The Energy Drink Scene on Twitter in 2018

In 2018, there was a sudden surge in the overseas energy drink trend (魔剤), probably fueled by the ease of access through base openings and resold items. It seems like new people who had never used the term "魔剤" started to appear, creating a temporary boom separate from the original energy drink community.

The popularity of Monster Energy was overwhelming, with most questions in my Peing inbox being related to Monster Energy. Resold items would often just feature Monster Energy, and bases were pushing Monster Energy aggressively in sales. There was also illegal domestic sales, bypassing the Food Sanitation Act in import distribution. When I write this all out, it sounds like pure chaos, doesn't it? (；´∀｀)

Once the base open events were over, the boom gradually started to die down. It also felt like the limits of Twitter as an open platform for interaction were becoming clear. The energy drink community that had been somewhat loose and connected in 2014 seemed to vanish on Twitter, transforming into more of a tool for information sharing. Interaction shifted to offline meetups between individuals rather than being a part of online communities.

Some people, like myself, still long for the energy drink community of 2014. I think that time was the peak, and while it was a great era, I find it hard to believe we can recreate that vibe with the full openness of SNS now.

Creating a closed online community is easy, but for those who enjoy the convenience of sharing with a wider audience on Twitter, it's hard to retreat into a niche corner of the internet. Even if a closed community is created, if it becomes inactive, it would lose its purpose. It's a tricky balance.

I'm curious to see what the energy drink community will be like next year.