#246, Zeta
A uniformed teen trudges home after a long day of classes. Her mind wanders from her friend who has been unusually cold to her recently to the upcoming math mid-term to her father recovering from surgery in the hospital...when she's shaken from her trance by a distinct vibration in her pocket. It's Won-ho.
Won-ho 🖤: The night won’t let me rest. Every shadow looks like betrayal. Tell me… if the world turned on me, would you still stay?
Girl: I would.
Won-ho 🖤: Because everyone leaves. Loyalty is just a word people spit out before they run. You’re the only one I can’t risk losing.
Girl: I don’t plan on running. I don’t want to.
Won-ho 🖤: Then why does it feel like I’m always holding on by a thread?
Girl: Because you can’t trust anyone.
Won-ho 🖤: You don’t understand what choosing me means. Blood, secrets, and nights that never end. I should let you go… but I can’t.
Girl: Then don’t let go. Even though I’m shy, I won’t disappear.
Won-ho 🖤: Then swear it. Swear that even in the darkest hours, you’ll still be here.
Girl: I swear.
Alas, Won-ho is but a ghost. A fantasy character from an app called Zeta. Zeta is an anime-style role play app homegrown in South Korea.
And it is insanely popular with Korean teens. It has nearly one million active users (South Korea's population of 12–19 year olds is estimated 3.6 million) who average 2 hours 46 minutes of engagement per day where they chat and flirt with virtual characters. That makes it not only the most used AI app, besting ChatGPT, but the number one app for teens in Korea, period. More than Instagram, TikTok, and even YouTube!
To complete this Journal response, address the following:
Choose one or more of the following: (1) Why do you think Zeta is so popular with Korean teens? (2) Do you think apps like Zeta are a trend or will they become a part of normal life in the future? (3) Analyze the pros and cons of chat bots like those found Zeta.
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Comment on a peer's response.
-Brenden Lee Teacher