Social eating was popularized in South Korea to decrease the isolation many young people felt from lack of real-world social interactions. It began with small, cute girls (and sometimes well-groomed guys) eating food in front of a screen while chatting about their lives/other topics. This was to imitate the experience of having a meal with a friend for young people who would otherwise be eating alone. Somewhere along the line, hamplanets took over this fad and removed all the original intention (having a pleasant dining experience with good company) so that they could get social media attention for stuffing their faces.