Do I really like what I like?

On my commute home from work, I encountered a bakery that had been featured frequently on social media. Despite never having tasted their renowned pastries, I was familiar with how the cream oozed out upon cutting and the angles that produced the most appealing photographs. I almost entered the queue, but then I pondered: Was I drawn to the pastry itself, or was I yearning to transform into someone who had experienced it?

A first paycheck is more than just monetary value; it grants young workers the ability to make choices about their clothing, destinations, and the life they wish to construct. However, this newfound freedom emerges at a time when many individuals are uncertain about how to live once they are employed. The quest for guidance begins innocently, as young workers seek to acquire office attire, suitable bags, savings plans, and after-work routines. Gradually, information evolves into a blueprint for personal identity.

Sociologist Erving Goffman described everyday interactions as a performance, wherein individuals meticulously manage their impressions. Social media did not invent this performance; it merely expanded the stage, multiplied the audience, and transformed self-presentation into a perpetual activity. An ancient Korean folktale presents an unsettling analogy. A rat consumes a person's discarded fingernail and toenail.