The "Connection" Reality of Today's High School Students Seen on SNS ~ Why We No Longer See Young People "Hanging Out"

As "connections" on SNS increase, the way we build relationships should change too. For this interview, we selected five past contestants from the Miss High School/Mr. High School pageant as representatives of young people. We asked them about the "interpersonal relationships of today's high school students" brought about by SNS, focusing on the aspect of connection rather than its use as an information gathering tool.

"Can I have your Twitter?" is a greeting; SNS platforms are chosen based on the desired "conversational distance"

 

As various SNS platforms like LINE, Twitter, and Instagram become widespread among high schoolers, we asked them about their usage patterns, assuming they differentiate between them. From our interviews, we identified the following characteristics for each SNS and its functions:

★ Portfolio-type:
A portfolio is a collection of works, like a photo album, created by artists or creators to showcase their achievements and abilities. On SNS, this refers to stockpiling posts that reflect an idealized self, such as "I want people to see me this way!"

★ Sharing/Dissemination Type:
This refers to sharing what you're enjoying or doing in the moment, like saying "Hey, listen up, right now~" to tell others about your current experiences.

Q.1 Which SNS do you exchange first?

Twitter was overwhelmingly the most common choice. The reason given was, "It allows you to maintain just the right distance."

*High school students' voices

―LINE feels too personal, so I hesitate to exchange it first.

―I'll swap LINE once we're really close, but I start by asking "Do you use Twitter?" as a kind of greeting.

―We exchange Twitter, and if their profile has an Instagram link, we connect through Twitter or Instagram. Once we open up and the conversation flows, we switch to LINE!

While opportunities to exchange LINE seem common, it mainly feels like it's with people relatively close by, like around school. Notably, the broader their social circle, the more likely they are to start with Twitter over LINE. Some also mentioned that recently, Instagram is becoming the first platform exchanged more often.

This perspective feels uniquely modern for today's high schoolers, whose friend circles have expanded through social media. Since Twitter and Instagram also function as tools for self-expression, users often post carefully curated content. Even when meeting someone new, you can learn about each other's interests and preferences from these posts, which can help you become friends.

Regarding the view that "LINE is more for private use," this relates to how people manage notifications for each platform. Generally, people rarely turn off notifications for one-on-one LINE messages. However, since Twitter and Instagram generate more reactions—likes, replies, and direct messages—notifications are often turned off. Since people open these apps themselves when they have free time, there seems to be an unspoken rule that replies to Twitter or Instagram can be "sent anytime" = "it's okay if it's a bit late"...

Q.2 What SNS do you post on most often lately?

While some see Twitter as a way to exchange greetings, there's a growing tendency to use Instagram Stories* more frequently these days (though people still post on Twitter, of course).

The key point is that on Instagram, it's Stories, not timeline posts.

*A feature separate from the timeline where photos and videos can be posted. Content automatically disappears after 24 hours.

*High school students' voices

―I've started posting things on Stories more often lately that I used to post on Twitter!

―Since you can see the number of likes on Twitter and Instagram timeline posts, I only post photos and content I'm really particular about, so the frequency has decreased.

―Conversely, Stories disappear after 24 hours, and only I can see the reactions, so I can casually post about my daily life (I post 3-5 times a day!).

Twitter is often associated with lively conversations where many people join replies, but there's a risk that casual chats can spread widely. Some teens create separate "real-life accounts" (locked accounts) distinct from their main accounts, switching between them. Changing their language depending on the account is also characteristic of their generation. Some use their real-life accounts exclusively for negative comments or trivial tweets.

Stories, on the other hand, are designed to shift conversations to one-on-one direct messages, eliminating worries about others peeking in. This is likely another reason for their recent popularity.

Amid growing concerns about online backlashes on social media, this kind of switching is a move that truly shows why they're the smartphone native generation.

※Refers to accounts created specifically for interacting with close friends you frequently meet or stay in touch with.

Expanding beyond online friends

 

As mentioned earlier, Twitter and Instagram Stories allow users to easily share current information like what music they're listening to or their location, which can also spark conversations.

Becoming close with someone you've only met once, or meeting someone you met online in person, is probably a bit of a hurdle for adults. It usually ends up being a shallow relationship. However, for high schoolers who masterfully use social media, it's something they can navigate as a matter of course.

The examples below represent model cases of relationship building unique to today's high schoolers, whose communities have become vast and complex.

Case 1: From Acquaintance to Friend via SNS

Through SNS, they discover shared interests or mutual appeal with a friend's friend or someone they've met only a few times—connections they might never have found otherwise—and their relationship upgrades from "acquaintance" to "friend."

Case 2: From "Online Friend" to "Real-Life Friend" via SNS

They become close through shared interests and hobbies. Because they have so much in common, they meet in person at events or other real-life gatherings. However, checking the other person's SNS posts and mutual friends is essential at this stage.

Latest SNS Trend: Hashtags Functioning as "Shields"

 

Next, let's look at recent SNS trends among high school students. Starting with hashtags. Here are some commonly used ones right now.

① #l4l or #lfl
Short for "Like for Like," meaning "I'll like yours if you like mine."

② #いいね返し
Similar to ①, meaning "I'll like yours if you like mine."

③ #f4f or #fff
Abbreviation for Follow for Follow, meaning "I'll follow you if you follow me."

④ #○○ #whatis
Insert a keyword into ○○, then add the hashtag "#what" afterward to convey that you're questioning something. Example: "#Instagrammable #what", "#Diet #what"

Regarding ① to ③, as mentioned earlier, this trend likely stems from the visibility of like counts and follower numbers to an unspecified audience. While people care about likes and followers, the desperate attempt to visibly boost numbers comes off as tacky and unappealing. These hashtags might serve as a kind of "shield" against that perception.

This shield-like function also applies to ④'s "#○○ #whatis". Late last year, "#Instagramdeflate" trended, reflecting the stress felt around "Instagrammable". "#Instagrammable #whatis" serves as a clear example justifying Instagrammable posts against this social pressure.

While you can't escape the pressure to be Instagram-worthy because of the number of likes, it's still embarrassing to be seen as actively trying for it. By adding the hashtag "#Instagrammable #meaning," you're essentially staging a performance: "I know it's embarrassing to aim for Instagrammable posts, but I'm posting anyway, fully aware of that."

Next, Instagram posting trends. Instagram is seeing a Stories sharing phenomenon. This involves taking a screenshot of someone else's posted Story, adding a reply to it, and then posting it as your own Story. You can also tag the person's account with @ to notify them.

This could be seen as a derivative of Twitter's retweet functionality. As mentioned earlier, Instagram Stories only allow one-on-one messaging, which becomes a weakness when you want others to see the exchange. This technique helps overcome that limitation.

Connecting via SNS means "sharing space"

Finally, I'd like to mention a surprising way high school students use SNS, as mentioned in the interview.

#1: LINE calls with her boyfriend until morning (mostly silent)

It's common to fall asleep during a LINE call at night, but the girl interviewed here starts her call at 9 PM and keeps it active all the way until morning. Amazingly, they're mostly silent during that time. They're free to play with their phones, read manga, or do homework—it's almost like they're together in the same house?

2. Playing "Werewolf Game" on LINE

I also learned for the first time about the popular "Werewolf Game" as a handy LINE feature.
I always thought Werewolf was a psychological battle game for large groups, but now you can play it in a LINE group. It's incredibly easy: just add the bot account "Werewolf GM" to your LINE group.

*A psychological game where the player group is likened to a village, divided into villagers and wolves (werewolves) disguised as villagers, battling to uncover who the werewolves are.

 

#3 Exchanging Boyfriend/Girlfriend SNS Accounts

For a while, it was trendy for couples to create Twitter accounts dedicated to sharing their daily lives and lovey-dovey moments. Now, it seems the trend is to exchange passwords for each other's personal accounts and add them to your own app. It's not about posting using the other person's account; they seem to derive satisfaction simply from sharing the account.

While many associate SNS with connection, they've uniquely evolved its use—transforming it from mere linear links into a tool for sharing space.

Teen trends shift at a dizzying pace; within six months, they'll likely be chasing the next big thing. As an advertising agency, we must recognize that just because a tactic went viral last year doesn't guarantee it will work this year.
To capture their hearts, keeping pace with this speed of change is crucial.

Street culture is evolving on social media

"Where did the gals go?" "Reader models aren't as visible as they used to be..." I had these questions. But through this research, I began to see why fewer young people are hanging out on the streets of places like Shibuya's Center Street.

Many adults assume young people have lost their energy, but in reality, that passion is now being channeled online. Furthermore, that passion has become more dispersed and less visible.

In the past environment, one had to dedicate both time and money to a single community. Within that, the street functioned as a tool for exchanging information and expanding friendships with people sharing common interests, tastes, or mindsets.

However, with the advent of the internet, it became possible to understand broad trends while simultaneously pursuing one's own specific interests to the extreme. The proliferation of social media then took this further, enabling information exchange and shared experiences without the need to physically gather in the same place.

Once, the area in front of Shibuya's purikura mecca was a gathering spot for teenagers belonging to event clubs or gal clubs, known as "clubbers." You don't see them much there anymore. However, as mentioned in Part 4 of this series, girls with the gal mindset are still very much alive, and gal culture remains fiercely popular. If you look closely at social media, even just a little, you'll rediscover this fact.

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【High School Girl Beauty Pageant】

What is the " High School Girl Beauty Pageant "?

With approximately 1.72 million high school girls nationwide, this contest—chosen by high school girls for high school girls—attracts over 300,000 entries (2017 figures) to crown the number one. Its innovative feature? Entries and votes are possible via purikura machines installed across Japan. The selection process is driven by the public, allowing viewers to participate in the journey to crown the grand prize winner.

【Official Program】
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEeyy_fypedVHh1Lscu16CQ

【Twitter】
http://j.mp/JKmisscon_Tw

【Instagram】
https://www.instagram.com/jk_misscon/
 

【High School Male Beauty Pageant】

What is the " High School Male Student Mr. Contest "?

A contest to determine "Japan's Coolest High School Boy" from among male high school students nationwide. For the first time, entries are possible using original stamps on the popular camera app SNOW. Judging takes place on apps like SNOW and Twitter, which high school boys frequently use in their daily lives, making this Japan's largest high school boy audition project.

Past winners include Kyoya Honda, who has appeared in magazines like "Popteen" and on stage, climbing the ladder to become a popular actor, and Taito Nasu, who enjoys immense popularity among high school girls through appearances on shows like AbemaTV's "Wolf Boy Won't Be Fooled♡". Last year's Grand Prix winner, Fumiya Takahashi, is also active.

【Twitter】
https://twitter.com/DKmrcon
 

【Instagram】
https://www.instagram.com/dkmrcon.gram/