Technology Addiction - Regardless of Korean's age

Based on my experience doing my internship in Korea, I cannot remember anyone still using the old mobile phone back in that country. The smartphone phenomenon has flood their country washing put the mobile phone era. Everyone are using smartphone, primary school student and even the adult cannot get their hand off from their smartphone. 

I already experienced the situation where one day in the subway, my friend and I stand together at the back of the subway couch. The environment inside the subway was very quite with each of the passenger doing their own things like looking at their phone, reading something or listening something. It is the situation where you can see a children playing games at iPhone while their parents doing something else at their iPhone. The children giggling by himself while the parents silently scrolling whatever it is at their phone. No communication happened between them. So, back to us, since we're Malaysian, we talk a lot and laugh a lot, because of that we have been reprimanded by someone to lower down our voice. What is our fault? We are doing the real social life. It is weird isn't it? Where are all the real social life have gone in Korea?

Situation in a subway in Korea. Source: Google Image

Korean's student with their smartphone. (Source: http://www.thestar.com)

If in Malaysia, when we are hanging out together and someone playing with their phone, it is wrong. We were suppose to collect all the phone and put it at the middle of the table. No one can touch the phone and the one the earliest touch their phone must treat the whole table. But it is different in Korea. If you can see in the Korean Drama or movies, the most gadget they like to show is their smartphone and the GPS technology. It is because their technology is very high at the limit they supposed to show off a little bit.

Smartphone by Samsung. Source: Google Image

GPS system that must have in every car in Korea. Source: Google Image

It is also happen to me while I am travelling to Seoul using the KTX (Korean bullet train), we as a group of Malaysian as always, laugh out loud in the train or public transport is normal (the quiet one is not normal), and then a staff came to us and also tell us to lower down our voice. What happen to us when we can't talk louder? We're all fall asleep. Different us to Korean, they are all looking at their smartphone non-stop. That is their culture.

Source: Google Image

So, saw a Korean guy walking with their eye glued on the smartphone screen is normal, but I have seen worse than that. That situation happened in Seoul's subway. There is one person in the subway coach watching Korean's drama via his laptop. I'm standing next to him sneakily watch the free drama. As the train stop at this one station, this person stand up, waiting in front of the door with all other person and rushed out with the laptop open and the drama running. Wonderful situation where we can see how this person walking past between dense of people at the subway. Ninja maybe?