The evolution of “Spine Breaker” … “1 million won is fun, but what can I do?”

“Spine breaker” padding which was 600,000 won 10 years ago
Now 1 ~ 2 million won is the default
Parents also worry about “Is my child injured?”
Longing for luxury, which also leads to crime

[아시아경제 송승윤 기자] Kwon Joon-hyun (49, aka) who lives in Incheon was stunned as she searched for winter clothes to buy for her children. When asked to choose a coat he liked, his son, a second-grader in high school, presented a product photo of an overseas branded M company, which surpassed 1 million won. When asked where there are students wearing these things, his son protested, “There are few friends without a pair of these clothes these days.”

It’s been a long time since the new coined word “headbreaker” (a new word for clothing that is expensive enough to bend a parent’s back) came out. Brands with the stigma (?) Like a puzzle change with fashion, but are still burdensome for parents. In particular, the “flexion” culture is captivating teenagers, and today those who break the spine don’t just bend the spine.

The down jacket from the Outdoor N brand, which more than 10 years ago coined the term “backbreaker” and called “blacksmith filling”, cost 600,000 won. At the time this product was the subject of envy among students, but now it is at the level that not even business cards are available. The basic duvet from a famous overseas luxury brand costs at least 800,000 won to 2 million won. M’s hooded zippered fur lined products are so common that they are called gym uniforms among teenagers despite the price tag of 300,000 to 400,000 won.

Social networking services (SNS) are also overflowing with “certification shots” of teens wearing such expensive clothes. Since the primary communication channel for teens is SNS, teens who don’t wear luxury clothes can feel a sense of relative deprivation when they see it. For this reason, even in online communities, many parents are concerned about buying expensive clothes for their children. Most of them are worried that their friends are bothered by not buying clothes. Sometimes the desire for luxury leads to crime. This is an example of how to take money from a friend of his age or raise money to buy luxury goods through gambling.

As can be perceived in the word “headbreaker”, the social outlook of this phenomenon is not yet good. On the other hand, there is also the opinion that it is an inevitable choice to harmonize with the culture of the same age. Choi Soon-jong, a professor in the Youth Department of Gyeonggi University, said: “There are many views that young people are enjoying and consuming irrationality, but ultimately they have a strong side to their strategy of survival in order not to be excluded from their peers. He said, “It’s about getting your hands on, and it will be more important for parents to instill the right economic idea from an early age.”

Reporter Song Seung-yoon [email protected]