<h5>What! Pet rocks?!</h5><p>Many of us keep pets, be it a dog, a cat, a fish, etc. Having a pet is like having a special companion who will always be at your side.</p><p>Our pets love us unconditionally and bring happiness and fun to our lives. But rocks as pets? Surprising no?</p><p>A new trend is rising in South Korea, where young people are purchasing stones and keeping them as pets.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/south-koreans-getting-pet-rocks%2FPet%20rock%202.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=9d2f80c6-e578-409d-a9b9-5decb38ac8b2"><figcaption>A person showing their pet rock. Photo by Yahoo! News.</figcaption></figure><h5>What’s the reason behind it?</h5><p>Young people are keeping rocks as ‘pets’ to help them feel less lonely and deal with the stress of their daily lives.</p><p>Famous people, such as K-pop stars and actors, helped create this craze by displaying their own pet rocks. It became much more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><h5>But why rocks instead of normal pets?</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/south-koreans-getting-pet-rocks%2FPet%20Rock%203.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=050caf82-ace1-48e3-8033-62b6e579258a"><figcaption>A decorated pet rock with a sunglass. Photo by Photo by The Wall Street Journal.</figcaption></figure><p>People feel that pet rocks offer stress reduction and companionship without the responsibility of getting normal pets such as dogs and cats.</p><p>They claim caring for a pet rock is much easier than caring for living animals or plants. It requires less work because it is not alive. Unlike a dog or a cat, there is no need to play with or feed a rock.</p><p>Also, with long work hours, people feel they won’t be able to take care of normal pets properly. Instead, the owners name and decorate their pet rocks while caring for them. They also talk to them about their daily lives.</p><p>Pet rocks are also becoming very popular in South Korea as more people live alone. So, they prefer pet rocks to provide them comfort and avoid loneliness without the responsibility of caring for living creatures.</p><h5>How to deal with loneliness?</h5><p>Dealing with loneliness might be challenging, but remember that you are not alone. You can talk with your friends. Connect with them via phone calls, texts, etc., if they live far away.</p><p>Try to take part in activities that you love. Consider joining a sports club or a poetry club where you can make friends of your age group with similar interests.</p><p>Talk to your parents and elders about what you are feeling. Sharing your emotions can help you.</p>

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