HYDERABAD: The Internet is a mine of weird stuff. Take for example, food challenges — a person goes live or records themselves while eating copious amounts of food in one go. It’s called ‘mukbang’ (yeah, that’s a real word), which is an amalgamation of two Korean words for eating (meongneun) and broadcast (bangsong).
‘Mukbanging’ started in 2009 on the real-time internet South Korean TV service AfreecaTV, but was made popular by YouTubers and Twitch streamers. Not only are the videos strangely addictive, but they also promote unhealthy eating habits among children. The YouTubers making mukbang videos prepare the meals that are usually unhealthy if eaten in large quantities -- dessert, spicy food, hotdogs, noodles, deep-fried and processed food which are loaded with cheese and butter.
“People watch mukbang for different reasons -- some might be disgusted by the fact that they swallow their food without much chewing or that they take really big bites. But mukbang YouTubers are making tons of money and getting millions of views and subscribers,” says Zubair Ali, a city-based food blogger. Mukbang has also made its way into the world of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, popularly known as ASMR, where the sound of chewing, swallowing and gulping produces calming and relaxing effects.
Popular Korean YouTuber Fume’s video of eating a plate full of food in about eight seconds has gone viral on social media. Her YouTube channel has over 4.21 million subscribers. There are many Indian mukbang eating shows, which have cropped up over the last year and have gained immense popularity.
“This is not hard work. This is no work at all. These food vloggers are not real gluttons. A person, who knows about food and eating, really knows how much people can eat. We all have limitations and carb-rich and spicy food, which are showcased in these videos, can cause more harm and influence on children,” says Dawood, another city-based food vlogger.