Gen Z turn to ‘dopamine sites' for quick comfort - The Korea Times
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By Hankookilbo Published May 27, 2026 12:40 am KST<br>Updated May 27, 2026 3:35 pm KST
Young Koreans find relief in vicarious pleasure with fake delivery app and online smoke breaks<br>An image generated by artificial intelligence
At 2 a.m., Kim, a 25-year-old office worker, opens a site designed to look like a food delivery app, though he has no plan to order. He chooses menu items, drops them into a cart and simulates the experience of placing an order.<br>"It somehow feels like I actually ordered something," he said.<br>Kim said the habit helps him resist late-night cravings.<br>“There are many times when I crave food late at night but hold back to save money. It feels like a real delivery app, so I somehow keep looking at it,” Kim said, referring to a site whose name is a spoof of a food delivery app.<br>"I don't end up ordering anything, but it feels like it relieves a little stress," Kim said.<br>So-called “dopamine sites” — online spaces that offer quick stimulation — have recently spread among young people in Korea. The fake food delivery site is one example, recreating the experience of using a delivery app without the transaction. Users can browse menus, select items and place them in a cart without sending an order.<br>Some listings include delivery times and star ratings, making it feel closer to a real app. The only missing step is the order itself. For users, that is the appeal — the site offers the satisfaction of ordering food without the cost.<br>Another site, named for the Korean slang for a smoke break, works similarly. Users see a "start" button and a real-time display of who else is online, giving them the atmosphere of taking a break together without actually smoking.<br>Anonymous users leave messages such as "I'm getting through another day" and "I want to go home," turning the site into an online break room. Like the fake food delivery site, it simulates a familiar ritual without requiring the real-world act behind it.<br>A website resembling a food delivery app / Captured from the website
Users find comfort in low-pressure connection<br>Users say these sites are not just jokes. They describe them as short breaks that help them reset. Lee, a 24-year-old college student, visits the smoking site during exam periods or when he loses focus while working on assignments.<br>"I'm not actually smoking, but it feels like I'm taking a break with someone, so it's strangely comforting," Lee said.<br>Lee said the site also eases the loneliness of studying alone.<br>“When I go on the site while studying alone, it feels like other people are struggling, too, so I somehow feel less lonely,” Lee said. The comfort comes less from conversation than from knowing others have entered the same small virtual space.<br>A site simulates a shared smoke break. Captured from the website
Kim described fake delivery sites in similar terms, calling it "zoning out for a moment." Expensive delivery fees often cause people to hesitate before pressing an order button on a real app, but with these websites, that pressure disappears.<br>“The site doesn’t allow orders anyway, so I can keep browsing without pressure,” Kim said. “It feels like looking at food photos online. As I browse, my mood somehow gets a little better.”<br>Digital simulation replaces reality<br>Kim Heon-sik, a professor at Jungwon University, said the spread of these sites is tied to a broader online culture built around constant stimulation.<br>Kim said the phenomenon among the youth is comparable to watching "mukbang," a kind of online show where people watch individuals eat large amounts of food, which helps satisfy viewer appetites without actually eating in real life.<br>"Recently, there has been more content that lets people indirectly experience things such as alcohol, cigarettes and food," Kim said. "These sites also reflect a desire to experience a similar satisfaction or atmosphere without partaking in real life."<br>The creator of a website resembling a popular food delivery app shares a post on X. Captured from X
The trend also reflects fatigue and anxiety among young people, Kim said.<br>"This is an era marked by uncertainty about the future and burnout," he said. "People now tend to find comfort simply in feeling loosely connected online."<br>Even a faint sense of shared presence can matter, he added.<br>"Even the sense that others are connected at the same time, regardless of who they are, can make people feel that their loneliness and anxiety have eased," Kim said. "Not having to form burdensome relationships also feels comfortable for young people."<br>This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.