Formed by stimulation of protective instinct, narrative, and SNS... Healing Content Role Talk Talk

Formed by stimulation of protective instinct, narrative, and SNS... Healing Content Role Talk Talk

Respect for life, unconditional love... Become a driving force that spreads warmth to society

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Senior Reporter Han Seung-ho = During the Chuseok holiday, people tend to be busy with ancestral rites, visiting graves, and attending gatherings of family and friends. However, over 460,000 people flocked to a port near Busan Station during the four days of this Chuseok holiday. People gathered to see ‘Bukangi’, a shark about 3 meters long.

On the 18th, Bukangi, which appeared at Busan's North Port Waterfront Park and has been staying there for more than 10 days, was greeted with cheers and exclamations every time it floated on the water and swam. The Busan Marine Police Station sent a patrol boat to the artificial waterway in the waterfront park several times to try to guide Bukangi into the sea, but Bukangi is said to not leave the artificial waterway.

There are more cases like Bukangi where certain animals received as much attention and affection as celebrities or idols. Fu Bao and Wolf Gu can be said to be the representative figures of ‘animal fandom’. This may be due to the increased interest in and emotional bonds with animals, with the number of people raising pets exceeding 15 million, but if you look behind the scenes, there are more reasons at work.

Why are people so easily fascinated by animals and empathize with them so powerfully?

First of all, it stimulates the human protective instinct. Unlike animals such as crocodiles or leopards, they have a cuteness and harmlessness similar to what humans feel from babies. Fu Bao's friendly appearance, with big eyes and short limbs, as well as his waddling movement, evoked feelings of caring in those who saw him. The same goes for wolves that escaped from the zoo or Bukangi that found their way from the sea to an artificial waterway.

Because these animals do not have complex relationships or social status like humans, the image of them as 'pure beings' is strong. It creates a desire to protect people from danger and respect them as precious lives, without considering interests or weighing up the stakes like humans do.

There are aspects where interest has increased as the narrative has been added. Fubao's strong bond with his zookeeper and his growth story became a drama, while Wolf Goo was told the story of a wolf escaping in search of freedom. As Bukangi did not easily leave the artificial waterway, doubts were raised about its habitat environment.

It also serves as ‘healing content’ in this harsh world. Unlike human relationships, animal content has the advantage of being emotional content that can be consumed without the burden of conflict or evaluation. Fubao brought laughter and emotion to those who were tired of isolation and anxiety due to COVID-19. Many people were relieved when the escaped wolf came back alive.

This fandom phenomenon was formed quickly by combining pet culture that permeates daily life with social media (SNS). This is because the daily lives of animals that suddenly became the subject of interest were quickly shared, the public was given personality and narrative, and the chain of animals becoming 'stars' worked well.

Like the hope that Bukangi, which refuses to leave even after attempts to return it to the sea, returns safely to nature, animal fandom ultimately appears to be an expression of humanity that respects the lives of others and conveys unconditional affection. We hope that warm interest and emotional solidarity for animals will serve as a driving force to bring a little more warmth to our society, which is tired of competition.