“If you feel empty whenever you don’t have plans, I want to tell you that you need time to develop the ability to deal with loneliness instead.” For years, social media has been a showcase for picture-perfect lives — luxury hotels, fine dining, designer goods, exotic vacations and bustling social circles. Now, a very different kind of lifestyle is drawing millions of views: staying home alone on a Friday night. Kim Yu-rye, a 38-year-old office worker in Seoul, documents her solitary routines on Instagram. Her account, “kimuyeah,” is filled with everyday activities she enjoys by herself, from watching animation after work and reading to practicing yoga. She shares tips with followers on how to spend time comfortably by themselves. It was not always something she was comfortable showing publicly. As someone without a spouse, romantic partner or children, Kim gradually found herself spending more time alone. She eventually stopped treating that reality as something that needed to be hidden behind carefully curated social media posts. “I used to think I should only post special and beautifu
