[The Rise of KTV Study Spaces and Lessons in Resilience]-[KTV study rooms. Really?]

Round Table China · B2 · 2024-09-23

📋 Summary

The Unlikely Transformation of KTV into Study Hubs

In a surprising trend among Gen Z in China, Karaoke rooms (KTVs) are being repurposed as private study spaces. Traditionally known as venues for entertainment and socializing, KTVs are increasingly being utilized by students as a refuge from the pressures of crowded libraries and cafes. The appeal is clear: for a relatively low fee—as low as 38 yuan for eight hours—students gain access to a private, air-conditioned room equipped with comfortable seating, snacks, and beverages. This shift, which mirrors the 'kala-pen' concept seen in Japan, offers a level of privacy and freedom that traditional study environments lack, allowing for group collaborations without the fear of being 'roasted' or needing to maintain absolute silence.

However, the panel highlights significant drawbacks to this trend. The environment of a KTV is fundamentally designed for entertainment, not academic focus. Issues such as poor lighting, the potential for noise distractions from neighboring rooms, and the temptation to succumb to the 'alluring' nature of the karaoke equipment make it a double-edged sword. As one host noted, if one person in a study group decides to start singing, the entire group is often pulled into a break, turning a productive session back into a recreational one. Furthermore, while the daytime off-peak pricing is affordable, the long-term cost of snacks and drinks can quickly add up, potentially negating the initial savings.

Motivational Monday: Overcoming the Fear of Starting

Transitioning into the 'Motivational Monday' segment, the discussion shifted toward the psychological hurdles of academic and professional advancement. Yushun shared a poignant reflection on the anxiety associated with exam preparation, citing a powerful message from a TED talk: "As long as there is breath in your body, it's never too late to change your story." The core takeaway is that the dread of a task is often more debilitating than the task itself; once the initial step is taken, the anxiety begins to fade. Steve Hatherly added a philosophical layer by referencing Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, reminding listeners that we inherit the "sun and the moon," symbolizing the boundless opportunity to take ownership of our lives. This sentiment serves as a reminder that the world belongs to those who take action.

The Power of Resilience: The Oasis Reunion

Finally, the podcast addressed the cultural phenomenon of the Oasis reunion. After 15 years of a well-documented, passionate feud, the Gallagher brothers have chosen to set aside their differences for a 2025 tour. This development underscores the idea that taking a break does not necessarily lead to being forgotten; instead, it can build immense anticipation and cultural longevity. The hosts discussed how Oasis’s music, particularly songs like "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Live Forever," has transcended its original era to become an anthem for peace and reflection. "Live Forever," written as a response to the heavy atmosphere of the 1990s grunge era, remains a testament to the power of finding joy and celebrating life even during tough times. The reunion serves as a final, inspiring lesson: whether in career, study, or personal relationships, distance and time can lead to unexpected growth and the chance to redefine one's story.

🎯Key Sentences

yep you heard me right

who would have thought

what's the deal with these KTV study sessions

they've upped their game

it just happens to be a thing

Expand All

📝Key Phrases

go-to place

belting out tunes

within arms reach

up their game

out and about

Expand All

📖 Transcript

discussion keeps the world turning this is roundtable you're listening to roundtable with myself hi young I'm joined by you shunt and Steve Hatherly in the studio coming up ktv is used to be the go -to place for belting out tunes but now they're the hottest study place for Gen Z yep you heard me right

but how could it be and our special segment motivational Monday coming your way will give you that adrenaline shot for the start of the week our podcast listeners can find us at roundtable China on Apple podcasts if you have questions you want us to answer on social issues business the news technology

or whatever moves your spirit you can send those our way roundtable podcast at QQ .com emails are fine but voice memos are always better because we'd love to hear your voice and wouldn't it be great to share your voice with the world on our show now let's switch it up for a different topic discussion who would have thought

KTV or karaoke rooms could be the new go -to study spots forget cramming in crowded cafes and silent libraries young people these days have found their comfort zone in KTV's picture this air conditioning a private room snacks within arms reach and background music to keep the energy up tune in today

to find out how these once noisy spaces are turning into apparently perfect study rooms we've all heard of these quiet study rooms where people go to focus some even pay to use them but what's the deal with these KTV study sessions I think we should start with what KTV is yeah karaoke room yeah but the rooms

themselves let's talk about that a little bit I love them you'll see these KTV's all around the country I believe right and what they are is they're karaoke rooms but it's not karaoke in the western sense where you have a big open room with all of your stranger friends with you standing up to sing in front

of a large group these are individual rooms you pay by the hour and then you can buy various beverages you can buy various snacks and then you go in there and they're very nicely designed big flat -screen TVs on the wall the last one I went to had a golden microphone stand which was amazing I was so excited

I felt like John Bon Jovi in there but anyway they're very nicely designed and they are individual singing rooms and they're not small they're not like little closet spaces they're quite they're quite spacious they come in different sizes but anyway for those who didn't know that's what a KTV is yes

and now students are utilizing these kind of rooms as their private study room and I think it is probably kind of popular during the hot summer months as Kalyan just said because they got AC on and it is maybe quiet during the you know peak off time yeah also when some of these traditional study areas

like libraries are crowded and maybe sometimes uncomfortable and we can discuss why later and one example is that I saw one student in jilin province in northern China shared the experience on social media revealing that for just 38 yuan that's about five point five US dollars they could rent a room

for eight hours and they can spend the whole eight hours in the KTV room for no matter what they want maybe it's study maybe just you know singing uh -huh and apparently this concept originated in Japan or at least it became popular in Japan to use KTV rooms as study rooms it's also been seen in Japan and they

call it kala pen for group study sessions and the designs of these private rooms eliminates the constraints found in cafes or libraries providing a comfortable environment where students can actually freely discuss and collaborate without disturbing others and I was just thinking maybe they're just

dividing your like group of students into one private room so that you won't be roasted when you're discussing especially when it's in libraries right yeah libraries when I went to university even they have their study rooms as well right where you can make a reservation and there's a long table in there

and you could go in with like six or seven of your classmates and have a group session well this is the same kind of concept actually there's privacy there's freedom typically these karaoke rooms of course are for nighttime entertainment people go there after dinner typically and they'll have a few

drinks and sing some songs in the daytime these places are not busy at all so for the students this is kind of a genius idea because the singing is available to them if they want it but it they don't have to sing the whole time in these rooms you can do you can do whatever you want if you're not required

to sing so there's there's the privacy there's the freedom there's the space there's the amenities that we talked about of course you can sing take a break and sing if you want to but there's also snacks and beverages it's very cheap we just learned how cheap it is and yeah you can study at your own

pace with your own group of friends and this is interesting to sort of spotlight the KTV for a bit because I still remember in the 1990s and 2000s when KTVs were really popular in China that was the place to socialize with folks and back in the day I still remember we even had class reunions in KTVs

yeah and for many years even till today a lot of these KTVs have really tried very hard to get people to come and they've upped their game in the sense of providing really nice food some even have a full out hot pot meal for for you to enjoy not the typical food you would associate with you know in this entertainment

venue and also full out a full spread of buffet you know but for those kind of KTVs I would think you need to pay a but for the ones that are attracting these young people I suppose maybe business isn't all that busy especially during the day and I remember a few years back what caught media attention was that during the off

peak time during the day it was older folks who would have a group session yeah maybe they're retired and they want to sing and they want to do what young people supposedly do and then they would just meet up in the KTV during work hours when most people are out and about doing business and they would enjoy

KTV at a very cheap price sure but you know one thing I was thinking is that they are not actually particularly attracting students to get into KTV for studying because they're not like promoting a package for like oh you can study here because this is a KTV but why it is particularly attracted by attracting

young students to get into KTV I think it is the reason you said especially for these college students that who can arrange their own schedules you know they can go to KTV during weekday especially weekday and daytime and that time allows them to enjoy very affordable off -peak prices hmm so why can't

these young people just go to libraries and study rooms you know the traditional peace and quiet places they can but it's hard to find a seat sometimes also sometimes they're overly quiet which ironically is a distraction if there's not some sort of background noise even an alternative like going to

a coffee shop it can be really difficult to find a seat in a coffee shop during the daytime remember we're talking mid -afternoon right and those are typical places that you will find students when the Sun is up where you will not typically find students when the Sun is up is in a karaoke room and I

think that's why this has become popular with young people because nobody else is there now is it a is it a good idea I don't know because if you're in a karaoke room and even if you're studying you'll still hear the music from the room next door if there happens to be a group of older people or whomever

studying in there or not that are singing in there you'll still hear them yeah right so you've got that distraction which is quite noisy as a matter of fact you don't notice it when you're singing yourself but if it's silent in your room and they're singing in the next that's not going to be easy to

study there also things like these in these karaoke rooms you can smoke in there and so preferably not preferably but there are some rule -breakers and they should be fine so therefore that you know that could be a hindrance to students and not a not a great thing parents probably wouldn't like their

and 5 p .m. but it just happens to be a thing and who knows maybe it'll maybe it'll catch on long -term yeah and also speaking of the environment of KTV for studying the poor lighting conditions in KTV I think is not good or the amazing lighting conditions if you're there for singing purposes colorful

lighting system disco balls aplenty but none of these are good for you know looking at papers or something like that so they are not designed for studying and most of the KTV rooms will only have some of the dimming lights so I think it is not good and speaking of the price we've mentioned that of course

some of these KTVs offer very affordable prices during the off -peak time but actually when you would like to stay there for like more than three hours or four hours you need to order something to eat or drink and then I don't think it is as affordable as they are you know room price well to be fair

I mean if you're at a coffee shop you're probably ordering coffee at one or two and maybe something to eat as well so that that probably balances itself out think about you are getting into this KTV before studying like maybe twice or three times a week because you're treating as a study room you need

to study very frequently every week and then you're paying that basically every day then I don't think that could be a good option for especially students hmm well I suppose if you're a student you're probably doing the calculation in your head exactly how many ywands are you spending at a coffee machine

going to a coffee shop or going to a KTV study room and sort of do way the pros and cons but I suspect that these young people they're saying that they're studying but they're not really think about this if you go to a study room with four of your friends right and you're sitting there and in the beginning

everybody's studying right 20 minutes later someone says hey hey I think I'm gonna I'm gonna sing that song that's so popular these days then everyone has to stop because the lights go down the mic comes on all of a sudden it's back to being a karaoke room so if the issue I'm talking about there is if one

person wants to take a little break and sing everyone is forced to take a little break yeah and saying and if one person is doing it probably another person then you have to do it yeah it's just difficult to resist yeah the temptation of stopping study it's just so big the whole surrounding environment

is actually alluring you to stop studying and start singing and also these karaoke rooms in East Asia I think it's mainly like it's common here in China and in Japan and South Korea I think it's pretty common as well and they're so good Steve when you look at the when you pick the songs and you start

singing it's not just the lyrics that appear like subtitles and start bouncing and then you say it's not like that you'll see the full -on music video sure and then these days well I just think for busy adults to come together in a group it's not easy but when we do and go to these KTVs and then sometimes

yeah you've got somebody belt belting it singing the song getting really getting into it but all of us we're kind of there reliving a collective memory oh I go all the time I love it there's three of these KTVs in our neighborhood I've been to all of them already I love singing I'm not good at it but but we

really enjoy it you should what's your number one go to karaoke song when you do go out gotta be mayday but I would like these kind of songs that everybody knows and it is really really exciting so I basically will just sing I would not sing the one that I love what is your number one song the whole

catalog of made a I've seen this guy sing he's got a good boy oh yeah and Steve Whoa John Bon Jovi sweet sweet Caroline Neil Diamond oh that's my number one that's that that's when the night is finished and everybody's ready to go home oh is it some them off nicely yeah you don't have to go home but you

can't stay here yeah well this is just super interesting that young people have found oh this is a new venue for studying but whether it will catch on we'll still need to wait and see but it's promising that at least for the struggling KTVs you know they have possibly a new source of business coming

up next motivational Monday every time I feel like I'm gonna hit the gym after listening to that promo I thought that was you shouldn't at the KTV yeah well okay are you ready to motivate us then you shouldn't what do you have for us yeah so my motivational Monday actually has something to do with studying

yes actually because I've been preparing for an exam lately but I will just study at home quietly but at times it feels like there's just not enough time and also balancing study time with work figuring out how to adjust my mind to this routine and these challenges can seem overwhelming and then I saw

a sentence from a TED talk it goes like as long as there is breath in your body it's never too late to change your story so I after that I've realized that this anxiety often comes from you know not having started yet so the moment you diving and started it the moment you start making progress and that anxiety

may start to fade away and it's kind of you know a reminder that we have the power to change and shape our future as long as we take the first step so for anyone maybe also feeling the same pressure and no matter it's for your career or exam there is also a Chinese saying to remind you the best time

to plant a tree was ten years ago and the second time and second best time is now so do it now yeah I like that message the anxiety that comes before you actually start something can be powerful enough to stop you from starting it yes once you start you've officially begun yeah and then the road is in front

of you what a great message you should I know that exam and I suppose for many of our listeners if you're preparing for that big exam to officially acquire this certificate for translation as well as there's another one for journalism then you're probably working hard right now and that's a very good

person doing that but in my book is an exam preparation reserved for the last three days studying in a karaoke room and then I'll leave it to the fate of the greater mighty force that will see what happens don't do her young do you should please and Steve what do you have for us Ernest Hemingway for whom the bell

tolls it was written in 1940 and one of the quotes from the book I love I love that book if you haven't read that book if you've never read Hemingway before please do that he's incredible and the book is considered one of his best here's a quote from from the story I had an inheritance from my father

it was the moon and the Sun and though I roam all over the world the spending of it is never done and I love that because we talk it when we hear the word inheritance we think money immediately right but think about that when you're born you're inheriting the Sun and the moon and the Sun and the moon belongs

to you not just you it belongs to all of us but if we think like that it means the world is ours and if we have that attitude like this world is mine it's mine I can do whatever I want nothing is holding me back that moon is mine that Sun is mine this world is mine and you got that from your parents

they gave it to you so don't waste the opportunity what is surprising it's that it is both motivational and romantic a little bit lovely yes and Ernest Hemingway is such a great author and probably one of the one of the best yes of American literature as well and what a fascinating figure to learn more

about his life story as well if you get a chance thank you very much Steve today I want to share something that's got the whole music world buzzing the unbelievable reunion of Oasis after 15 years of feuding the Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam are finally putting their differences aside and coming

back together for a tour in 2025 fans feel like they've been waiting forever for this now here's the kicker despite being apart for so long their popularity has actually skyrocketed tickets for their tour dates at Wembley Stadium are flying off the shelves faster than you can say Wonderwall is ironic

isn't it sometimes the best career move is to take a break this just goes to show that taking a break doesn't mean necessarily you'll you're forgotten it can actually build anticipation and excitement and where we're on this while we're talking about Oasis I want to recommend one of their most uplifting

songs not don't look back at anger and it's really interesting how a lot of their songs especially that one has taken this really interesting long afterlife initially when it first came out people didn't like it but it was like a huge hit but during the last couple of decades especially after the Manchester

shooting in the UK that song has gradually grown into sort of like an anthem for all people seeking peace love and redemption after something terrible happens and this year during Fuji rock at the last day and of the final show of the final few minutes and Noel Gallagher and the flying gosh I'm sorry

I forgot his band's name flying bird yes yes yeah you got that right thanks Steve when they were singing don't look back in anger it was so moving because Fuji rock takes place in a deep valley in mountains and then you could just hear 30 million sorry 30 ,000 people a little bit of a letdown now music

festival yeah of that Fuji rock festival everybody singing that song and you know sometimes music really has that power to transcend language culture and it really activates your DNA and it really makes you sort of get interwoven into something bigger and that's just a fantastic feeling Oasis was one

of the biggest bands in the world in the 1990s and it's very very well documented that the brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher they are Oasis that they hated each other passionately yeah and the talks of a reunion would come up in in media from time to time but it was always just a pipe dream for their

fans because there was always a rejection one of the brothers would say no I'm never ever doing that again now they're back and it's an amazing thing because fans it's not it's not too long away from it's not too far removed everybody still remembers the songs they're still an themic and this is good

this is a big deal yeah and it's building on nostalgia from the 1990s I suppose and here's that song I'd like to recommend to you today it's live forever written during the grunge era in the 1990s when everything felt heavy and dark and Noel Gallagher crafted this song as a response to all that negativity

maybe I will never be all the things I want to be now it's not the time to cry now's the time to find out why it's all about celebrating life and finding joy even when times are tough and the lyrics remind us that no matter what happens we have the power to embrace each day and live fully let's take

inspiration from Oasis and remember that sometimes a little distance and a lot of cash can lead to an unexpected reunion so go out there today and make the most of every moment Oasis live forever and thank you so much Steve Hatherley and Yushun for joining the discussion I'm Hyung we'll see you next

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