Degenderation and the example of BTS

Many classifications that people use to define each other may well be based mostly on the issue of gender. Definitions such as girl-boy, woman-man, male-female are frequently used in our daily lives. Gender-based classifications can be found in the oldest literary works and holy books, reinforcing the idea that this distinction is as old as the history of humanity. Indeed the duality of men and women has been a determining issue in every society from past to present. Some of the gender-based social movements increased rapidly in recent years and are drawing attention to individuals who adopt the behaviors of the opposite sex, while others suggest being genderless. Defining oneself being male or female depends on the mood of the person that emphasizes the "fluidity" of switching from one gender to another without any limits regarding the day, hour, week, or month. The fluidity of an unpsecific gender as "normal" offers an alternative definition for being "sexless". This alternative perspective repeated by well-known media idols and exemplified by personal experience normalizes genderlessness as a discourse. Children and young people who are during their process of character development are exposed to these representations. One of the important representatives of Kpop is the BTS group. BTS has a great number of fans mainly children and young people. This group spoke in front of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in support of the United Nations 2030 goals and was touted as an "extraordinarily outstanding young men group that connects with young people around the world" and is the most well-known representative for the fluid gender orientation. This study aims to investigate, with the use of the NEM Gender Role Inventory and the definition of words for children for a better understanding, the effect of BTS on the gender perceptions of children aged 9-14.