Those who aren't suited for SNS should learn its history!

The book "The Evolution of SNS: The Future of a Society Connected by 'Likes'" offers a multifaceted look at the changing history of social networking services. In the final installment of the publication commemorative series, editor Mamoru Kinoshita shares the intent behind its creation.

Digital Native, or SNS Old Boy

I was born in 1992 (Heisei 4), part of the generation often called "(neo) digital natives."

There was once a term called "Web 2.0." I interpret it as the idea that when everyone shares information on a level playing field, it becomes collective intelligence, leading to better societal development.

Looking back, I was indeed familiar with the internet from elementary school. I'd cycle through sites with massive lists of book reviews, movie sites covering niche genres, game strategy compendiums... gathering information from these "deep" sites. Yeah, I guess I had a lot of free time. Wikipedia was the perfect tool for killing time; just clicking links and staring blankly could pass hours.

For someone born in the countryside like me, the internet was pure information heaven! Thank you, "Web 2.0." Thank you, "strange otaku uncles and aunts I'd never meet."

So naturally, when I became a college student, I should have started using social media... but I didn't. Well, I did try creating various accounts just to see how it was. But, for example, Twitter—said to be especially popular with Japanese people—I just couldn't quite grasp its appeal.

Being easily bored, I just couldn't get used to SNS, which is basically for daily use. I didn't follow anyone except people I already knew in real life. That might be part of it, but I think the biggest reason was that I "simply didn't have anything I particularly wanted to tweet in 140 characters."

For example, suppose I tweeted, "Did you know Hiroyuki (Nishimura) pronounces Twitter as 'Twi-tter' instead of 'Twi-tter'?" What would someone seeing this tweet in their timeline think? Frankly, "So what?" If it got a million retweets, that'd be hilarious and satisfying, but unfortunately, reality isn't that kind. It would definitely be ignored.

And as a student, I simply didn't have anything worth tweeting beyond that level. That's how the distance between me and Twitter grew.

Me, not sharing... am I even real!?

But when I became a working adult and started at a publishing company, I was met with the innocent expectations of my senior colleagues: "You're young, so you must be active on social media, right?" "Use Twitter to make something go viral!"

I also felt the "correct" pressure of the modern publishing industry: "In this 'age of the individual,' it's now common sense for each editor to gather followers and leverage them for business."

What on earth have I been doing all this time...?
Failed modern kid.
I've become completely obsolete...

For years, I agonized over the gap between what everyone says is right and my own reality with social media. Where did I go wrong? Complacency? Or just a different environment?

Amidst this, I read Akira Amano's renowned work, The Psychology of Sharing: Seven Perspectives for Understanding the SNS Information Environment (Sendenkaigi), and encountered a phrase that struck me like lightning.

"I share, therefore I am."

This phrase, reportedly coined by psychologist Sherry Turkle to describe the modern SNS environment, succinctly captures users' desire for validation and the driving force behind sharing.

Wait, does that mean I, who can't utilize SNS effectively... don't even exist anymore!?

Why are people using SNS? How are they using it?

This is serious. I mustn't end up like "Everyone else is doing this SNS thing, so I suppose I should try it too."

To do that, I resolved to figure out why SNS is so popular and why so many people enjoy it.

This is no longer an era where you can easily categorize people by generation or gender. While there are differences between services, unlike the days when only "net geeks" used the web, now everyone is familiar with and enjoys SNS. Behind this shift, there must clearly be underlying changes in communication and society that led to me becoming a "net old-timer" in my twenties.

Therefore, I decided to ask Akira Amano—who brilliantly articulates and explains everything from the design philosophies to the user mindsets of various SNS platforms, with a focus on Instagram—to provide an overview of the "evolution of SNS" that rapidly spread in less than 15 years. Through this, I wanted him to teach us about the "past" and "future" of "online communication."

This would surely meet the needs of readers—likely numerous, not just myself—who feel that sense of "When did I start falling behind on SNS?" and experience discomfort with their distance from these platforms.

The result is this book: The Evolution of SNS: Where is the "Like"-Connected Society Headed?

The SNS "Biotope" Floating Online

This book focuses on major SNS platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, tracing their history from their prehistory. It's masterfully narrated by Mr. Amano. As its editor, I may be biased, but I doubt there's another book that so compactly lets you enjoy the story of history while learning about SNS.

When you think about it, SNS is a curious phenomenon as a service provided by for-profit companies.

1. They exhibit strong network externalities (popular services with many users become even more popular)
2. Yet, as seen with the decline of MySpace and mixi, they experience booms and busts.
3. Unlike "customer-facing" services, they merely provide a platform—entirely reliant on others (users)—yet still satisfy users.

SNS of Wonder. For a deeper exploration of these questions, I encourage you to read this book. But if I had to name one crucial keyword, it would be "media biotope (ecosystem)." I mentioned earlier that this book traces the prehistory of SNS (including 2channel and blogs), and this concept is central to that narrative. For example...

• Aren't memes born on 2channel still used on Twitter today?
• Didn't the "trackback" feature of blogs and social bookmarking provide an effect similar to hashtags in terms of diffusion?
• Isn't there a similarity between Niconico's "Odottemita" (dance covers) and TikTok's dance videos?

Amidst countless media intertwining in complex ways, a state where a totality emerges, much like an ecosystem, is apparently called a "media biotope." And each SNS is one element incorporated into this online biotope.

Just as humanity didn't suddenly evolve from apes but gradually evolved within an ecosystem, SNS platforms have evolved within the social media biotope, including its prehistory. There is historical continuity here. Even Instagram and TikTok, which seem to have exploded suddenly, have the "media biotope" as their background when viewed over the long term.

We live in an SNS society, whether we like it or not.

This book also addresses the future of SNS, including challenges arising from its increasing emphasis on real-time nature, the runaway desire for validation and the problem of online backlashes, and the potential for SNS to open up human relationships. As technology advances, SNS will undoubtedly undergo further transformations.

However, this change won't be sudden, like a complete transformation overnight. For instance, while communication styles seem to shift rapidly—from stock-based to flow-based, from text to visuals—there is undeniable continuity. I felt this strongly while editing this book.

Looking back, I used to view SNS communication as a one-on-one (or at most a small group) interactive experience. Yet, unlike face-to-face conversation, it also has a somewhat impersonal feel. Think of it like: "Alexa!" "Yes, what is it?" "What's the weather today?" "...I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." So, whether you say to Alexa, "Sorry, sorry, my articulation was bad (lol)," or "Hey, listen up, listen up!", there's no reaction. Similarly, on a "timeline," you can't really say your tweet was "ignored." It just flows by as a matter of course. That's probably why I ended up thinking, "Well, I guess I don't really have anything special to say." That feeling isn't wrong, but the purposes for using SNS have expanded much more diversely.

That said, even if people are saying "This SNS is all the rage lately!", at its core, it's still about communication between people. So, even if I'm not great at using SNS, I can still communicate normally with people face-to-face (...I hope). So, cheer up!

To those feeling disheartened by situations like the "JC/JK Buzzword Awards," or hearing things like "Super popular with high school girls!" or "Only old guys use Facebook, right~?" To those drifting in melancholy, thinking "I just can't keep up with SNS these days~." It's okay! First, take a look at this book.

When creating this book, author Amano and I, the editor, shared a common goal: "Don't just paint SNS as something entirely negative." New technologies and services often get criticized, and pointing out problems is easy, but that alone doesn't make for a meaningful book.

We live in a society where SNS has become so commonplace that the phrase "the line between online and offline no longer exists" is practically gathering dust. In this world, everyone inevitably lives under the influence of SNS. Understanding the ecosystem behind it, I believe, is key to envisioning the future evolution of our society.

Please take a look at this book.