In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the history, types, characteristics, pros and cons, and future challenges of social media, which has become widespread in the smartphone era.

The Emergence and Definition of Social Media

Starting with the domestic launch of the iPhone in late 2009, the smartphone craze took hold, and popular overseas social networking services began to be used extensively in Korea. Twitter, which allows for the rapid exchange of short messages, gained popularity first, followed by Facebook, which functions as a U.S.-style mini-homepage. As a result, the term “social networking service” became a common phrase used throughout society, moving beyond just a niche group of early adopters. In contrast, Cyworld, which once dominated the domestic market, saw its position weaken as it failed to adapt to the smartphone era.
SNS refers to a platform where people who share common interests, social backgrounds, or activities communicate online and expand their networks. According to this definition, not only simple messaging services but also any service that helps form and strengthen social relationships between users can be considered an SNS.
For example, sites like the alumni search services of the early 2000s fall under the category of SNS, as they allowed members to enter information about their alma maters and helped graduates of the same school gather to chat and share photos. Going further back in time, the bulletin boards of PC communications in the 1990s can also be viewed as a form of SNS, as they enabled users with shared interests to gather, exchange opinions and materials, and form social relationships.

Types of SNS

SNS widely used until recently can be broadly divided into two types. The first is the microblogging type. This type is a service for sharing personal thoughts, similar to a blog, but it is characterized by a short character limit, making it suitable for quickly sharing brief thoughts that come to mind in daily life. It features a message-centric layout and often displays posts in reverse chronological order, making it well-suited for mobile devices such as smartphones. Twitter is a prime example, and there were also services that domestic portals modeled after it.
The second type is the mini-homepage-style SNS. Facebook, Cyworld, and MySpace are representative examples, and the friend feature plays a central role. Users enter information such as their hometown, place of residence, education, workplace, and interests into their profile, set privacy settings, and this information is displayed on their personal page, allowing other users to send friend requests. Some services even suggest potential friends based on the user’s profile information and existing connections. Once a friendship is established, communication takes place by sharing posts or photos and interacting with content posted by other members.
In addition, there are various specialized forms of SNS. For example, business-focused SNS platforms like LinkedIn combine job portal functions with social networking elements, emphasizing connections between people while allowing users to share resumes and exchange job listings. Furthermore, social games connect with existing SNS platforms, enabling friends to play together or share results, thereby combining camaraderie with competition.

Characteristics and Technical Ecosystem of SNS

The first characteristic that distinguishes SNS from traditional internet services is its focus on human relationships. While traditional internet services connect information through data and hyperlinks, SNS uses personal information—such as a user’s location, social groups, and interests—to connect people, manage friend lists, and provide features like message sharing. In other words, relationships between users, rather than information, are at the core of the service.
The second characteristic is the active use of open APIs. Open APIs are a set of tools that allow external services to utilize SNS features; they are commonly encountered in the form of share buttons at the bottom of news articles or blog posts, or the “Share on My SNS” feature found on various websites. Social game companies also utilize this functionality to design interactions with friends, influencing their game progress or expanding the gaming experience through features like gifting.
By pulling content from other services into the SNS via open APIs, user engagement increases, diverse notifications appear within the platform, and friend management becomes centered around the SNS—effectively making the entire ecosystem revolve around the platform. This approach differs from the strategies of Google, which generates revenue through ads by directing users to external pages via search, or portals that operate various services directly to retain users.

The Positive Impact of Social Media

Social media has also brought about various positive changes. One is the promotion of political participation among young people. People in their 20s and 30s, the primary user base of social media, were previously known for their low voter turnout, but they have begun to engage more actively in the political process by criticizing politicians’ statements and discussing the social impact of policies through social media.
Another example is its contribution to solving holiday traffic problems. Drivers share real-time information about highway traffic jams or accident sites, helping others find detours. Recognizing these benefits, the government also provides traffic information through its official social media accounts. Beyond this, there are numerous heartwarming stories of social media leveraging the power of connection—such as searches for missing persons, securing rare blood types, and requests for social assistance.

The Negative Impacts and Limitations of Social Media

On the other hand, the drawbacks are clear. First, there is the problem of false or baseless rumors spreading rapidly. While the spread is often halted when users with accurate information refute the rumors, if no accurate information is available or no one knows the truth, the rumors can spread and cause harm, and it is difficult to contain the situation once they have already spread widely.
Privacy concerns are also serious. When users post their location information directly, or when their current location is automatically posted due to smartphone location features, this information can be combined to determine an individual’s daily routines or even whether they are at home. In fact, there have been reported cases where theft occurred after users posted messages saying “I’m away from home,” as well as hacking incidents where personal information posted on social media was combined with login details from other sites to hijack accounts.
Furthermore, the fact that social media companies have not yet established a stable revenue model adds to the uncertainty about their future. While methods such as incorporating ads into free services or generating revenue through corporate partnerships do exist, the nature of these services—which revolve around personal relationships—means that inserting ads into users’ private spaces can provoke significant backlash. As seen in the cases of some companies, fluctuations in corporate value following an initial public offering (IPO) have also exposed the fragility of their revenue models.
Finally, because the internet market changes at a very rapid pace, there is a risk that users will quickly abandon a service if it fails to maintain their interest or makes a mistake. We need to learn from cases where companies were once considered innovative but have since seen their influence diminish because they failed to respond appropriately to new trends.