Les salles d’étude en ligne (camstudy) en période untact en Corée du Sud. Penser la possibilité des liens sans échange

Abstract

The practice called “camstudy” consists in voluntarily connecting to other unknown users for work sessions with the camera on, to monitor one another and to avoid distractions so that users can concentrate on their work. This new form of interaction has developed in the context of contactless lifestyles in South Korea, known since 2017 as “untact” a neologism combining the prefix “un-” and “contact”. Based on a field survey through participant observation carried out in 2021 during the health crisis, this article explores the practice of camstudy, and proposes to show the diversity of forms and contents of interpersonal interactions through a screen, achieved by the appropriation of users. Finally, this research suggests the possibility of “links without exchange” that have emerged from the limited interactions of this practice.

Keywords

• communication
• digital
• contact-free
• camstudy
• sociability