Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 61
Posts 11 - 20

Generation Blödphone?

(Generation Dumbphone?)

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Newspaper | Der Bund
Date | 11.8.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, research/study, smartphone, threat, youth
Summary | A US study has conducted surveys among teenagers asking them how often they go out without their parents, whether they date or have had sex, how much they sleep , etc. The results show that teenagers go out/date less, sleep less, and have sex later in life since the advent of smartphones. Swiss media psychologist Gregor Waller criticizes the study because it bases its conclusions on mere correlation. It leaves out other important developments in the US since 2007 like the financial crisis. An equivalent Swiss study does not show similar results. Most Swiss teenagers continue to have a rich social life despite smartphones. Only about 10% of Swiss teenagers are at risk of smartphone addiction.
Image Description | Graphs showing results of the US study and a portrait of the interviewee (Swiss psychologist Gregor Waller).
Image Tags | chart, male(s)

Dieser Chatbot reserviert den Tisch fürs Abendessen

(This chatbot makes dinner reservations)

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Newspaper | Welt
Date | 27.7.2017
Language | German
Country | Germany
Topic Tags | artificial intelligence, Facebook, language threat, youth
Summary | Facebook messenger now has the chatbot Botmio on offer which lets users make dinner reservations at restaurants. This is perfect for younger generations who are reluctant to pick up the phone to call a human to make a reservation - digital natives are "language lazy". They would rather just make a reservation online without interacting with another human.
Image Description | A hand holding a smartphone using a Facebook chatbot and a portrait of the Botmio inventer.
Image Tags | Facebook, hand(s), male(s), smartphone

Englisch gut. Deutsch mangelhaft

(English good. German bad.)

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Newspaper | Welt
Date | 29.10.2016
Language | German
Country | Germany
Topic Tags | language threat, school, youth, YouTube
Summary | Today's youth have much better foreign language competencies in English than previous generations. That could have many reasons related to changes in the educational system but one reason is certainly that they are becoming global citizens digitally. They don't want to miss out on anything on Netflix or YouTube because their English is too poor so they tend to know English quite well.
Image Description | N/A

Heute: Dazugehören

(Today: Belonging)

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Newspaper | Die Zeit
Date | 16.8.2016
Language | German
Country | Germany
Topic Tags | (mental) health, smartphone, social media, WhatsApp, youth
Summary | The internet has brought humanity, especially younger generations a lot of stress. A lot more information is now available, for instance about what one could do, and that leads to a fear of missing out on something. People constantly have to check their smartphones so as not to miss a new viral video or a new thread in their WhatsApp chat about changing group hangout plans.
Image Description | N/A

Die Jungs von heute können einfach nicht mehr flirten

(The boys of today just can't flirt anymore)

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Newspaper | Welt
Date | 7.7.2016
Language | German
Country | Germany
Topic Tags | online dating, research/study, smartphone, social media, youth
Summary | Young people nowadays cannot flirt anymore. They are constantly tied to their smartphones - 57 hours per week a recent study says - and do not pay attention to what is going on around them. They are more comfortable communicating via a medium than face-to-face. Many girls lament on social media how there are no available boys. Young boys should look up form their phones more often - the girls would be grateful.
Image Description | Getty images of young men and women with and without smartphones.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

Junge Revoluzzer

(Young revolutionaries)

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Newspaper | Welt
Date | 1.7.2016
Language | German
Country | Germany
Topic Tags | computer programming, emojis, privacy, smartphone, youth
Summary | Older generations always complain about how the youth today is virtually tied to their smartphones and Computers and how they do not Show much interest for anything else. They have however developed fantastic programming skills and business ideas. The finalists of a start-up competition in Berlin have come up with various ideas: coffee mugs indicating the optimal drinking temperature with emojis, computer encryption software to protect one's privacy, and many other ideas.
Image Description | N/A

«Sprache verfällt nicht»

(«Language does not deteriorate»)

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Newspaper | Appenzeller Zeitung
Date | 15.11.2016
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | code-switching, language threat, research/study, social media, youth
Summary | German linguist Eva Gredel claims that language does not deteriorate because of its informal use online. Internet language is more differentiated and divided in subcultures the language itself is not at risk. Many people fear this when they visit social media and see how people disregard conventions. This is because many people want to be innovative with their language online. Parents do not need to be worried about their children's language online - it is good if they learn various codes/registers of speaking.
Image Description | N/A

E-Mails für verzweifelte Teenager

(Emails for desperate teenagers)

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Newspaper | Appenzeller Zeitung
Date | 13.1.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, email, Facebook, youth
Summary | The volunteer project U25 provides peer counseling for suicidal teenagers. All volunteers at U25 are between 17 and 25 years old and they get extensive training before they are given up to three cases at a time. They exchange emails with the suicidal peers trying to counsel them into psychological stability. The volunteer counselors are not allowed to give out their cell phone numbers or befriend clients on Facebook for their own protection.
Image Description | Image of one volunteer counselor with a laptop.
Image Tags | computer/laptop, male(s), TV

«Der Hass in den sozialen Medien ist nicht neu. Er ist sichtbarer»

(«The hate in social media is not new. It's just more visible»)

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Newspaper | Sonntagszeitung
Date | 12.3.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | cyberbullying, politics, social media, youth
Summary | Pop-philosopher Richard David Precht talks about how hate comments are not a new development of the digital age. Back in the day people would call you on the phone and leave their hate comment or write letters. Today they are forever visible for everyone. Also the perception that young people are not as involved in politics and too preoccupied with social media is wrong, he says. The politically active in previous generations were just as much a minority.
Image Description | N/A

Staatsmacht trifft Generation Youtube

(The government meets generation Youtube)

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Newspaper | Tages-Anzeiger
Date | 24.5.2017
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | politics, youth, YouTube
Summary | Russian parliamentarians have invited YouTuber Sasha Spilberg to speak about youth politics. After many corruption scandals, Russian politicians struggle to secure young voters' support. This is why they invited an online influencer - Spilberg has 5 mio subscribers on YouTube.
Image Description | N/A

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