I have spent a lot of time touring the cities of East Asia. And over my many years I keep coming back to Seoul time and time again. It is undoubtedly one of the most magnificent places for any budding traveller looking to get swept up in a unique culture. Home to the most mouthwatering cuisine. The friendliest people. The most fascinating historical sites. And, more importantly to our topic of the day, a thriving karaoke culture.

The first karaoke machine was invented in Japan back in 1971. Although it wasn’t originally called a karaoke machine until it was used as a stand-in for a live music event where the orchestra refused to play. This is where it got its name. Karaoke translates to ‘Empty Orchestra.’ And it very quickly took the nation of Japan by storm. They already had a longstanding tradition of singing in casual spaces. Karaoke was just the ultimate modernisation of that tradition.

And it soon spread to South Korea. The first karaoke machine was installed there in 1991. And South Korea quickly adopted it and put their own spin on it. Cut to today and you will find hundreds of karaoke bars anywhere you go in South Korea. But, as with anything in the nation, the beating heart of South Korean karaoke culture is in Seoul! And it is that culture we are going to be breaking down today!

Noraebang

While you are in Seoul you will see this word a lot. Noraebang translates to ‘Song Room’ and is another name used for karaoke spots across the country. South Korea, much like Japan, has always had a strong tradition of using signing as a tool for bonding, relieving stress, and as a way to entertain guests and dignitaries. And this tradition is still going strong to this day.

In Seoul karaoke is a daily occurrence for many citizens. A quick stop in a single karaoke booth or at a packed out Noraebang to relieve stress after a long day at work. Unlike in most of the western world, public singing has never had any ideas of shame or embarrassment attached to it in South Korea. Which is why the people of Seoul have made karaoke such a staple part of their daily lives.

So much so that it isn’t just in dedicated Noraebangs that you’ll find karaoke machines. Many clubs, restaurants, and even a Gangnam Full salon or two are known to have karaoke booths available to use. And this isn’t just a cultural thing either. Over the years karaoke has become a major draw for tourism to South Korea. And the nation has embraced this willingly.

Karaoke In Seoul

There are many different types of Noraebang in Seoul. The range of variety on offer is almost staggering. The most popular for new tourists to Seoul to try are the coin operated karaoke rooms. These are everywhere in Seoul and definitely worth a go if you have some spare change in your pocket. The booths are often designed for single occupancy or for couples. They often let you download and keep an audio recording of your singing for after.

You’ll also find the more traditional private karaoke rooms. Where you can hire your own karaoke space for the evening. These rooms are often more luxurious and the venues are fitted with bars and kitchens. The level of catering at these places is often restaurant quality too. Making them a great place to spend an entire evening with your travelling companions.

If you’re looking for a more social space then you only need to head to one of the many bars in Seoul. A vast majority of them run open karaoke nights. These are similar to what you will be most familiar with in countries like England or America. People taking turns singing to the entire venue.

What Songs To Pick

One of the other reasons people have been flocking to Seoul in recent years is the increasing popularity of K-Pop. The genre has swept over the globe and changed the face of the entire music industry. And karaoke spots in Seoul have embraced this whole heartedly. You’ll find a full catalog of the latest K-Pop hits on offer everywhere you go.

If you are performing karaoke at one of the public venues then you should be aware that there is a certain cultural expectation associated with the songs you pick. Karaoke is meant to be a celebration in these cases. Something to connect you with your audience and bring joy and happiness. To that end you will want to pick songs that are upbeat and well known. Something that everyone can sing along to and dance to.

You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t appreciate the magic of movies. Even the most casual viewer likely has a favorite comfort movie. There is just something special about the medium of movies. Being able to tell these grand stories in a larger than life way. Capturing the beauty of reality or transporting us off to magic worlds.

The movie industry goes far beyond just the actual making of movies. A huge part of it is the discussions that take place by the fans and critics. And this often takes place on movie blogs. In our digital age, blogs have become the main news outlet for the entertainment industry. Which makes it a very lucrative field to be working in.

But running a movie blog is no easy task. Despite what people might think. With so many movie blogs currently online you are going to be facing a lot of stiff competition. So you need to ensure your blog is as good as it can be to succeed. This guide will help you completely overhaul your movie blog. So that 2025 can be the year your blog really takes off!

Tip No. 1 – Improve Your UI

This is where most movie blogs fail. They forget that websites live and die by their user interface. People’s attention spans have dipped significantly in recent years. And when you pair that with the fact that movie blogs are in abundance, you need to ensure your website is functional and easy to navigate. Because if it isn’t, people will click off it immediately and never return.

Tip No. 2 – Utilize SEO

The biggest obstacle facing any website is improving their standing on search engines. People don’t often look beyond the first page of search results. So, if you want your blog to succeed, you need to get on the first page! That is where search engine optimization comes into play.

SEO encompasses a number of different marketing tactics and also focuses on improving your content and website design to rank higher. Primarily this is done through keywords and link strength. The best thing for you to do is consult an SEO agency. Ideally one out of India as they are at the forefront of the SEO field right now. Indore has very good marketing agencies that specialize in SEO for example. These agencies will help you overhaul your website while also providing you with a number of new marketing tools to improve your blogs outreach.

Tip No. 3 – Multimedia Content

For your blog to succeed you need to be branching out in regards to the type of content you are publishing. Articles are the backbone of any blog. But not everyone is keen to read. You need to be publishing videos too. And, if possible, perhaps a podcast. It is important to note that you should always prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to creating your content.

Tip No. 4 – Find Your Niche

There is a saying that if you try to please everyone you end up pleasing nobody. And this is especially true when it comes to movie blogs. The movie industry is vast. Filled with so many different genres and film styles. So you need to find your niche and stick to it.

For example, fans of experimental movies aren’t going to want to read articles about the latest Marvel movies. You should play to your strengths. Focus on creating content about what you know best. This will help you build up a dedicated readership faster. And sticking to your niche is important for maintaining that readership.

Tip No. 5 – Use Social Media

If you aren’t already then you need to start utilizing social media as often as possible. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. Any and every social media platform should be used to promote your blog. This is also a great place to post any video content you make. Apps like TikTok are also a great place to show off behind the scenes videos. Giving your readers a more personal look at how you operate.

Tip No. 6 – Secure Interviews

If you really want to make it in this industry then you need to be securing interviews with actors, directors, and anyone else actively involved in the movie industry. Press junkets are a great way to get started in this. Movie studios will run hundreds of these to help promote their movies. You should sign up for as many as possible. This is also a great way to start networking with people in the industry.

Tip No. 7 – Avoid Clickbait

Too many movie blogs fall into the trap of producing clickbait content simply to meet a quota. Quantity over quality. But modern readers are exhausted with this. Filler content that uses 1000 words to say something that could be summed up in one sentence.

The content you make should be purposeful and engaging. Don’t just publish something for the sake of it. You won’t always have breaking news to deliver or fresh industry gossip. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fall back on quality reviews or movie retrospectives.

Over the past three years, the coronavirus pandemic has affected every aspect of life in our society. Whether it be because of government lockdowns limiting social interactions or COVID itself forcing isolation and restricting the possibility of in-person activities, the pandemic is still causing problems. Most of the coverage regarding the social damage caused by COVID-19 focused on businesses but another group of people has been profoundly affected by the changes incurred by this worldwide pandemic, students.

Lockdowns, coronavirus symptoms, and online learning are some of the many changes that both students and teachers have had to learn to live with. Though the question remains, what are the real impacts of these life changes on students, learning, and specifically how does it affect academic performances ahead of exam seasons?

While vaccination rates have increased the possibility for in-person learning, the first three years of the pandemic have been a massive challenge for students and educators all around the world. COVID-19 has not only created massive gaps in learning for large groups of students, but it has also exposed the massive gap in learning when it comes to different income brackets all across the United States. These gaps did exist before the pandemic, but they have been massively widened.

Low-income schools, which already had to deal with inflated dropping-out rates, have seen these statistics increase especially for high schoolers and specifically high school seniors. A lot of the issues that students have to deal with often aren’t only at school. The impact of COVID at home also reduces the opportunities for students. The death of family members, medical issues caused by a coronavirus, and the lowering of income due to reducing in-person work also affect the dropout rates.

Drop-out rates are part of the large problem of unfinished learning which leads to fewer eventual work opportunities. The effect on students is then shown to not only be affecting their grades or attendance but their work prospects in later adulthood. The worry becomes not only the lack of professional learning but also the reduced general household income of the current generation of students. Lower household income leading to lower quality of life also increases the income gap, especially for schools and communities that are already at a financial disadvantage.

From a human standpoint, the fear is that this will push back the progress done in general education rates but also create a vicious cycle of ever lowing opportunities for those that were once already disadvantaged before the pandemic and face even more challenging times now that the pandemic has left its mark on these communities.

In 2021 studies were conducted at the elementary school level to compare the performances of students in the spring to the average performances recorded in the years before the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, students of the previous years had significantly higher scores. The 2021 student sample showed a decrease of 10 points when it came to math learning and a decrease of 9 points in reading.

According to that model, comparing the learning rate of the two cohorts, the 2021 group would be behind by 5 months when it came to mathematics and 4 months in reading. The study shows once again that low-income students also have bigger gaps in learning and on average would be around 6 months behind in math and reading. Showing once again how the pandemic has put students at all levels at a disadvantage when it comes to overall learning.

When it comes to college students many studies both in the United States and Canada have shown an increased risk for mental health issues. The pandemic caused many students to grow fatigued and feel isolated from their peers. These feelings of loneliness and isolation lead many young adults to increase their alcohol and drug consumption often to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Additionally, academic pressure and increased screen time have been found to worsen sleeping patterns, increase feelings of fatigue, and exacerbate mental illness symptoms. In some of the worst cases, some students have also shown symptoms of PTSD after dealing with high levels of stress or living through the loss of friends or family to COVID-19.

The pandemic has affected students from elementary school to high-level university and caused many delays in usual curriculums. At all levels, students have been put at a disadvantage especially when it comes to exams and general performances. To close your learning gap, you can look for support online.

There are many ways to contact tutors, may it be through your schools or private means, you can find a NYC LSAT tutor here or someone who can help your elementary school-aged child with their math exams or reading assignments. Tutoring is an option for all levels of learning. So, whether it be academic difficulties or mental health issues, there are always ways to seek out help to close the learning gap or make learning easier.