Reinventing the pet-rock boom

It may be a reflection of the need to be comforted by someone when one-person households and singlehood are on the rise.

SHIM SAE-ROMThe author is a communications team reporter of the JoongAng Holdings. Some people have a pet rock. Just like an animal or plant, they give a name to the rock and care for it. The owners decorate rocks with hats, paper houses and cushions to their taste. If you search “pet rock” online, you can find adoption kits ranging from about 6,000 won ($5) to 10,000 won. For young people who like cute and pretty things, “egg rocks” are popular for landscaping.

The pet rock is similar to — yet clearly different from — suseok, or viewing stones collected from natural stones. Pet rocks are not for the eyes, but are companions for psychological comfort these days. The pet rock manual offers the following instructions. First, tell your pet rock how you spent the day. Second, give words of encouragement and comfort to your pet rock. Third, share with your pet rock a story that you couldn’t tell anyone else. Fourth, treat your one and only pet rock with love and care.

People treat the rock as a friend to talk to, compliment and love. You may doubt its effect, but pet rock owners share online how it has helped their depression and works as psychotherapy. The pet rock culture, which started in the United States in 1975, became popular among millennials and Gen Zs who felt isolated during the pandemic. People also call them companion rocks, pet stones or Maenggu rocks, after the rock that the cartoon character raised.

How should we interpret this trend? It may be a reflection of the need to be comforted by someone when one-person households and singlehood are on the rise. Moreover, a rock does not upset, bother or require special care. The owner can just confide their feelings to the pet. The exchange of feelings that happens between people is now occurring not just with animals and plants, but also with inanimate objects.

In fact, the prevalence of words such as communication and healing in the past few years is proof of a society suffering from a lack of communication and widespread alienation. Like Tom Hanks in the movie “Cast Away,” who is stuck on a deserted island and talks to Wilson — a volleyball — people today may be trying to communicate with the rock in the middle of their invisible isolation.