Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 79
Posts 51 - 60

That time when ‘that time when’ took over the Internet #InstantNostalgia

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Newspaper | Washington Post
Date | 15.9.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | hashtags, research/study, social media
Summary | It has become customary to frame anecdotal posts on social media with the phrase "that time when" or "that akward moment when". Sometimes it is even used to describe events that have just happened, even though it is a formulation that suggests an old memory. This linguistic strategy thereby creates an air of nostalgia around the memory and makes it iconic. Linguists suggest that the usage of the demonstrative "that" suggests that sender and receiver of the message have shared memories. This is why many celebrities use this construction to create a false sense of intimacy with their fans online.
Image Description | GIF of a woman taking a selfie and posting it to social media.
Image Tags | female(s), gifs, smartphone, social media

Scary clown rumors, threats feed hysteria, leading to school lockdowns, arrests

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Newspaper | Washington Post
Date | 6.10.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | (mental) health, law, school, Snapchat, social media, threat
Summary | In the weeks running up to Halloween, many schools and colleges have had attack scares. Students heard over Snapchat or Yik Yak or some other social media platform that a clown was on the prowl at their school/college. These theats always ended up being false but students were worried and so were parents. Schools have to take such threats seriously. The police are being very clear that there are legal repercussions for false attack threats.
Image Description | Clown video and scary clown masks.

Charity Now Begins on Your Smartphone

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 3.11.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | social media
Summary | A new app called ShareTheMeal is available that helps you donate money to charities conveniently. For half a dollar one can feed a child for a whole day in some of the most impoverished regions in the world. The app also allows users to set up regular payments and to share one's donations on social media so that others will join the cause as well.
Image Description | N/A

In search of 'lulz,' trolls hijack civic engagement

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Newspaper | Washington Post
Date | 7.11.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | cyberbullying, politics, social media, threat
Summary | Internet culture's sense of humor has become careless. A meme was recently circulated in Pennsyvania that said that one could vote online by just commenting the name of their candidate. Even though this was a joke, it was dangerously close to disenfranchising people of their votes. In the same way some people post anti-semitic or racist/sexist things and then claim to just do it to combat the tyranny of political correctness and not really meaning any harm. Such content however promotes extremism and is harmful - no matter the intentions.
Image Description | Man holding up Hillary Clinton toilet paper.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s)

Time to Put on Your Big-Boy Pants

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 19.1.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | hashtags, Instagram, social media, threat
Summary | The skinny jeans trend is fading and the new trend are low-waisted loose-fitting curduroy pants with a drop-crotch. Social media influencers comment that Instagram is changing the game when it comes to promoting trends. Users can access an endless stream of visual material by just searching for a hashtag of a new trend. This has some downsides to it since it accelerates the changing of trends and pressures people to renew their wardrobe each season.
Image Description | Getty image of models wearing the new trouser trend.
Image Tags | male(s)

Eager crowds are flattening Southern California's vibrant 'super bloom'

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Newspaper | Los Angeles Times
Date | 6.4.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | Instagram, social media, threat, Twitter
Summary | Rare rainfalls in California have cause the 'super-bloom' in the deserts, drawing thousands of visitors to the national parks. This is the first time social media has had such a huge impact on visitor numbers: people are eagerly Instagramming the admittedly photogenic natural phenomenon. The only problem is that people are breaking park rules in order to get a good picture: many are straying off the tracks, trampling the delicate flowers. People have posted pictures of themseves with wildflower bouquet and lying or sitting on top of the flowers. Not all parks have this problem, but some people are destroying the flora just to get a good Instagram post.
Image Description | Photographs of the superbloom off of Twitter.
Image Tags | Twitter

United and Pepsi Affairs Force Brands to Respect Social Media

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 13.4.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing, politics, social media, Twitter
Summary | Companies are becoming ever more aware of how powerful the "data tsunamis" transmitted on social media really are. Some are installing real-time social media response screens where they can track their brand image on social media. Many companies have increased their social media up to five times in the past two years. These social media analysts track trends and determine whether the company's marketing should jump on the bandwagon or whether the trend is on the decline already. Controversies can also hurt companies when they become viral, for instance the recent United Airlines incident or the insensitive Pepsi advertising. Social media staff are made aware that when they communicate with one customer on Twitter, they have a public audience, even if it is through the messenger because screenshots can get shared too.
Image Description | Carl’s Jr restaurant.
Image Tags | male(s)

‘Unicorn Food’ Is Colorful, Sparkly and Everywhere

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 20.4.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | (mental) health, hashtags, Instagram, marketing, politeness, social media
Summary | Starbucks is cashing in on the 'unicorn food' trend - a trend to make all food colorful. The trend was likely sparked from a Florida-based Instagrammer who has now acquired a huge following. She noticed that her hobby had become a trend when people would copy her creations and Instagram them with the fitting hashtag. Now Starbucks has caught on the trend and they are offering a unicorm frappucino for five days only.
Image Description | Unicorn/rainbow foods and the Starbucks Unicorn Frappucino.

How A Money-Losing Snap Could Be Worth So Much

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 3.3.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | Snapchat, social media, youth
Summary | Snapchat is valued extremely highly on the market despite the fact that it is not making any profit yet. There are no concrete plans on how Snapchat wants to secure profit except that it has plenty of users - the vast majority of the American population aged 18-35. Finance experts disagree on Snapchat's worth. Most think it is not nearly worth its current market price but others see it as promoting a new mode of communication where users substitute language with images.
Image Description | Upside-down Snapchat logo with gold coins stacked on top.
Image Tags | logo, Snapchat

Today’s protest signs are sharper, meaner, funnier — and live on long after the rallies

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Newspaper | Washington Post
Date | 2.2.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | politics, social media
Summary | Protest signs are becoming increasingly wittier as popular culture and politics converge by politics increasingly becoming entertainment. The protest sign are not only wittier but also live longer thanks to their digital footprint. The funniest/best protest signs are spread online and are seen by thousands of people nowhere near the protest which is why such signs may be remembered for longer.
Image Description | Various protesters with signs.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), text

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