South Korea’s Plastic Surgery Obsession
A South Korea plastic surgery advertisement (Willett-Wei, 2013)
Introduction
On the streets of Seoul, South Korea, it is obvious that plastic surgery is an ever more relevant phenomena. The country is obsessed with being beautiful. Seoul is the “Plastic Surgery Capital of the World” with more than 600 clinics. The country boasts the highest per capita rate of cosmetic surgery of any country in the world. (Lee, 2019). Given how dangerous plastic surgery is, the fact that going under the knife is so popular is very surprising. After all, possible complications include blood clots, infection, and excessive bleeding (Kita, 2020). Despite these risks though, thousands continue to undergo surgery. For this deep dive, I wanted to ask why?
Plastic surgery advertisements fill subway stations. (Hu, 2018)
South Korean culture is unique as a result of its heavy focus on beauty. Job opportunities and economic prospects are heavily based on how one looks, which is arguably the main driver of why the Korean beauty industry is so popular. In a way, if one wants a good job in the country, one has to look beautiful— undergoing plastic surgery will subsequently improve one’s employment opportunities.
Traditional family culture and women’s low status
For most of its history, traditional customs stressed respect for elders and husbands, which gave Korean women low status. Women were expected to be “obedient to the father when young; to the husband when married” (Palley, 1990). For most of Korea’s history, there was a very serious gender bias for males. In modern times, Korean families still prefer boys for their children, especially in rural areas. This favoritism gave a number of privileges to sons over daughters– men inherited most of the family’s property and carried on the family name. In fact, girls were considered “outsiders who will leave the family,” and the majority were not able to obtain higher-level education (Sorenson, n.d.). Moreover, the status of Korean women was also heavily influenced by the Chinese philosophy of Li, which further exasperated their low status in front of elders (Shin, 2016). It was expected that Korean women must obey and be loyal to their parents. Importantly, as part of traditional teachings and ideologies, Korean women held a conservative attitude towards their bodies, believing that it is important to keep one’s skin and hair because they are from their parents. Tampering with one’s physical features was thus seen as disrespectful to one’s ancestors, and was potentially damaging to themselves and their descendants (Lee, 2006).
Traditional Korean painting (Woo-young, 2013)
Even by the mid 20th century, the status of Korean women was still relatively low because of the gender-based structure of family relations. At the time, being a housewife and obeying parents was way more important for women than beauty. Given these traditional roles and the belief that the body should not be tampered with, it was hard to imagine any Korean woman willingly undergoing cosmetic surgery.
Women status and roles change
By the mid 20th century though, the traditional Confucian role for women gradually began to change due to the gender equality movement. After the Korean war, when South Korea was first starting to be established as a nation, a suffrage movement spread across the country as demand rose for equal educational and work rights. Article 11 of the nation’s constitution states: “all citizens shall be equal before the law, and there shall be no discrimination in political, economical, social or cultural life on account of sex, religion or social status” (Choi, 2020). By the early 1990s, gender discrimination was legally prohibited. With these new changes, a growing number of women began to join the workforce, participate in political activity, and pursue higher education.
Another cause of the changing roles for women was due to the influence of Western culture, where its ideals prompted many Korean women to leave the household. After World War II, the American influence on South Korea gradually deepened. More and more women became involved in advocating for independence, freedom, and individuality, especially with the rise of feminism in 1980 and 1990 (Kyung-Sup & Min-Young, 2010). In 1986 when South Korea hosted the Olympic games, there was an enormous push from the international community for the country to advance socially. This motive was further accelerated after the United Nations declared the late 1970s and early 1980s to be part of the “decade of women” (Tinker & Jaquette, 1987).
Finally, the modernization of South Korea’s economy was perhaps the largest reason why so many women were able to leave their traditional roles and experience a change in status with their new jobs. South Korea has been described as “the Miracle on the Han River” where after being devastated by the Korean war, the country was able to quickly rebound and transform into a developed country. With so many new opportunities, more and more Korean women were then attracted to step out of their traditional housewife role and enter the job market. There also was an enormous social change where, because of industrialization, massive numbers of families began a rural-to-urban migration. Urbanization was able to break traditional family status as women began to campaign for new roles. In 2008, women won the right to register as the new head of the family, which gave them increased legal standing in cases such as divorce and child-custody (Lee, 2021). Thus, as the country rapidly urbanized and exposed itself to Western influence, Korean women were able to leave their traditional roles and achieve a great change in status, switching their focus from family-centered roles to individual values by entering the workplace. However, what awaits these women is a highly competitive job market.
Cheonggyecheon in the 1950s vs now (Ow, 2020)
Beauty in job hunting
As Korean women continue to leave the family household as part of their status change, many are expected to find good well-paying jobs. However, South Korea is a very competitive society. The country is very small geographically and lacks natural resources. Most of the country’s economy is thus fueled by its technology and business sector. South Korea is also one of the world’s most educated countries, with 70% of high school graduates continuing to four-year universities (Diamond, 2016). Unfortunately, though, the country’s job market has been stagnant recently. In 2018, South Korea only produced 97,000 jobs, the fewest since the global financial crisis. Nearly one in five young Koreans are out of work, many of whom are university graduates (Yang & Kim, 2019). Furthermore, unlike other countries, South Korea is facing an oversupply of skilled workers, meaning that high-wage jobs are in very high demand. With so many people going to university, there is an abundant supply of qualified applicants for a limited number of white-collar jobs.
Students in South Korea work hard to find a job (Kim, 2014).
As a result of this tough job market, employers and recruiters for Korean companies are allowed to be picky given that there are so many applicants. For Korean women though, it is particularly tough. When hiring, there is particular favoritism towards male applicants, which has caused an enormous gender gap. In a 2018 study, South Korea ranked 30th of 36 OECD countries for women’s employment, despite having a very high education rate for females (Jeong, 2019). In a case, three out of South Korea’s top four banks have been accused of lowering female test and interview scores in favor of hiring more male applicants. In another example, the chairman of Shinhan Financial Group, the country’s second-largest financial group, was charged with violations of equal opportunity law after trying to make sure males make up 75% of employees (Hawon, 2018). This, as a result, has given South Korea one of the thickest glass ceilings in the world, and it is very difficult for women to find and maintain high-paying positions. Though academics and experience are vital, beauty has also become a factor in the hiring process. For Korean women, being attractive provides vastly better chances of being hired, which has pushed the need for cosmetic surgery.
Many jobs in Korea require a resume and a cover photo (Premack, 2018).
Unlike many other countries where discrimination based on looks is banned, in South Korea, it is encouraged. In fact, there even is a phrase “oemo jisang juui” meaning “looks are supreme” (Stiles, 2017). Additionally, most high-paying jobs, including in government, require applicants to submit photos. In a study, out of more than 900 businesses listed on a job website, about 60% required photos. Discrimination in the country is sometimes even publicly shared over the internet: one blog post said large corporations like “pretty eyes” and that governmentworkers favor “high noses.” Even the government knows about this favoritism for attractiveness: the Ministry of Employment and Labour tweeted job seekers should mind their looks and plastic surgery was an option (Stiles, 2017). Therefore, it cannot be understated that attractiveness is an important factor for job opportunities; cosmetic surgery as a result seems to be a beneficial process to find a good career.
The Ministry of Employment and Labour tweeted “Is cosmetic surgery among the seven qualities needed to get a job?” And “What is the appearance that companies are looking for?” (Hyun-ju, 2015)
In Western culture, it is often expected that if one works hard, they will succeed in life no matter what. In Korea though, this notion is not often accurate as attractiveness is an enormous barrier to success. Sadly, the harsh reality of the situation is that good looks—not skill—make women more competitive in the job market. One 20-year-old had surgery to heighten her nose bridge and followed it up a few years later with a crease to her eyes. These procedures gave her a newfound sense of confidence, and felt her personality change to that of an extrovert. After her surgery, she realized how beneficial being beautiful was, as her life changed for the better. She was able to secure a good job and experienced an immense increase in social status. Importantly, she noted that had she not undergone plastic surgery, she doubted that she would have had a chance to display her academic skills when applying for jobs as employers tend to favor attractiveness at first glance (Lee, 2019). Her story thus demonstrates that for many interviewers, first impressions are critical— unfortunately, though appearance is a crucial aspect of a good first impression. Subconsciously, humans will tend to put outward appearance above internal characteristics like academic ability. These psychological factors then tend to screen out many hopeful applicants, leaving many young graduates desperate and willing for cosmetic surgery.
In the job market specifically, stereotypes also exist amongst employers based on one’s appearance. For example, many recruiters prefer big round eyes since those with small eyes are seen as sneaky, not trustworthy, and less ethical, since there is a belief that the face’s shape is linked to personality. (Holliday & Elfving-Hwang, 2012). Many recruiters practice physiognomy, where they judge a person’s characteristics solely based on their outer appearance, and especially on their face. Some companies even hire a physiognomist for the interview to evaluate their applicants. According to the job recruitment agency JobKorea, 80 percent of recruitment executives consider physical appearance when hiring (Holliday & Elfving-Hwang, 2012). Thus, people promote cosmetic surgery given that being pretty is a necessity and a very important element to find a good job. Since physiognomy contributes to a large portion of an interviewer’s perception of an applicant, having the ‘right face’ reduces the chance of leaving an unfavorable impression. Furthermore, in certain industries, and especially in sales and business, people with wider eyes would have more success in their careers. This is because they would have an easier time negotiating deals and offers given that their bigger eyes provide a more trustworthy impression. As a result, cosmetic procedures to improve appearance seems to be almost a requirement to succeed in business.
The results of double eyelid surgery (Premack, 2018)
It is thus apparent that with Korean women continuing to leave the family house role as part of their status change, the need for jobs has stimulated the beauty industry. As a result, cosmetic surgery has become more than just looking beautiful; it has seemingly become a prerequisite to succeed in a career. (Bon, 2014). Examples of these careers where pretty appearance plays an extremely important role are K-pop girl groups, flight attendants, and beauty pageant contestants.
K-pop girl group
Girl groups like T-ara readily admit they undergo multiple plastic surgery operations (Premack, 2018)
The music industry in Korea is another place that has demonstrated dramatic changes in the status of women. The K-pop industry has grown to become a cultural phenomenon and has raised the status of women in the country to immense levels of fame. Though males do serve as musicians in the industry, the image of the ideal Korean women has come to define K-pop: a face of cuteness, innocence, and attractiveness.
For young South Korean women, the life of a K-pop star has become ever more appealing. Before the music industry took off, most Korean women would almost never have had the chance to obtain such careers. Traditional roles restricted women to their family households as second-class citizens inferior to their father and husband. Only men were able to achieve such high levels of fame and wealth. Even in modern society, most industries in the country are still a very male-dominated field. Companies in South Korea have one of the lowest ratios of female to male board members in the world, with only around 4% of senior managers and CEOs become women (Moon-hee. 2019). In South Korea’s parliament, women hold just 17% of the seats (Jeong, 2019). For K-pop though, the industry is different as girl groups have dominated musical performances for the last decade. In K-pop, women have much higher opportunities for success as K-pop stars are seen as the face of their country’s culture. Importantly, it cannot be understated how prestigious of a career being a K-pop star is. The industry is worth $5 billion, with K-pop groups often selling more albums than some of the West’s most famous musicians (Tai, 2020). K-pop stars are some of the highest-paid people in South Korea as a result of how large the music industry has become: Lee Hyori, one of the first generation of K-pop stars, has an estimated net worth of 25 million (Pence, 2020). Because K-pop stars can achieve superstardom status, they will also obtain an enormous social media following that elevates their level of fame. Each of the 4 members of Blackpink for example, has at least 35 million followers on Instagram (Rin, 2021). With such levels of fame and wealth, it is no wonder why every year, thousands of Koreans audition for the chance to perform in the industry. In fact, a survey found 21% of preteens hope to become K-pop stars (Benjamin, 2015).
K-pop is remarkable given that for women, being a star in the industry means increased social status, prestige, and wealth. Importantly, it is only recently that these jobs have opened up. K-pop truly only began in 1992, with just a small hip hop performance. Before this, music in the country was tightly regulated, focusing mostly on slow ballads and old folk songs (Romano, 2018). Thus, the prestigious careers of musicians have only been made available recently, and for women, being a K-pop star is one of the few opportunities they have to achieve fame and prestige. However, to achieve these prestigious careers, attractiveness is a requirement, which has persuaded so many Korean women to turn to plastic surgery before they audition.
In K-pop, the typical Korean female K-pop star is thought of as having a wide-eyed, girlish, innocent, and cute image. Management companies place an enormous amount of emphasis on making sure groups such as Girls Generation all have small faces, large eyes, and button noses (Stone, 2014). In fact, some K-pop stars even advertise and act as spokespeople for the cosmetic industry. To illustrate how important appearance is as criteria, ex-TAHITI member Hanhee shared in an interview about her recruitment process: “They asked me to sing, and I’m not the best singer, but that doesn’t matter in K-pop, everything can be touched up” (Volodzko, 2016). ” An infamous trend that exists in many K-pop girl groups is that the members are often sexualized to appeal to fans (Brown, 2013). To make the performers look innocent and pure, their hairs are braided into long hairstyles, decorated with ribbons and flowers, and their outfit is designed to create the childlike appearance of pretty girls. For cosmetic surgeries, many idols undergo double eyelid operations, chin shaving, and body shape adjustments.
As a result of the immense popularity of K-pop in the country, thousands of female fans have been imitating the appearance of their favorite idols. For many, this mainly includes dressing and dancing in a similar fashion as their favorite K-pop stars. For others, this means achieving an attractive K-pop-like face and undergoing surgery for round foreheads, a medium-sized nose bridge, a clear “V-line” face shape, and extremely pale white skin (Kim, 2016).
Overall, the emergence of K-pop girl groups as the dominant form of the country’s music industry has marked a dramatic change in the status and career of women. Becoming a K-pop star offers one of the few opportunities where women can achieve prestige and fame to elevate their social status— and it is these incentives which has driven so many women to cosmetic surgery clinics as many K-Pop idols believe they will not be able to entertain the audience if they are not pretty.
Flight attendants
Beauty Products on a flight (Premack, 2018)
For many young South Korean women, the position of a flight attendant is also a newly available and prestigious career for Korean women. It is a job that pays around $3,500 a month, which is a salary much higher than most jobs at the same age level and provides great perks such as the opportunity to travel around the world. The job is so competitive that for a couple of hundred spots, there are nearly 20,000 applicants. Aspiring flight attendants will often apply nine times before they get a position. However, this position is also one that involves stringent standards of beauty, which has forced many Korean women to undergo surgery.
For most of the latter half of the 20th century, there were very strict requirements in appearance to become a flight attendant. Before 2015, South Korea’s largest airlines like Korean Air and Asiana Airlines had specific height and language requirements. Though rules have been softened since then, there is no doubt that attractiveness is one of the most important criteria when airlines are recruiting flight attendants. After all, “The flight attendants are actually the representative of the airline” (Premack, 2018). During interviews, recruiters will even ask and evaluate how applicants do their hair and make-up. Pablo Lee, a director at a flight attendant academy, has said “They need to be physically perfect” and that applicants are required to be taller than 160 cm and weigh no more than 60 kg (Stuart-Leach, 2011). Recognizing how important it is to be attractive, some clinics are even capitalizing on this opportunity by providing special surgical packages for prospective flight attendants. For example, the Reborn Aesthetic Clinic in Seoul’s wealthy Gangnam District advertised a program specifically targeted to flight attendants for smoother skin (Stuart-Leach, 2011).
Therefore, flight attendants are another good example of the competitive job market for women, where the high requirements of beauty have become yet another stimulus to the cosmetic surgery industry.
Beauty pageants
The 2013 Miss Korea beauty contest. All participants look so similar, with most having plastic surgery done (Willett-Wei, 2013)
Over the years, beauty pageants have become a great way to accelerate and promote one’s career. The Miss Korea pageant is one of the country’s most famous beauty pageants, and throughout its history, has become a launching pad for many young girls to obtain careers in the entertainment industry and in show business. It was common to see the winner and runner-up of these pageants appearing in reality shows, dramas, and even in music videos and movies (Hyun-kyung, 2019). In fact, many Korean actresses started off as pageant contestants before beginning their professional careers. In the 21st century, being a beauty pageant contestant has become a relevant part of the employment process, as applicants with higher education backgrounds will often register in the contest to make themselves more competitive. According to interviews with the Miss Korea 2015 candidates, the contest is highly regarded as a gateway to
achieving their prospective goals (Coello, 2014). Additionally, beauty contests have become a way for young women to begin a career in politics since so many skills learned in pageanting are applicable for public office (Woolf, 2014). Notably, beauty pageants are also mentally beneficial for finding a good job. By performing well in pageants, young girls have been found to gain confidence and self-esteem. During rehearsals, girls are taught how to walk confidently with good posture, which can improve how they are perceived by employers.
The Miss Korea contest is uniquely different from other beauty pageants around the world due to its heavy focus on plastic surgery. It is well-known that many of its candidates have undergone some sort of operation over the years. In 2013, the Miss Korea pageant raised enormous amounts of criticism for how eerily similar their models looked. Many blamed the fact that most of the candidates favored one ideal look as being beautiful: having wide eyes, a narrowed nose, and a pointed chin (Stewart, 2013). This is exemplified by the fact that on a popular blog, a headline reads “Korea’s plastic surgery mayhem is finally converging on the same face,” (Trifunov, 2013). These similar faces show the extent pageant contestants will go to make themselves more beautiful, to the point where they all start looking the same in order to obtain that highly desired ideal face.
In any beauty contest, plastic surgery will provide a significant boost to a competitor’s chances of winning since there is such a heavy emphasis on appearance. In many pageants, most candidates aren’t even required to disclose if they have had any operations done on their appearance. Thus, plastic surgery is viewed positively and has seemingly become an acceptable part of the industry. Alex Kuczynski, the author of Beauty Junkies: Inside Our $15 Billion Obsession With Cosmetic Surgery has said “If their business is to look and fit a stereotype of beauty that will win them this competition then that’s OK in that universe.” (Teotonio, 2012). In a way, organizers believe that because candidates are allowed to go under the knife, everyone competing is therefore on an even playing field. The Miss Universe organization, which operates international pageants, discourages plastic surgery but makes no restrictions since organizers believe enforcing such a rule is unrealistic (Teotonio, 2012). Therefore, it is clear that if one wants to improve their chances of winning a pageant and accelerate their career opportunities in the entertainment industry, they will have to undergo plastic surgery to make themselves prettier.
The beauty industry increases confidence and self-esteem
In South Korea, attractiveness is typically looked at in the initial evaluation of applications, where prospective applicants attach a picture of themselves to their cover letter and resume. However, in the interview stage, it has been found that plastic surgery can further increase the likelihood of being hired as undergoing the procedure can increase the applicant’s self-confidence. Plastic surgery as a result exponentially increases the likelihood for a Korean woman to be hired for these prestigious job opportunities, as it helps both in the initial screening and the interview.
For many women, beauty is a very important aspect of self-esteem. After all, if one is ugly, they are probably often looked down upon by society in many ways, which over time, negatively affects their confidence. For instance, many men experience a lack of confidence when they experience hair loss, which prompts them to opt for hair loss treatment. For women, many feel that without makeup, their skin isn’t pretty enough. The reason why beauty has such a strong relationship with confidence is that people who think of themselves as attractive believe they have a higher social status, which boosts their self-esteem (Glynska, 2017). By undergoing plastic surgery, people will feel better about themselves and their status. With more self-confidence, that person will stand a better chance of finding a good job. In a study published in the Clinical Psychological Science report, the research found that plastic surgery patients could experience a higher sense of satisfaction and more happiness in life. This was a long-term study investigating approximately 550 patients. Psychologists tested the patients on their psychological variables, such as mental health, before the surgery and over a 12 month period. Notably, they found that patients who chose to have plastic surgery felt healthier, less anxious, and had more self-esteem with their bodies as a whole. As a result, the researchers were able to establish that cosmetic surgery had tremendous success psychologically (Margraf et al., 2013).
In another study, researchers studied 84 women between the ages of 21 and 57 and assessed their self-esteem before and after breast augmentation. Before undergoing the
procedure, participants were mailed a consent form and a questionnaire that asked them to rate their self-esteem. These same participants were emailed a similar questionnaire two to three months after the surgery. On the 30 point Rosenberg scale, the participant’s average self-esteem score increased from 20.7 to 24.9. Furthermore, the researchers noted that improvements in women’s self-esteem were directly correlated with undergoing breast augmentation, showing just how beneficial cosmetic surgery is for confidence and mental health (Figueroa-Haas, 2007). The importance of self-confidence in a career cannot be understated, as personality is one of the most essential aspects of any occupation. Firstly, self-esteem has been found to dramatically lead to more success in job hunting. In a job interview, confidence plays a role in whether or not an applicant will be able to be hired. A study found that 70% of employers viewed personality to be one of the top three factors when considering applicants. This means that arguably, personality and behavior during an interview might be more important than skill and merit (Luckwaldt, 2019).
Self-esteem also plays a significant role in one’s career performance. In a meta-analysis of 49 studies, results showed that there was a positive relationship between self-esteem and job performance (Hutman, 1999). This makes sense as esteem will increase productivity in the workplace, enable effective communication and create a positive personality. With plastic surgery providing an enormous boost to one’s self-esteem, it is no wonder then why people who go under the knife tend to better perform in their interviews and in their work ethic. This, as a result, contributes to better career outcomes, in the long run, a motive that pushes so many applicants to go to beauty surgery.
Cosmetic surgery improves physical health
Cosmetic surgery, beyond just improving mental health by boosting self-esteem and confidence, has also been found to improve one’s physical health. For example, in many women, having extra weight can lead to pain and discomfort for those with small body frames. Pregnancy and weight gain can weaken the muscles of the midsection, placing strain on the back, which will likely lead to back pain later on. Tummy tuck surgery tightens the abdominal muscles and places stress off the back, leading to a better posture and a more active and healthy lifestyle (Clevens,
2017). Cosmetic surgery could be beneficial for one’s vision and breathing. One of the most popular surgeries done in South Korea, the rhinoplasty or ‘nose job’ has been found to help improve breathing. By fixing a crooked nose and straightening the nasal passages, patients have been saying that they are sleeping better, snoring less, and have an easier time breathing overall (Clevens, 2017). Plastic surgery has also been found to be beneficial in improving one’s vision, especially amongst people who experience droopy eyelids. Blepharoplasty or ‘upper eyelid surgery’ reduces eye strain by removing excess skin on the eyelids, improving their peripheral vision (Clevens, 2017).
It is thus clear that by undergoing plastic surgery, there are enormous benefits to both mental and physical health, which ultimately leads to a higher quality of life and more career success.
The risks of plastic surgery
In today’s highly competitive world, finding a good job, a good marriage, and happy life has become harder than it has ever been. When new job opportunities become available, unemployed workers are willing to go to great lengths to make themselves employable. For South Korean women, the obstacles to success are dire, given how stacked the deck is if you are unattractive. However, cosmetic surgery by itself is risky and has the potential to lead to many long-term complications.
In a report, a total of 26,032 cases were performed over a 23-year period, with a total of 203 serious complications (Rohrich et al., 2018). As Doctor Kumar mentioned, “There is no minor procedure or minor surgery if there is a complication! Though generally safe, complications can occur even in the best of hands. Hematoma and bruises, seroma formation, nerve damage causing sensory or motor loss, infection, scarring, blood loss, and complications of anesthesia can occur. More serious complications such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism can cause death” (Khunger, 2015). Yet despite these dangers, millions of procedures are still done as the career, mental and physical benefits mentioned above outweigh the risks.
Concluding remarks
South Korea is a country with a rich and complicated history that have all contributed a number of factors as reasons for the boomins cosmetic surgery market. Over the process report, I have attempted to analyze the history, social and cultural reasons on why plastic surgery is so popular for Koreans. After conducting extensive research though, I have concluded and I am arguing that the main reason why Korean women favor plastic surgery is because of the competitive job market. As Korean women continue to leave the family house role as part of their status change, the need for jobs has stimulated the beauty industry. As a result, cosmetic surgery has become more than just looking beautiful; it has seemingly become a prerequisite to succeed in a career.
For most of its history, traditional Confucian ideologies kept women in their traditional familial roles that emphasized pleasing and obeying the husband and father. At that time, Korean women held a very conservative attitude towards their bodies. This traditional culture changed after the war with gender equality movements, raising the status for women to the point where they were allowed and encouraged to work and be independent. As an “Asian Tiger,” Korea industrialized rapidly after the war, which has led to an extremely competitive job market. Subsequently, this has led to a heavy emphasis on attractiveness as a critical step to finding a good job. Examples of these careers where beauty is extremely important are K-pop girl groups, flight attendants and beauty pageant contestants. It is also worth noting that cosmetic surgery also improves women’s self esteem and mental physical health, which further increases their opportunities for success. All of these factors combined have eventually led to the situation that we see today: where Korean women opt for plastic surgery in order to make themselves more competitive and successful when applying for prestigious careers.
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Video Games And Education
Discovery Tour in Assassin’s Creed (Farvis, 2020)
Discovery Tour in Assassin’s Creed (Farvis, 2020)
In the world of education, many parents and teachers vilify video games. In their view, video games are a distraction from learning. In recent times though, with the development of sophisticated neuroscientific equipment, researchers have discovered a multitude of benefits that developed because of video games. As a result, many have called for educators to utilize video games as part of the curriculum in the belief that the implementation of gaming will lead to an improvement in academic performance. Others, however, believe video games will distract children, and do more harm than good. Academics is a critical topic, and the tools used by instructors are very essential given the importance of education. Thus, the goal of this research paper was to attempt to identify the positives and negatives of integrating video games into the education system. After a thorough analysis of a multitude of articles, I would argue that academics should implement a limited amount of video games because it increases memory recall, develops essential skills, enhances student motivation to learn, and provides an in-depth and immersive education.
One of the most notable benefits of video games is that they can allow for better recall and retention of the material and increase knowledge performance. In a study, the experimental group played a video game that involved calculations and statistics in order to win money. After a week, researchers found “95% of students who played the game were able to calculate” a mathematical concept “versus only 59% of the control group” who were taught via a traditional lecture (Arias 5). Through video games, “students learned [the subject] in a more meaningful way” which allowed for “better recall of the material” (Arias 5). In traditional lectures, students will often learn the subject, and then quickly forget it after a test or a project. This is a problem for the existing education system whereby many students learn the material in school, but cannot appropriately retrieve nor apply their knowledge in their future job. With video games increasing memory retention, education can then have a stronger impact on a student’s abilities. Therefore, with the implementation of video games into academics, the education system can train the next generation of better workers who are more thorough and skilled in their subject matter.
Model of the human eye in Minecraft (Farvis, 2020)
Another important benefit of video games is that playing time can enhance a number of desirable skills and competencies that are essential in a job setting. In a study, researchers measured a student’s capability and employability by looking at “skills such as problem solving, communication, resourcefulness or adaptability” (Barr 1). Over an eight-week period, “the intervention group played specified video games under controlled conditions” while the control group learned via traditional lectures only (Barr 1). At the end of the study, the researchers found “commercial video games can have a positive effect on communication ability, adaptability, and resourcefulness” (Barr 6). As a result of these benefits, the researchers then concluded that video games do “have a role to play in higher education” (Barr 6). One of the goals of the education system is to adequately prepare students for the job market. Communication, adaptability, and resourcefulness are highly employable skills that are absolutely vital for success in a career. By utilizing video games in academics, the education system can help develop these essential skills and better prepare students for their careers.
Furthermore, video games can serve as a vital learning tool as it provides an incredibly detailed and immersive education, especially for students enrolled in online classes or homeschooling. When COVID-19 forced schools all around the world to switch to online learning, many instructors struggled with the new format. For some teachers though, they began to recognize the potential of video games to provide a more immersive experience. For example, some educators utilized “widely played games like Roblox and Minecraft to demonstrate scientific principles like climate change or cellular biology” (Farvis 6). History teachers utilize games like Assassin’s creed in order to teach about historical periods like the American Revolution (Farvis 6). These new developments are important because it gives instructors the opportunity to supplement the student’s learning in a creative and innovative way. More importantly, video games give an experience that is rare in online education: an immersive experience. Throughout the pandemic, many students felt virtual learning was lacking since most lectures were simply recorded videos. With video games, teachers can give a more exhilarating experience if they use the technology effectively. Therefore, the fact that online games yield such a high-quality education lends support to the argument that education should embrace video games as an immersive tool.
Considering how popular gaming is amongst students, by implementing video games into the curriculum, students will have a much higher motivation to learn. In a study, researchers found that well-designed games “elicited greater situational interest and enjoyment.” (Plass et al. 1). Educational games specifically “invoked a stronger mastery goal orientation” and promoted a higher desire to learn (Plass et al. 1). In the long term, this “increased student learning and motivation” can result in more academic success (Plass et al. 1). This is important because, in many classrooms, students lack motivation— a catalyst for poor academic performance. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that with an increase in motivation, students will be able to perform better academically in subjects like math and science. Subsequently, this can lead to higher graduation rates and a more educated workforce. Thus, one of the benefits of the integration of video games into education is that it will be able to fix a significant problem in the current schooling system by increasing motivation and interest to learn amongst students.
While many believe video games can lead to an increase in negative behaviours like addiction and impulsiveness, a restricted amount of playing time will limit the ramifications. In one study, researchers have found “video game exposure was directly associated with increasing levels of hyperactivity in preschool children” (Alamri 7). Another published that “video game playing was associated with subsequent attention problems” (Alamri 7). However, the researchers did note that a “limited time of video game play may allow students to engage in activities that support their cognitive, social and/or affective development” (Alamri 7). These findings are essential because if the curriculum properly moderates playing time, students will still be able to experience the benefits of video games. Schools already have a strict timetable in place, making it relatively simple to incorporate a specified amount of playing time within the daily schedule. Thus, students can experience a higher quality education as long as the curriculum restraints video game playing time.
Overall, many parents are against video games as they think they are a distraction. However, the researcher discovered that limited playing time would restrict most negative consequences. After this thorough analysis, I argue that educators should integrate video games into the academic curriculum as it contributes to an immersive education, promotes increases in knowledge retention, develops essential skills, and enhances one’s motivation to learn. If the traditional learning process can effectively integrate video games into our classrooms, instructors will have a sophisticated and immersive education that better prepares students for their careers. Given how popular video games are amongst students, many will no doubt find the new hybrid system to be more enjoyable. With video games giving such a beneficial advantage to students, it is in our best interest to integrate technology into education.
Alamri, Abdulrahman. “Should Video Games Be Included in the Learning Process?” International Journal of Education, vol. 8, no. 1, 26 Feb. 2016, p. 23., doi:10.5296/ije.v8i1.8388.
Arias, Meghan. “Using Video Games in Education.” Journal of Mason Graduate Research, vol. 1, no. 2, 27 Apr. 2014, pp. 49–69., doi:https://doi.org/10.13021/G8jmgr.v1i2.416.
Barr, Matthew. “Video Games Can Develop Graduate Skills in Higher Education Students: A Randomised Trial.” Computers & Education, vol. 113, 26 May 2017, pp. 86–97., doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2017.05.016.
Favis, Elise. “With Coronavirus Closing Schools, Here’s How Video Games Are Helping Teachers.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 17 Apr. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2020/04/15/teachers-video-games-coronavirus-education-remote-learning/.
Plass, Jan L., et al. “The Impact of Individual, Competitive, and Collaborative Mathematics Game Play on Learning, Performance, and Motivation.” Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 105, no. 4, Nov. 2013, pp. 1050–1066., doi:10.1037/a0032688.