Snap in the Lecture Hall, Snap in the Cafeteria... "2-Second Communication" Takes Over Campuses

Setlog Becomes the "Real-Time Diary" for University Students Nationwide

Short-Form Content Meets Exclusivity, Captivating Generation Z

Experts Warn: "Short-Lived Trends Have Their Limits"

The sense of being together even without meeting in person, and the honest, unfiltered reality without pretension! Song Sieun (23), a student at Kyung Hee University's Department of Vocal Music, habitually opens the SETLOG app during her free periods. Song said, "These days, if you don't use Setlog on campus, it feels like you don't have any close friends," adding, "Even though it's just ordinary daily life, the process of stacking up two-second videos with friends feels like content in itself."

Setlog, which was launched less than six months ago, is rapidly spreading throughout university campuses nationwide. The app, where users record and share two-second videos in sync with an alarm that rings every hour, has recently ranked high on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store charts, gaining significant traction among the 20s and 30s demographic. The Asia Business Daily interviewed 15 university students from across the country for detailed reviews and explored the reasons behind their fascination with "short records."

It's Okay to Film Casually..."A New Culture That Lowers the Cost of Maintaining Relationships"

Setlog users are recording and sharing hand gesture videos according to a set schedule. Among college students, the culture of taking photos with matching poses is spreading like a trend. Setlog Instagram

The core of the Setlog craze lies in the fact that "there's no need to curate yourself." Whereas traditional social networking services (SNS) have centered around carefully selected photos and edited videos, often causing fatigue, Setlog emphasizes the value of unedited moments. Stored photos cannot be used; all videos must be filmed in real time, and editing features are limited. This is why users say, "There's no pressure to upload a sleepy face straight from the lecture hall."

Jo Hyunwoo (26), a student at Sangmyung University's Department of Human AI Engineering, said, "Since you can't revise or edit, you end up posting your truly realistic self during breaks or while commuting." Kim Hyunwoo (25), a student at Chung-Ang University's Department of Media and Communication, also said, "It's fun to see real daily life," and added, "Even if we don't directly contact each other, it feels like we're together."

Experts analyze that the popularity of Setlog is closely connected to the video-centric communication culture that became entrenched after the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim Siwol, a professor at Konkuk University’s Department of Consumer Studies, said, "Generation Z (those born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s) is accustomed to maintaining relationships via video in a non-face-to-face environment," adding, "Rather than elaborate self-presentation, sharing what you are doing in the moment has lowered the cost of maintaining social ties."

Setlog is also receiving a strong response as a "low-stimulation" SNS. While Instagram is often used as a space for flaunting travel, fashion, or self-development, Setlog is more about letting daily life flow by without a particular goal. The function where two-second videos filmed throughout the day are automatically stitched together and saved like a vlog also appeals to users' desire to document their lives. By sharing daily moments in real time, it’s as if a personal diary is being completed.

Sim (20), a student at Seoul National University's Department of Korean Traditional Music, said, "It's comfortable because there's no pressure to reply," adding, "It's easy to see what others are up to, so there's little burden." Park Sukyung (24), a student at Konkuk University's Department of Korean Language and Literature, also commented, "It feels like I'm living together with friends who are far away or have gone on exchange programs."

Setlog is evolving beyond a simple journaling app into a new type of social relationship platform. Among college students, a so-called "Setlog group blind date" culture is spreading, where groups of six men and six women create anonymous chat rooms to share their daily lives for several days, which sometimes leads to real-life meetups. Posts such as "Looking for people to film Setlog with" or "Seeking Setlog chat room for Class of '26" are frequently appearing on platforms like Everytime, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). Lee (22), a psychology student at Jeonbuk National University, said, "In the past, blind dates relied on just a few photos, but with Setlog, you can naturally get a sense of someone's lifestyle and vibe," adding, "Meeting after seeing each other's daily lives also makes things less awkward."

Trends Fade Quickly..."It Could Lead to Another Kind of Fatigue"

However, there is also analysis that questions whether this craze will continue in the long term. Recent campus trends show a strong tendency to be consumed and disappear rapidly in short cycles. Indeed, trends like "Dubai chewy cookies" and "Shanghai butter rice cakes" that spread via SNS quickly fizzled out after brief bursts of popularity.

Choi Chul, a professor at Sookmyung Women's University’s Department of Consumer Economics, said, "As the culture of rapidly consuming dopamine-triggering content takes hold, the life cycle of trends is becoming shorter," adding, "If Setlog loses its current freshness, users could quickly start to leave the platform."

Some also express concern that it could lead to another form of fatigue. Lee Youngae, professor at Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies, said, "Even if it starts as light and free communication, it could eventually lead to pressure to continually show what you are doing," adding, "It's important to be wary that the real-time sharing culture does not become a new form of validation obsession."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.