What kind of "connection" do SNS-native young people seek?

Dentsu Inc. Wakamon (Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department) conducted "Tsugikuru" workshops with Generation Z students. Based on university students' reports, we are building hypotheses around the theme "The Next Shape of XX" ( see the article on the "Tsugikuru" workshops here ).

This time, we're changing the format from our usual series to a dialogue. Our guest is Seijo Nishimura, developer of the popular text-based calling app "Jiffcy" among young people. Takuya Yuki from Dentsu Inc. Wakamon asked him about the next "form of communication among young people."

From their conversation, it became clear that young people seek "deep connections with those close to them" and the feeling of "having the other person right in front of them" in digital communication.

 

Young People Seeking "Quality" Over "Quantity" in Connections

Source: Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department Original Survey (Conducted December 2024 / Web survey of 2,000 unmarried men and women aged high school students to 20 years into their careers nationwide)

Yuki: In our latest independent survey conducted at Dentsu Inc. Wakamon, we also asked questions about "connections with friends." The results showed that high school students scored significantly higher than working adults on responses like "I want friends I can talk to about anything" and "I want to feel connected to close friends forever." This clearly shows that younger people tend to seek "quality of connection." In today's world where connections are routinely quantified through visible social media follower counts, they seem to value the tangible sense of connection with those close to them and the depth of that connection. Mr. Nishimura, how do you perceive communication among today's youth?

Nishimura: While some people may value the sheer quantity of connections, I personally feel that many young people are seeking to improve the quality of their connections. In this context, I sense that while tools for connecting with anyone are abundant, there's a current lack of tools that help deepen connections with specific individuals.

Yuki: That's true. For example, Instagram has a "Close Friends" feature that lets you limit posts to specific followers. I believe this feature was intended to provide a safe space to post your authentic self. However, as users continue using it, their "Close Friends" list often expands, and they end up sharing with people who aren't actually close anymore.

Seeing this situation, Dentsu Inc. Wakamon wondered, "Could young people be caught in a cycle of searching for another app where they can safely connect only with close friends?" I think Jiffcy is one answer young people have arrived at in their search for tools to deepen connections with close friends. Could you briefly explain Jiffcy's concept again?

Nishimura: In a nutshell, Jiffcy is an "app that lets you call without speaking," and we call it a "text-calling app."

Jiffcy has two main features. One is the ability to call someone like you would make a phone call, but instead of using your voice, you converse via text. The other feature is that there is no send button; instead, the text you type in the chat screen appears character by character in real time.

There are similar apps where your text appears one character at a time, allowing you to chat with strangers. However, I believe Jiffcy is currently the only one that uses a calling-like interface to initiate the conversation.

Yuki: Who are the main users?

Nishimura: Our main users are junior high, high school, and college students. Most use it as a communication tool with close friends, family, or partners. While friends might also use group LINE chats, Jiffcy tends to be used among particularly close groups of 3-4 people.

The usage scenario is like chatting in real time instead of calling, in situations where speaking is difficult, like on trains or at night. Since you're specifically calling someone to communicate in real time, if you're not close, the awkward silence can make things uncomfortable. That's why it's used by people with very close relationships.

Yuki: Sharing LINE or Instagram accounts often happens as a first step in building a relationship when you meet someone new. In contrast, Jiffcy is used on the premise that both parties already consider each other close enough to call anytime, right?

Nishimura: Exactly. Looking at society today, I think we've shifted from an era where people felt "We don't understand the world, so let's cherish our family bonds," to one where we can learn about the whole world through social media. Precisely because of that, everyone is now returning to valuing connections with those close to them.

Yuki: I see. In an era where constant SNS connectivity is the norm, people sometimes want to disconnect from the vast, undefined crowd and maintain healthy distance. But in doing so, they also want to enrich and secure their relationships with those close to them. I feel Jiffcy is one solution to that.

Nishimura: Considering we can't just disconnect from the wider world now, I believe the movement to value bonds with our inner circle will only grow stronger. Using technology, we can create environments that feel like face-to-face interactions even when physically apart. Providing spaces for communication without the need for excessive consideration or restraint is what we should be doing now.

 

Young people whose communication styles shift between online and face-to-face

Yuki: Mr. Nishimura, were you conscious of the communication styles and challenges faced by today's youth from the very start of Jiffcy's development?

Nishimura: Actually, Jiffcy wasn't developed based on market research or similar. Development started from what I personally wanted. So honestly, at the time of development, I wasn't specifically targeting young people.

To explain the origin of the project: I started a business in university and continued running my own company after graduation. However, for about three years, service development wasn't going well, and I went through a period of feeling mentally fragile. Then the pandemic hit, making it difficult to meet even close friends casually. I was living alone at the time, feeling down, and wanting someone to listen to me. But I kept thinking things like, "Would it be a bother to call them suddenly?" Making that call felt like a high mental hurdle.

But even when I tried communicating via text, replies would come back six hours later. If I sent "Can we talk now?" and got "What's up?" six hours later, I'd end up replying "Oh, sorry, never mind." That's when I wondered: isn't there a communication method that feels like talking face-to-face, but has a lower mental barrier and doesn't burden the other person? That thought led to the idea for Jiffcy.

Yuki: So your own struggles with communication during the pandemic sparked the idea.

Nishimura: Yes. The Jiffcy prototype worked like this: when you launched the app, it sent notifications to all your friends. If someone responded, a chat started immediately.

But that approach just didn't work. People either didn't notice the notification, or even if they did, they wouldn't join. While trying to solve that problem, we implemented a feature to initiate a text chat after calling someone. During user interviews, we heard feedback like, "It feels like making a call without actually speaking," which solidified Jiffcy's concept.

Looking back now, younger people today are really skilled at reading the room, aren't they? With SNS leading the way, communication demands consideration from all angles. Perhaps they were seeking options that placed less burden on the other person. In hindsight, I believe this ability to communicate while considering the other person's situation is one reason Jiffcy is chosen by young people.

Yuki: That's true. Especially young people who experienced the pandemic during their student years are used to and skilled at being considerate in online communication. Consequently, they feel they can't—and don't need to—intrude into others' personal space. Maintaining that perfect distance with others is probably a defining characteristic of the younger generation.

Nishimura: Exactly. When interacting with students, I sense they put up guarded barriers in online communication.

For example, the communication happening on LINE right now is all about crafting messages to avoid misunderstandings. They agonize over the wording, adjust their eagerness based on the timing of replies. Even with SNS posts, there's this back-and-forth—they want to show it only to close friends, but suddenly excluding people they've shown it to before might create awkwardness.

But when meeting face-to-face, people chat happily without reservation, joking around freely. Personally, I think, "Isn't it strange that communication changes based on physical distance?" I want to eliminate situations where just one variable—physical distance—changes how close we feel, or makes us hesitate and communicate indirectly for fear of misunderstanding.

Yuki: So you're saying the younger generation today is seeking tools that bridge the gap between physical distance and the emotional distance it creates.

 

What's essential for deep online communication is the "sense that the other person is truly present."

Yuki: Changing the subject slightly, I believe today's young people, as digital natives, have unconsciously internalized the risks of SNS. In fact, Wakamon's survey data showed very high scores for the statement "I think it's difficult to completely erase something once posted online."

Yuki: I think the characteristic of the younger generation, who constantly anticipate the risks of backlash and digital tattoos while communicating, could also be a key point in service development.

Nishimura: I agree. Open-type SNS platforms will likely see their overall user base decline long-term as young people's risk-averse mindset takes precedence.

On the other hand, in guaranteed closed spaces like the photo-sharing app BeReal, people post unedited photos and images that reveal their location, right? This suggests that the more closed the space, the less risk awareness becomes, leading to deeper communication where people show their authentic selves through text and images.

Therefore, while ensuring security is a fundamental prerequisite, I believe demonstrating how closed the space is will become increasingly important going forward. That's also the direction we want to pursue.

Yuki: I see. Recent survey data also shows high scores for "wanting someone to share honest feelings with," while simultaneously showing high scores for "sharing honest feelings with others is risky." This highlights a conflict unique to young people: "I want to connect with friends honestly, but considering the risks, I can't speak my mind."

Yuki: It seems that while young people crave places for deep communication and honest exchange, there's also a lack of tools that can actually deliver that. In that regard, I'd like to hear your outlook on how Jiffcy plans to address this going forward.

Nishimura: We believe the younger generation seeks "authentic communication" even online. So, what is authentic communication? I think it's about "how well you can create the sense that the other person is truly present."

That's where Jiffcy's core value lies. Our feature where each character you type appears in real-time embodies this perfectly. Even if you call someone and they're in the same chat room, if it's just text-based messaging, you might start wondering, "Are they really there?"

Yuki: I actually tried using Jiffcy myself. While on a text call, you have the definite assurance that the other person is present on Jiffcy. That sense of security, knowing you're truly connected to them, felt incredibly comforting.

Nishimura: Communication like suddenly striking up a conversation with a stranger while walking down the street isn't really common, is it? I think what's actually being sought is recreating that phenomenon where you bump into an acquaintance and end up chatting for about ten minutes.

Yuki: Like the "Hey!" you exchange at school. That kind of communication born from passing in the hallway and saying, "Gotta move classrooms now~" – it's something that can only happen face-to-face. But those daily "Hey!"s can actually be really important to you.

Even without conversation, just seeing each other a few times can gradually close the emotional distance, and then you might start talking at some point. It would be fascinating if we could recreate that kind of closeness digitally. Thank you for today.