A promotional image for Setlog / Courtesy of Setlog
Kim, a university graduate in her 20s, records a two-second video of herself studying at a cafe. Her friend, meanwhile, films herself in class, while another is in Amsterdam, still sound asleep. These moments become part of a longer video, consisting of similar snippets recorded hourly and running parallel of each other, showing what each person had been doing on the hour.
Kim is among the many young Koreans whoare using "Setlog," an application for creating vlogs that explore the beauty and humor that arise from sharing daily snippets of life with friends.
"There are four of us, and we are all pursuing different paths in life," Kim said. "Because of this, we rarely get to see what each other's everyday lives actually look like. I'm using Setlog to share daily moments with my high school friends."
Setlog is a social networking application that allows users to create a vlog through compiling two-second clips recorded every hour. Each vlog can be created individually or as a collaborative effort among up to twelve participants. Participants of a vlog can talk to each other and comment on other users' uploads on a built-in chatroom.
Editing functions for each video clip are virtually nonexistent, though users can attach short captions for elaboration or comedic effect. Most clips become an unfiltered and honest depiction of each user's daily routin, allowing an intimate peak into their private life.
A Setlog clip recorded at 9 p.m. with the caption "family movie night" in this photo captured, Wednesday. Captured by Kim
Setlog's explosion into popularity comes at the heels of an increasing number of younger audiences experiencing burnout with existing forms of social media. As the younger generation has grown up surrounded by social media and the constant flow of information, an increasing number have been experiencing "social media fatigue," with many expressing annoyance at the deluge of performative or divisive content.
Setlog offers a refreshing alternative — a low-maintenance way of sharing life that prioritizes close friends over faceless masses, unscripted moments over planned shoots and mutual communication over one-way broadcasting.
An understated draw to Setlog is the ability to compare what each participant was doing at a given time. While someone is asleep, another person goes for a run, and the third person finds themselves trapped in an elevator. These moments play out simultaneously in the final product, offering both levity and a profound sense of empathy — the kind that arises when you realize everyone around you is navigating their own complex inner worlds.
Source: Korea Times News
