Have you ever eaten the Dubai chewy cookie (a.k.a. Dujjonku)? This treat became a major snack trend in Korea through short videos on social media. The snack features a soft, chewy, marshmallow-like texture on the outside and a filling of nutty pistachio cream and kadayif on the inside. The cookie went viral on social media, with many queuing up to buy it. However, after half a year, the snack is facing a decline in popularity. Like the Dubai chewy cookie, other snacks have gone viral, then quickly faded in popularity. For example, Honey Butter Chips and tanghulu were once popular snacks. Why do these kinds of snacks tend to be only short-lived trends?

The Impact of Social Media

Social media algorithms are highly influential in nudging people into watching short videos and posts, often featuring new, delicious snacks. Content creators also play a key role, attracting clicks with sensational wording and visually stimulating video production, leading to curiosity and a desire to buy exciting new snacks. When people repeatedly see the same trending food in different videos, they begin to perceive it as something they should try. This excessive exposure to similar videos and content also leads to fatigue among people who watch them. As a result, social media helps to accelerate the rapid spread of food trends, contributing to their short lifespan.

Examples of Past Snack Trends

In 2014, Honey Butter Chips were a major snack trend. As photos of the chips and information about their scarcity spread on social media, they became increasingly hard to find, with retailers responding by increasing prices and bundling them with less popular snacks. Meanwhile, online sellers took advantage by listing Honey Butter Chips at significantly higher prices on resale sites. These conditions combined to influence people’s purchasing decisions, showing that trends are strongly influenced by the interaction between online attention and real-world sales. As production stabilized, Honey Butter Chips became more easily available. With copycat products appearing on the market and giving consumers more options, the Honey Butter Chips craze came to an end.

In 2023, the traditional Chinese snack tanghulu surged in popularity, with stores opening across Korea as demand rose. Now only a few stores sell tanghulu, with the boom coming to a definitive end. This can be put down to “trend fatigue,” a term used to describe situations in which people lose interest after something becomes overly common or widely available. People grew tired of seeing tanghulu stores everywhere. Additionally, various news reports warned that the sugar coating on tanghulu is harmful to the body and may cause tooth decay. As a result, people became wary of excessive sugar consumption and shifted their interest to new snacks.

Rapid Consumption and Commercialization of Trends

It is clear that social media has a significant impact on short-lived trends. Furthermore, when supply is lower than demand, scarcity increases demand further. However, when supply exceeds demand, interest inevitably decreases. Thus, the interaction between supply and demand, social media, and consumer behavior plays a major role in short-lived snack trends. In today’s fast-paced digital environment, trends change more rapidly than ever before. As new snacks continuously appear on social media, consumers quickly shift their attention to other snacks. This makes it difficult for snacks to maintain long-term popularity or sustain commercial success.

Reporter

Siyeon Oh

cinamellow@seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 오시연

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