Have you ever heard of "YOLO"? It means "You Only Live Once." It is a new way of life that has been spreading around among young people recently. They emphasize their happiness based on the spirit of "life only happens once." Also, they spend their time and other things in

the present to increase their own happiness without sacrificing for the future or for others. Their spending is to realize their ideals beyond merely getting something that satisfies their own self-interest.

 Then why have some people adopted "YOLO"? I found the inevitable reasons to be that the Yolo people were influenced by social forces. The youth generation has a lot of tasks that must be mastered continuously in Korea. There are employment, marriage, parenting, home ownership and providing for his/her old age. These lead to a typical life. However, these tasks are becoming more and more difficult to achieve, so they are pessimistic about their lives and slowly give up on the tasks one by one. It is not an accident that there are some people who set more importance on present happiness than investment for an uncertain future. The Yolo people come in three varieties in accordance with shopping patterns. If you are one of the Yolo people, you can find your type by remembering your shopping style while reading the following article.

 The first one is the careful investor type. This type consumes or invests in something that is considered worth while. It is distinct from impulse buying. If you feel satisfaction from wearing nice clothes and buying them periodically, you may be this type. Or for example, there are diverse pleasures such as eating at a fancy restaurant, collecting game consoles or Gundam models and gathering a collection of a make-up brand.

 The second one is the challenge type. Traveling, the Yolo person's representative area of interest, is a typical activity for this type of person. They save money by spending minimally due to having a clear goal and then travel for a long time or even for a short time. I think most of the Yolo people are of this type. They usually enjoy the challenge of meetings new people and going to new locations. They feel a sense of accomplishment from overcoming various challenges including taking trips to unfamiliar places, sports and learning something.

 The last one is the producer type. They are excited when they complete a piece of work and have a record of having done it. Personal home decoration is an interest of many of these people. These days the number of people who do interior decorating by themselves is increasing, and they are typical of the producer type of person. The producer type also includes people who enjoy baking and cooking.

 We divided the Yolo people into three types but the common factor is that they are consumers of things. Also, they may not have the characteristics of only one type but may exhibit characteristics of two or three types in their lifestyles.

Interview - The Department of English Language and Literature, Kim Han-na

Q. Do you think you are a Yolo person? Why?  

I think I'm one of the Yolo people based on the way other people see me. Normally, I consider my happiness to be the most important thing.

Q. How did you start to live a Yolo life?

In fact, I can explain my lifestyle well with the expression "Carpe Diem." It means "Be faithful to the present." It came out in movies and became famous. I am a person who does not prepare for the future. I am living happily, not just preparing to be happy. Also, books and my mom have had a big influence on me. Nowadays, I'm trying not to let my life be dominated by big ideas like Yolo and Carpe Diem.

Q. Is there any favorite thing or memorable thing that you realized about the Yolo life?

Maybe. I been living in France for about 50 days now using my first working money. It is very meaningful to me, and I think it will be memorable for a long time.

So far, we have talked about Yolo, a new way of life. The meaning of YOLO, which is "you only live once," is in line with the Latin saying Carpe Diem, which means to be faithful to the current moment. It does not mean that we should live our lives without any preparation and thought. If you have lived faithfully in the present, you will naturally live faithfully tomorrow, and eventually people who live happily now will live happily in every moment of their lives. Why don't we live a life that can change everyday happiness into everlasting happiness by doing our best every day like the Yolo people who live happily every day? I hope that the students of Kyonggi University will enjoy a wonderful and rewarding university life.