Starting last winter, it has become easy to see doll claw machine centers on almost every street corner. According to the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC), these claw machine centers grew to about 1,500 this February. There are at least several of them around the HUFS Seoul Campus as well. Suddenly, they have become a part of the public culture. When you enter one of these centers, most of the time, there is hardly anyone who manages the centers there. This makes me anxious regarding a couple of issues.

First, I worry about teenagers. Teenagers cannot enter some places after 10 p.m. and claw machine centers are one of them. In addition to this regulation, the lights inside are brighter than usual and the centers possess many windows, which makes them easier for people passing by to see inside part of the center. Of course, these factors do help decrease adolescent delinquent behavior, but when I pass by these places, I feel that not many people actually care about who is inside. In addition, the fact that these cafes are unmanned may make these places easily become crime-ridden.

Second, the number of claw machine center suddenly exploded. Most of the owners run these establishments as profitable sidelines. Even as a sideline, they need considerable revenue in order to pay rent, run the machines and pay the rest of the expenses. The GRAC reported that the total number of these centers is around 1,500, which is 70 times more prevalent as compared to the number in 2015. This sudden big increase can do us more harm than the profit allows. Although the popularity has grown, I think the supply is now larger than the public demand. If the increased popularity suddenly shrinks like a boiling pot cooling down, I think it could lead to another social issue as many of the owners will be left with heavy debts.

Claw machine centers are a very good example of a niche market that meets the cultural demands of people. However, as this market grows, I have noticed some possible confines that can lead to latent societal problems such as the issues I mentioned above. Since it started with an interesting way to market products, I hope this market overcomes those possible confines and grows to become a cultural trend that everyone can enjoy, not just something that suddenly appears and disappears like a mirage.

By Byeon Hee-jin Editorial Consultant