In this blog post, we’ll explore the concept and evolution of social media, the leading communication platform of the 21st century, as well as its impact on our lives today.
What is life like for an ordinary person in their 20s born in 21st-century South Korea? Most attend college, complete a bachelor’s degree, and then enter the workforce. Women typically begin their professional careers in earnest in their mid-20s, while men often start in their late 20s after completing their mandatory military service. But would you believe it if there were someone who became the CEO of a global corporation in their 20s and amassed one of the world’s greatest fortunes? Mark Zuckerberg, widely regarded as a leading role model for the younger generation alongside Steve Jobs, is that very person. He co-founded Facebook, the world’s largest social networking service, and grew it into a global platform. So how was he able to achieve such worldwide success at such a young age? The answer lies in Facebook, the service he led.
Today, Facebook is one of the world’s largest social networking services (SNS) and has grown into a platform used by billions of people worldwide. In South Korea as well, Facebook and various other social media platforms have become established as everyday means of communication. However, today, people use not only Facebook but also Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms, each with its own unique features. This shift does not simply signify the growth of a specific company; it demonstrates that SNS has established itself as a core platform that is transforming the lifestyles and communication cultures of people worldwide. So, what exactly are these SNS platforms that connect the world?
First, let’s examine the definition of the term. SNS stands for Social Network Service and refers to a service that connects people online and supports the formation and maintenance of relationships. Representative services include Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn; in South Korea, Cyworld and Me2Day were also once popular as leading social networking services.
Originally, “SNS” referred specifically to services centered on building relationships between people, but recently its meaning has expanded, and it is often used alongside the concept of “social media.” Generally, social media refers to online platforms as a whole where anyone can create and share content and interact with others. In other words, social media can be defined as the various online communication tools that connect people.
Social media is categorized into various forms. In addition to blogs and social networking services (SNS), this category includes wiki services where anyone can freely create and edit content; online communities and forums centered around specific topics or interests; and platforms like YouTube for creating and sharing video content.
The history of the term “social media” is not as long as one might think. It generally began to be used in the IT industry in the early 2000s and gained widespread recognition in 2004 when Chris Shipley introduced the concept at a related conference. At the time, it was used as a broad term encompassing various Internet-based services that connected people, but it was not yet a common term among the general public. Later, in the late 2000s, as social networking services (SNS) like Twitter and Facebook experienced explosive growth, the term “social media” also began to be widely used. However, because SNS services were so widely recognized, the general public increasingly began to use “SNS” and “social media” almost interchangeably.
For this reason, many people believe that the history of SNS is short or think of Twitter and Facebook as the only representative examples of SNS. Of course, there is no dispute that these services led the popularization of SNS. However, the development leading up to today’s SNS was a longer process than one might think, and various services existed even before Facebook and Twitter.
The development leading up to today’s SNS can generally be divided into two major periods, based on the emergence of microblogging-style SNS.
SNS in the first period (late 1990s to early 2000s) were contact management services focused on reconnecting with and maintaining offline relationships. In the past, relationships formed offline—such as through alumni associations or hobby groups—were central, but as the internet became widespread, it became possible to continue these relationships online as well. Social media during this period evolved primarily as a means of exchanging text-based messages to maintain existing connections. Consequently, rather than forming new relationships, these services had a strongly closed nature, essentially transferring offline relationships to the online realm.
The first-generation social networking service that represented South Korea was “I Love School,” which launched in 1999. It gained immense popularity by helping users find former classmates they had lost touch with, and it created a new culture where people reconnected online and went on to hold real-life class reunions. Although it secured millions of members within a short time after its launch, it ultimately faded into history, overshadowed by competing services, because it failed to establish a stable revenue model.
Overseas, there was “Classmates.” Launched in 1995, this service also centered on connecting former classmates. Although it enjoyed immense popularity at the time, its influence gradually waned as new forms of social media emerged.
In the mid-2000s, before the transition to the second generation, Cyworld emerged as South Korea’s leading social media platform. Launched in 2001, Cyworld grew into South Korea’s leading social networking service through its innovative features, “Mini-Homepage” and “Ilchon.” By enabling users to share their daily lives, photos, and music centered around real-name-based relationships—both online and offline—it distinguished itself from previous generations of social networking services. This allowed users to strengthen existing connections while also forming new ones.
Cyworld’s most distinctive feature was the “Mini-Homepage.” In the early 2000s, as the internet was rapidly spreading, only those with advanced computer skills could create and maintain personal websites. However, building a website was no easy task for the average user. In this context, Cyworld introduced the Mini-Homepage, allowing anyone to easily create their own space, and users were able to express their individuality without needing complex technical knowledge.
Compared to first-generation social networks, Cyworld shared commonalities with later social networks in that it provided a space for self-expression that went beyond simple contact management. However, it also retained characteristics of first-generation social networks in that it focused on maintaining and reconnecting with existing contacts rather than forming new relationships.
Second-generation (post-2007) social media evolved around microblogging-style services. While the previous generation of social media focused on using various features to customize personal spaces and express individuality, second-generation social media developed to meet users’ demands for quickly and easily sharing their own updates and receiving others’ stories. By this stage, people were able to maintain existing relationships while forming new ones in a much more efficient manner.
The most significant feature of second-generation social media is the ability to form new connections with an unspecified audience. Users can now easily connect with people who know them but do not know them in return, as well as celebrities, politicians, and corporate CEOs. This is due to the emergence of open social networks that allow users to initiate connections without the other party’s prior consent.
Twitter was the service that epitomized this open social media model, and it is currently operating under the name “X.” On X, users can initiate a connection by “following” a public account without needing the other person’s approval. This was a completely different approach from the traditional, closed social media platforms centered on personal relationships. Thanks to this structure, users could connect with a diverse range of people without restrictions of time or place and form new networks based on their interests. Even today, X has a large global user base and plays a crucial role in real-time information sharing and the spread of social issues.
However, some people find completely open social media platforms like X to be intimidating because they do not want their private lives exposed to an unspecified audience. Conversely, others find it stifling to maintain relationships only within their existing social circles. Facebook was the service that struck a balance between these two needs.
Facebook emerged around the same time as Cyworld but differentiated itself by adopting a structure that allowed for openness only to the extent necessary. Furthermore, while based on a microblogging-style service, it also offered a variety of community features. Facebook connected friends through a real-name-based network and supported the formation of new relationships based on shared interests and existing connections.
In particular, the “People You May Know” feature naturally expanded users’ networks by analyzing their existing connections to suggest new contacts. Furthermore, the News Feed allowed users to view a variety of updates from their friends in one place, creating an environment where they could continuously communicate within a single community. These features became key drivers in Facebook’s growth into a global social media platform.
As such, various social media platforms, including Facebook and X, have grown into leading online platforms used by countless people worldwide. Today, in South Korea as well, social media has become an integral part of daily life and is utilized in various fields, such as information sharing, building relationships, news consumption, and cultural activities. Social media has now moved beyond a mere trend to become a core means of communication that shapes modern society.
So, what are the reasons behind the explosive growth of social media? Behind this growth lie two key factors: the human instinct to communicate and the widespread adoption of smartphones.
The desire to communicate is one of the most fundamental human needs. People feel a sense of satisfaction when they share their experiences and thoughts with others and receive feedback in return. In fact, various neuroscience studies have reported that the brain’s reward system is activated when people talk about themselves or communicate with others. In other words, the desire to express one’s thoughts and connect with others can be considered a natural human instinct.
Social media is a prime example of a service that combines this human need with information technology. While it used to be difficult to express oneself or communicate with large numbers of people, social media has made it possible for anyone to easily share their thoughts and daily lives online and interact with others in various ways.
Furthermore, the widespread adoption of smartphones has further accelerated the growth of social media. In modern society, most people carry mobile devices such as smartphones with them at all times. With the ability to access the internet anytime and anywhere, the accessibility of social media has increased dramatically. Users can now view posts in real time, leave comments, and instantly share various types of content, such as photos and videos. In line with these changes, social media has also evolved toward simpler interface designs and a style of content consumption characterized by brevity and speed.
Ultimately, the combination of humans’ innate desire to communicate and the advancement of mobile technology has allowed social media to become deeply embedded in the lives of people around the world. While the form of these platforms and how they are used continue to evolve with the times, the essential role of social media—connecting people and enabling communication—will continue into the future.
