Photo Credit: Screenshot from Your Korean Dad's TikTok post on grapes.
“What do you think $30 grapes tastes like?” Your Korean Dad asks, looking straight into the camera.
He takes a moment to note the packaging, putting the stretch basket on his head briefly for laughs before asking you (because he always includes you) which one to choose to try.
After commenting on its sweetness and grapiness, he reaches out with one for you to try, bringing the perfectly formed, large, green orb all the way to the camera lens.
Nick Cho is the kind TikTok and YouTube dad who takes you on errands, buys you Five Guys hamburgers, and teaches you how to ride a skateboard. Like the grapes, he’s both sweet and entertaining.
If you’ve never seen his posts, check out this well-conducted Inside Edition interview, How TikTok’s YourKoreanDad Became Everyone’s Dad. The interview, hosted by Stephanie Officer, provides an overview of his content, purpose, and impact.
How does a guy on social media increase social value?
While social media creates many ills, Your Koren Dad shows it can also be a place for positive social impact.
Let’s look at eight ways in which Nick Cho is creating social value that can also be demonstrated in our real-life communities.
He connects with people
When his teen daughters told him how other kids they knew didn’t have engaged dads – or perhaps no present dad at all – he wanted to offer them messages of unconditional love and support.
He reports in the Inside Edition interview that he grew up with strong feelings of wanting to reach out and connect with people, so this was a natural desire for him.
He models generosity
Of course, he can’t really give you a grape or buy you a backpack, but he makes you feel like you are right there. In the barbershop, the cape drapes around the camera as if it’s being placed on you. At the restaurant, he lays out both his order and one for you whether it’s a bowl of Pho or a hamburger.
Particularly when he’s taking you on errands with him, it has the feeling of exploring the neighborhood with Mr. Rogers
He’s kind
And, like Mr. Rogers, his soothing voice exudes kindness as much as the messages he delivers.
He shares with Inside Edition that so many people are longing for unconditional love, and he’s doing his part to nurture them, telling them he loves them and is proud of them.
You can see the kindness perhaps most profoundly when he introduces you to his dad – The Korean Dad of Your Korean Dad – and shares his most precious moment seeing his dad meet his first grandchild.
And, he teaches you how to share kindness as well, teaching us the popular Korean finger heart you make by overlapping your forefinger and thumb.
Your Korean Dad teaches you how to share the love with finger hearts. Photo Credit: Screenshot from his profile photo on YourKoreanDad TikTok channel.
He engages personally with listeners
Not only does he talk directly to listeners on video, but also on an individual basis.
At first, he was just on TikTok - posting his first video in April of 2020. He reached 1 million followers in November of 2020 and now has over 3 million followers.
A pivotal point came in 2021 when he started his YouTube channel. When he launched, he invited viewers to directly email him for advice or just to connect, even offering that some might join him on a post.
He heard the questions about loneliness during the pandemic and responded with the short: “Do you ever feel lonely?”
He provides messages people need to hear
Need to know you are loved? He tells you often he loves you.
Need to know someone is proud of you? He tells you and gives a reason why (for dealing with your anxiety or accomplishing something new).
Need an apology? He has that covered as well, carefully acknowledging that while he may not be the person you need to hear an apology from, at least you’ll hear one that is thorough and heartfelt.
He’s inclusive
Some of the people most needing unconditional love are those in the LGBTQ+ community. When a follower asked, “Korean Dad, do you support LGBTQ kids?” he responded empathetically, “I love you my LGBTQ+ kids. And, when just existing as who you are can be so much work, I’m so, so proud of you!”
He values diversity
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrating to the United States as a toddler, he has lived experience with racism. He is careful to not portray himself as an Asian caricature, yet he also doesn’t shy away from his ethnicity.
“I want people to see that Korean people can be nice people, but we still have unique characteristics that make us who we are as a culture and a people as well,” he shared in the Inside Edition interview.
He added, “We live in a diverse country, but it’s not diverse in and equal in the ways it needs to be.”
He is genuine
His teen daughters help keep him grounded helping with the channel and providing feedback.
While he mostly offers advice and encouragement, he also occasionally shares his own struggles and challenges and how he’s managing them such as when he was sad how out of place he felt in his home country when he went for a visit.
He recognizes that while he can provide engagement and caring messages, it’s not the same as helping individuals face to face. His audience shares intimately personal stories of trauma, grief, and pain, and they say that his content helps them. When asked about his impact in the Inside Edition interview, he said, “I’m grateful for it, but I don’t totally understand how I’m helping.”
Check out YourKoreanDad
Maybe you need a laugh or a dad-fix, or maybe you want someone to model how to positively increase the social climate. Check out YourKoreanDad on TikTok or YouTube for a perspective that is highly unique while also modeling the values of connection and community that we all value and need.
Golden Connection Challenge:
Consider daily: What messages do people around you need to hear?
Don't be afraid to tell those you encounter today you love them and are proud of them.
