Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 8
Posts 1 - 8

Wege aus der Peinlichkeit

(Exit ways out of embarrassment)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 28.9.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | emojis, gender, misunderstanding, online dating, politeness, research/study, texting, youth
Summary | Emojis have entered our communication with no turning back but using them is a minefield of misunderstanding. It is especially risky in the initial stages of texting with a love interest: studies show that people tend to imitate the communication patterns of their interlocutor if they are in love with them. Because women are more communicative than men, they tend to be the ones who are imitated in such a scenario. But men, beware! Do not go overboard with your heart emojis, it's too girly. One should however also refrain from making overly abrupt changes to ones emoji habits as it can seem distanced and elitist if one stops to use emojis altogether.
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Von Rubinbergs Super-Duden

(Von Rubinger super dictionary)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 13.4.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | privacy, texting, translation, WhatsApp
Summary | An entrepreneur in Switzerland wants to release a new messaging app called Drotr. It is comparable to WhatsApp in its basic functions but it can translate all messages into over 100 languages. Also the messages are better protected against privacy breaches and the servers are located in Switzerland.
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Einfach mal abschalten

(Just turn it off for a little)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 27.4.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, smartphone, threat
Summary | Lots of adults are virtually tied to their smartphones, even when crossing the street. The children, naturally, imitate this and for the "head-down generation". One cannot blame the children for becoming addicted to smartphones because they can only form into what they learn from their parents. No wonder that we are dealing with epidemic-like amounts of ADHD diagnoses: children are tranquilized with screens and later the developmental tolls of this are treated with drugs.
Image Description | A collage-like illustration of parents drifting off into the ocean on rafts made of giant smartphones and the children left behind on an island.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

Zusammen gegen Gorillas

(Together against Gorillas)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 30.3.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | online dating
Summary | A new dating app called "Hater" connects users based on what they both dislike. The users set up their profiles by checking a bunch of boxes indicating things that they hate, for instance the Gorilla Harambe, people who talk to animals as though they were babies, chewing on finger nails, and many others. This is a great way to get to know someone humoristically rather than to go through the usual boring online dating catalog of "what do you do?", "you like walks on the beach, too!" and so on.
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Emoji-Saugnäpfe

(Emoji suction cups)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 16.3.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | emojis, marketing, politics
Summary | Soon after Coop has started charging for plastic bags - to spare the environment of excessive plastic waste - have they introduced free plastic toys. They are shaped like emojis and are attached to a suction cup so that children can stick them to any smooth surface. This commodification of emojis must be worth it if they are ready to go against their own principles of environmental friendliness for them.
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Die optimierte Frau

(The optimized woman)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 8.1.2015
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | Instagram, selfie, social media, youth
Summary | New social media platforms such as Instagram perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards because the seeming effortlessness of the snaps is in reality highly staged. Cosmetic surgeons assume that the obsession with physical perfection is responsible for the fact that people nowadays are much less apprehensive to undergo cosmetic surgery. The article makes a reference to danah boyd’s book It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens.
Image Description | Selfie of Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift
Image Tags | selfie

Kritiken

(Critiques)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 19.11.2015
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | emojis, word/writing
Summary | This year, the Oxford English Dictionary has proclaimed a non-word the word of the year: the laughing emoji with tears of joy. The reason why a non-word has been chosen as word of the year is that emojis have become a significant part of contemporary communication and that they overcome language barriers.
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Schulmädchen im Internet

(School girls on the internet)

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Newspaper | die Weltwoche
Date | 12.5.2016
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | Snapchat, threat, WhatsApp, youth
Summary | Teenage girls still live struggling with the same pressure as earlier generations; the only difference is that now social media are here to enhance them. The number of followers quantifies popularity and the longevity of content online can easily ruin somebody’s reputation for good. Having an account on WhatsApp, Snapchat, and other social media is compulsory at ages as young as 11 years old unless one wants to become isolated.
Image Description | Illustration of a girl and her digital devices; she is surrounded by elements representing social media and internet life.
Image Tags | computer/laptop, female(s), smartphone, social media

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