Why is Wikipedia less popular in South Korea ?
Wikipedia is not as popular as other countries in Korea. The reasons are as follows.
First, the degree of involvement in the source and reliability of the information is not high.
We often use the ‘Naver’ portal, Naver 지식인, and YouTube to get information in Korea.
There is a gathering of wisdom, knowledge, and experiences of not only the authority but also the general public. This means that what the authority says, the accuracy of the information and the fact are not essential. It is like saying that there is no high alertness about information. Therefore, "fake news" is a problem in Korean society. Production and censorship of fake news are also problems, but people are not critical and accept it unconditionally.
Second, We are more familiar with the acquisition of information.
For the use of Wikipedia, it is essential to generate information. However, we have worked hard since childhood to read existing information. This means that it is unfamiliar to collect, summarize, and provide necessary information for everyone. Therefore, since the generation of information within Wikipedia is low, utilization rates will naturally be low.
Third, we prefer information that has been processed several times.
The article posted on Wikipedia is the primary information processed by volunteers based on facts. But Korean people seem to prefer more processed information than this. People like information that is contented by others. By far, consumers read more self-development books than various humanities books in bookstores. l think we prefer information in which other people's experiences and wisdom are added.
Well, I have a little question about your first opinion. First of all, I agree that Korea uses Naver and YouTube rather than Wikipedia to get information, and many people tend to accept the information as it is without judging it critically! However, I think the reason why people don't prefer Wikipedia is because it has a high degree of involvement in the source and reliability of information.
ReplyDeleteWe can check the professionalism of the information provider on Naver and YouTube. But wouldn't Wikipedia be considered unprofessional because many people can access and provide information? Maybe that's why they don't use it? Of course, this process of thinking will happen when they don't know much about Wikipedia. I hope that the culture of Wikipedia will be known to people in Korea. 😊