Video Communication Among the Smartphone-Native Generation: The Establishment of SNS Search and the Spread of Simulacra

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Figure 2

Approximately 30% of saving is done via screenshots, and 18.1% of sharing is done via screenshots, while copying and sharing links accounts for only 11.3%. Today, smartphone users, when they encounter information they like, tend to "take a screenshot and share it" rather than "copy and paste a link."

We are now sharing screenshots on social media, and it is clear that information sharing is changing to suit smartphone devices.

2. The spread of simulacra and the future of the shareable information society

The concept of social media has a unique elusiveness. For better or worse, social media has the characteristic of connecting friends, acquaintances, celebrities, companies, and brands equally. However, Figure 3, which measures the influence of visual communication, shows how we perceive social media as a field of familiar human relationships.

While this result applies to all survey respondents, no significant differences emerged when breaking down the 15-34 age group by gender and further slicing it into five-year increments. This suggests it represents a common tendency among this generation (though reactions to influencers did vary across generations—details in the book).

The most important characteristic of SNS is that it "spreads information imitatively." While this is an inevitable outcome for us humans, who cannot live without communication, the modern information environment certainly contains an aspect that accelerates this phenomenon.

This characteristic, derived from user observation, is the phenomenon called "simulacrum," which was also raised in last year's opening feature. From here, we would like to conclude by reexamining the contemporary significance of this key term.

If we can classify media communication based on the relationship between sender and receiver, we can organize it as shown in Figure 4.

From left to right: "Mass Media Type" represents the relationship between us and powerful original information sources like television and newspapers, forming a "1:N" relationship.

Next, the "influencer type" refers to recommendations made by highly information-sensitive influencers within communities of various genres, a format that has spread since the advent of the Internet. The volume of senders and receivers is "√N:N." For example, if a platform has 4 million users, there are theoretically about 2,000 influencers.

Finally, the "simulacrum type" refers to a phenomenon in which information is copied in a network without a clear sender, or source of the original information, and a common understanding is created as if prompted by this, leading to information-based actions. Simulacrum, while retaining its original meaning of "imitation," is known as a term popularized by sociologist Baudrillard, who thoughtfully analyzed the nature of high-consumption society, defining it as "copies without originals."

For example, products or events based on hashtags become popular on Instagram, or people see posts from friends and acquaintances on Facebook and want to imitate them... All such experiences fall into this category. At this point, transmission and reception can be described as an "N:N" relationship.

Compared to the "mass type" and "influencer type," the "simulacrum type" is characterized by a state in which anyone can transmit information without a clear sender or original source, and experiences are copied while being influenced by that information, creating an image (simulacrum) that encourages longing.

This classification is based on user observation and is also supported by historical and theoretical background. I would like to supplement this from two perspectives. First, a characteristic of modern society is that, in a process of increasing diversity, complexity, and fluidity, it is considered valuable for everyone to build and live their own unique lifestyle based on diverse values.

Lifestyle used to refer to that of the upper class, but now it is treated as something unique to each individual, and we live our social lives, including production and consumption, as if to fill in the framework of our own identity, for which there is no answer.

Second, in mature societies like ours today, as Baudrillard noted, consumption shifts its emphasis from use value to exchange value. The symbolic meaning that consumption (paying for goods or experiences) holds for others is what becomes the "value."

In the context of this discussion, the trigger for consumption becomes the satisfaction of answering: Does it look good on social media?—Are you having experiences that contain exchange value others will envy?

This trend is even more pronounced in the visual communication environment of the next phase of SNS. We take selfies with video filters and stockpile them while worrying about how they will look on SNS... These actions reflect the current information environment, especially among the smartphone native generation, where people pursue their own identity but cannot help seeking exchange value (admiration).

Simulacra is an issue closely related to this stage of an increasingly sophisticated consumer society, and it will continue to be a trend in the medium to long term.

In the previous series, I emphasized the significance of focusing on "video filters." In our survey, over 60% of respondents said they had started using video filters themselves after seeing other users do so.

As mentioned in the previous article, we believe that video filters will continue to spread as simulacra, as in the case of the "dog face" mentioned earlier (we also discuss the potential of this technology for promotional use based on survey data, but that is covered in this book).

Considering the compatibility of video filters and simulacra, as well as the high utility value they provide in terms of experience, this form of visual communication is likely to become a more widespread trend and attract increasing attention in the future.

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Survey Overview
DENTSU SOKEN INC. Media Innovation Research Department
"Survey on Visual Communication Among Young People"
Research Companies: ①Graffiti Inc. / ②Video Research Ltd.
Survey period: ① April & November 2016 / ② October 2016
Survey Method: ① Group/Depth Interview Survey / ② Web Survey
Sample Composition: ① 15 males and females aged 17-21 residing in the Greater Tokyo Area
　　　　　　　② 1,600 men and women aged 15-34 nationwide
※② Screened based on usage criteria: "Individuals who post (send/share) on at least two of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat once a week or more (including shares)"

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Topics introduced from the table of contents of the "Content" section in the chapter "Trends in the Information Media Industry".
For detailed data and the full version of the analysis, please refer to the book 'Information Media White Paper 2017'.

Music Edition: Music Festivals Are Hugely Popular
~The concert market, driving the recent music industry, is growing annually with sales of approximately ¥320 billion (115.9% year-on-year)~

Feature Films & Video Software: Theater Usage Revitalized
~ To increase cinema attendance, screening methods are evolving. For example, "support screenings"—where audience members can cheer, talk, and use glow sticks during the film—are gaining popularity.

Animation: Live Entertainment Market Expands to ¥52.3 Billion (168.4% YoY)
~Growth in the number of performances and attendance for 2.5-dimensional musicals, stage plays, live house events, and large-scale events contributed to market expansion~

Games: Smartphone game market reaches 962.8 billion yen (107.7% YoY), nearing 1 trillion yen
～Looking at app revenue composition by category, games dominate revenue on both iOS and Google Play～