SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — ‘Pet rocks’ are gaining popularity as they are going viral on social media.
There are currently 1,300 posts on Instagram found under the hashtag #애완돌 (pet rock), most of which are photos of various decorated rocks and stones.
The ‘stone keepers’ buy homes to keep the stones in, and feel less lonely as they take care of the stones.
The popularity of ‘pet rocks’ is largely attributed to the increasing number of single-person households and the ongoing pandemic, which has led to heightened demand for psychological comfort and consolation.
Single-person households, which make up the majority of all households in South Korea, often face difficulty raising ‘real’ pets because of work.
“Celebrities making television appearances to talk about raising ‘pet rocks’ have also boosted their popularity,” pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun said.
Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
