My child is obsessed with KPOP, what should I do?

I don't understand why K-POP is so attractive!

If you are once a fan of a music group or a singer, you might understand why your child is so attracted to them. The reason is, your child had built a relationship with these musicians.

We have identified five types of K-POP fan your child might be

1) Awakened Newbie

2) Material & Merchandise (M&M)

3) Know It All

4) Loyal Workaholic

5) Inspired Artist

1) Awakened Newbie

Have you observed a sudden change in your child's behavior, such as;

- Singing or humming Korean songs

- Watching Korean variety of channels

- Browsing K-pop articles

This could be a sign that they have developed a new interest, and we call them, "Awakened Newbie"

Note that at this stage, they will slowly develop to become the types discussed later.

----- How can I speak to my child? -----

This will be the best time to connect with them and understand what they like as they will be excited to share. You may start by asking, "Who is this person? He or she looks talented, or the music they make sounds good!". They will be likely to share more.

2) Material & Merchandise (M&M)

Have you seen posters of unfamiliar faces, mugs, light sticks, and banners in your child's room? If yes, they could be "Material & Merchandise (M&M)".

Some fans believe that they could have a sense of attachment and help fund their idol by buying their merchandise.

----- How can I speak to my child? -----

With an open mind, develop curiosity in their purchased items. You may start by asking, "Who is this person on the poster? The poster looks good" 

Never turn this into an interrogation such as "why did you spend so much money?"

3) Know It All

Fans who know their idols inside out are called “Know-it-all”. Some examples include knowing their

- Favorite color, food, hobby, and more

- Recent news

- Latest photos and videos

----- How can I speak to my child? -----

Know the name of their favorite idol and use recent news about them to spark meaningful conversation. 

Be the listening ear to learn more rather than criticizing because their idol has certain bad traits such as; tattoo, rebellious outlook, and more.

4) Loyal Workaholic

“Loyal Workaholic” are those who spent time to;

- Maintain an online fan page

- Create and edit videos and pictures to attract more fans

- Create games to interact with other fans

- Create multiple accounts to vote for their idol to clinch music awards

Since they are loyal supporters, they find happiness and satisfaction from these actions.

----- How can I speak to my child? -----

Be interested to understand and improve their work, praise what is good. In a comfortable way, slowly let them know they should also focus on their academics.

5) Inspired Artist

Did you observe that your child started dancing, singing, and occasionally speaking in an unfamiliar language? They are potentially an “Inspired artist”.

They will start signing up for courses for singing, dancing, and Korean classes. When you observe their behavior at home or ask you for money for these courses, this is a clear indication they are inspired to be similar to their idol.

----- How can I speak to my child? -----

It would be good to be open and curious about the kind of interests they are into, such as the style of dancing and singing techniques. 

They will be excited to share. With the name of these styles, you can search online to understand further and generate more conversational topics.

Additional Tip

Your child might seem overly confident and proud of sharing their idol, and this is normal. However, you should not be affected by the way they speak and behave. 

If their actions are unacceptable, you may consider letting them know at a mood they are comfortable in first before starting yelling at them.

Most importantly, never bring out your dissatisfaction about their hobby during quarrels!