There is a unique music festival named ‘Silent Disco’ held in Glastonbury , England . People arrive at the concert like any other, but there is no band. People dance to the music with their own music player and headset. They are all gathered in one place, but they do not notice other people. They just enjoy this situation in their own minds. The concept is that the larger the space between the people in this world, the more people find that they spend with only themselves.

Many people have followed this trend, and the present generation wants to spend their time only in their own world. They are called the ‘Gloomy Generation’. It seems to have a negative meaning if you just read it to the letter. This can cause a misunderstanding, such as the ideas of gloom, depression, melancholy and so on. However, it does not mean that.

‘Gloomy Generation’ considers the importance of time and enjoys solitude. They think of it in terms of an image, which emphasizes a polished urbanite instead of solitude and loneliness. According to their ideas of free will, these people eat by themselves, watch movies by themselves, and play by themselves. They think it is a healthy phenomenon. In addition, this trend takes place in many countries.

The ‘Gloomy Generation’ has increased in Korea , too. According to research of ‘Inter park’, the rate of people, who are purchasing only one ticket in advance for live concerts, have increased from 12 percent in 2005 to 15 percent in 2006. In addition, the numbers of people, who appreciate musicals alone, have increased from 8 percent to 10 percent. It demonstrates that people are not afraid to watch cultural performances alone anymore.

In the case of universities, what do many students think about this new trend? Look at the graph below, almost 81 percent of students responded that they prefer to enjoy their addictive activities alone. It means that there are a lot of people who want to spend their own time alone.

Many people want to spend time alone, but they are open and hospitable without being disturbed when they enjoy their own time. However, 22 percent respondents said, yes, when asked if they do not want to be interrupted. However, on the other side 55 percent responsed, ‘no’.

When asked, “What do you think about the increasing trend of individualism? The ‘Gloomy Generation’ was divided in the two responses. Some people thought it was positive. Individualism is one of those cultures that cannot be avoided in this society. It is composed of a social organism that has a characteristic of people. No one can be exactly the same as another, and this helps to express their personality. Actually, the people have not found their own color, because they have been bound to conform to society. Because of this crisis, the expansion of individualism means that the people are finding their own color. Then the ‘Gloomy Generation’ plays the roll of an activator.

Besides, the time that one spends by oneself is needed for self-improvement. It leads to their self actualization, abilities and initiatives. Above all, many people consider the ‘Gloomy Generation’ positively because they are individuals, who do not have to act according to the situation.

In opposition, the negative opinions of people think that people cannot live alone. Although many people pursue an independent life. They believe that they eventually cannot help returning to society. They emphasized the importance of relationships or connections between people. Some people consider individualism is the respect for others rights, but it can hurt other through indifference as well.The ‘Gloomy Generation’ is adaptable to students as far as it goes though its form as a transition period.

The ‘Gloomy Generation’ uses the idea of ‘one’ as a marketing strategy. Many enterprisers or companies have caught the trend and put out lots of project. Not too long ago ‘C’ newspaper introduced a restaurant. This restaurant prepares a special menu and place for the customer, who visits by him or herself. The place is composed of a bar, and the host meet in front of the customer. Located in ‘Sin-chon’, the restaurant is well known to  many from the ‘Gloomy Generation’. It also provides a menu that offers various meats.

According to the owner of the ‘Teumsae Ramen’, Kim, Bok-hyun, this new form of bar brings a lot of benefit too many people. It is very efficient. For example, a person looks for a comfort seat, and eats their food quietly in the bar. Their eating is soon finished, and they pay their bill and go out. The owner can then greet more customers. In addition, a small space can be utilized efficiently, it becomes a source of success, he said. According to an owner of another restaurant, they are killing two birds with one stone. They greet a person and provide adequate service, and then they have more customers and more profits.

In addition, many book cafés and coffee shops prepare a single table or leave a space between tables for the people who want to stay quietly. The tables are divided into four pieces. When one person leaves, the tables can be separated or pushed together as they need. The ‘Gloomy Generation’ appears in parts of architecture. A travel agency prepares travel packages for ‘Trip Alone’ for women, who want to travel alone.

Apartments are also being designed especially for the ‘Gloomy Generation’. There is an extra room that is located down stairs. When you want to spend time alone, you can hide in the space that exists only for you. The people feel relaxed in this place. Leased apartments are also changing for one person. They are called ‘Cocoon Houses’, and is made up of soundproof facilities, thoroughness of security, private bathroom, and so on. It is particularly attractive to foreigners.

The trend is the larger the number of people, who wish to find silent places, the larger and wider the markets will aim at the single ‘Gloomy Generation’. 

Korean society is gaining benefits from the individualism of the ‘Gloomy Generation’. In many foreign countries, individualism has spread already. Moreover, many have negative thoughts about individualism.

The movie ‘My Generation’ shows the individualism society and the people who neglected by their society. The editor wants to express the problem through young man, he said.

The ‘X Generation’ of the United States was an issue for a time. They were born from last part of the 1960s to the early 1970s. They shock up society by denying Christian traditions and the sacredness of family. They also denied existing traditional values, but they could not oppose their own values, and have shown their individualization.

Last year the NGO ‘Global Language Monitor’, selected to monitor a word, ‘Hikicomori’. This word means recluse, loner, and most people accept it negatively. It is originally from Japan. It shows this phenomenon is taking place not only in Japan, but also in other English-speaking countries. 

In the case of France , they suffer from first hire contract, CPE (le Contract premire embauche). In this system, a company can lay off young men, who work less than two years. Unemployment has increased, and a ‘Black Thursday group’ has appeared among young men. They invade a vacant house and then give a noise party. It became a popular fashion for a short time. It eventually became individualism.

To ease this situation, one philosopher in France opened a ‘Philosophy Café’. Patrons can pay per hour, the people can consult one by one. It is not a standard service, but it is like a friend. Whenever a person wants to consult, the person can call and talk with him. One-by-one consulting becomes apersonal tendency like private banking, arrangement of a house, and so on.

To limit depressive disorders, glasses named ‘Luminet Glasses’ that can treat melancholia, a mood disorder of non-specific depression, characterized by low levels of enthusiasm and low leves of eagerness for activity. Or seasonal disorder, which was introduce in a health forum in Brussels, Belgium. The glasses disjoint hormonal related melancholia. In addition, there are DVDs that allow singltons to eat together with others was developed in Japan.There are also ‘Free Hugs’, which was directly developed because of the ‘Gloomy Generation’.

 The ‘Gloomy Generation’ is one model of individualism. Some countries think of individualism more positively, and others do not. The most important point is that individualism is one part of our lives. When you watch the trends of your mind, your mind can flow naturally.