix #drama #korean ♬ Stay Gold – BTS
In addition to this, the study subjects also dared to share their own experiences of depression after watching the scenes. In this way, the participants also ensured that K-dramas “can potentially be used for mental health education.”
“Participants commented on how K-dramas invite viewers to engage with characters, facilitate understanding of themes (compared to just reading or speaking/listening), it is an innovative approach (an interesting way of reporting) and it is not stigmatizing for difficult issues (for example, mental health)”, they contextualized.
The “healing power” of K-Dramas
However, another that has verified the effectiveness of the use of these series to release emotions is Jeanie Y. Changa therapist focused on family mental health.
The professional usually uses scenes or chapters of K-Dramas in her patients, who leaves it as a task to watch these fictions in order to reflect on their own mental health problems.
“Seeing that someone who went through a very hard time gets the happiness they deserve. It is very important for our mental health. All those stories are relatable and we find ourselves in them.“he said in conversation with the site Manila Standard.
In another interview with ForbesThe specialist stated: “In our (Korean) culture there is a stigma for even talking about being depressed or anxious”so you have noticed that the use of these scenes are often effective.
The expert assured that in her experience, using K-dramas with her patients, it has helped her to address issues such as “bereavement, childhood trauma and family conflict”, which also develop in therapy. According to Chang, the effectiveness of this treatment was demonstrated in that “everyone always cries.”
The Integramédica psychologist, for her part, explained that the “healing power” of Korean fictions is not far from Western realitysince there are therapies such as dramaterapia o psychodrama.
In them “people can explore and express emotions, feelings, thoughts and behaviors through drama, in contexts where they cannot do so in real life. The fact of watching a drama on television where they feel identified can help them express and identify emotions, and also feel validated.“, detailed the professional.
However, he stopped to warn that the use of these fictions as a treatment tool for mental health must be linked to joint work with professionals and be appropriate to the age of the patients.
1691839327
#cry #Kdramas #healing #power #popular #Korean #fiction #Society