Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 18
Posts 11 - 18

Geek Mythology: Apps such as Snapchat show it's the medium that's the message

Hyperlink

Newspaper | The Independent
Date | 7.5.2014
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | sexting, Snapchat, threat, youth
Summary | Snapchat seems to be designed specifically for sexting because all sent photographic material auto-destructs itself after a few seconds. These would ensure that one's nude images do not get distributed further. Snapchat however has a 'best friend' function which displays to everyone with whom users exchange the most snaps - this would be a hinderance in maintaining a clandestine sexting relationship. Also, teenagers use Snapchat most and surely not all of them sext. After all, only because the medium faciliates a specific activity does not mean that it will be used in that way.
Image Description | Photograph of a smartphone, held by a hand, video calling a group of people in a restaurant background.
Image Tags | female(s), hand(s), male(s), smartphone

Wer nicht snapt, ist out

(Who doesn’t snap is out)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | B.Z. (Berlin)
Date | 1.5.2016
Language | German
Country | Germany
Topic Tags | Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, youth
Summary | Snapchat is the new hot social media channel for the German youth. Now that the parent generation is uding Facebook and WhatsApp, teenagers are looking for digital spaces free of parental supervision. Snapchat is more aimed at visual rather than verbal communication, though now audio and video calls can be made. The article lists three new (not necessarily messaging) apps that are gaining popularity amongst young people: Miitomo, musical.ly, WeMesh.
Image Description | Screenshots of two snaps, and digital image of the Snapchat logo.
Image Tags | female(s), logo, Snapchat

Niños adictos al móvil

(Kids addicted to smartphones)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | El Mundo
Date | 28.9.2015
Language | Spanish
Country | Spain
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, cyberbullying, sexting, smartphone, Snapchat, threat, youth
Summary | Experts think that new social apps such as Snapchat are dangerous; they can encourage sexting and cyberbullying. Teenagers don't want to be on Facebook anymore because their parents and grandparents have a Facebook account. They want something more private; Snapchat is thus perfect. It's quick, simple, and 'snaps' disappear after a few seconds. However, Snapchat can be dangerous and encourage sexting and bullying. People still have time to take screenshots of snaps. Marc Masip, director of the psychological institute 'Desconect@' thinks that Snapchat does not bring anything good. It can lead teenagers to suicide or fear of going to class. Young people don't know anything about the risks of such platforms because nobody warned them. Parents should not give a phone to their kids under 13. When today's teenagers are 40, they will be used to communicate through a screen and won't have social skills to communicate face-to-face.
Image Description | Photograph of a teenage girl using a tablet and taking a picture of her face, hiding her eyes and smiling.
Image Tags | female(s), tablet

Field studies of the offspring

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Washington Post
Date | 31.5.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | Facebook, smartphone, Snapchat, technology-free, youth
Summary | The research center conducts in depth interviews with today’s teenagers, the so-called Generation Z or digital natives, on behalf of various corporations. The aim of the study is to find out about this generation’s relationship with new technologies. They all value mobile/digital communication very highly, to the extent that many choose online colleges, online shopping, and home office work over actually having to physically go somewhere to study, work, or shop. They report of the abundance of messages each day and that they also highly value their offline hobbies, such as reading or knitting.
Image Description | Collage-like illustration of youths and online and offline activities.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone, social media

Politiker auf Snapchat vertreiben junge Wähler

(Politicians on Snapchat are driving young voters away)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | 20 Minuten
Date | 5.7.2016
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | politics, Snapchat, youth
Summary | Digital communication has the same status/value as fashion or music among youth, experts say. Politicians are increasingly moving to Snapchat to reach young voters. Some people think it is smart of politicians to use trending new media but experts say that adults cannot successfully participate on Snapchat because young people have particular communication codes. They use memes and allusions to pop culture tropes to create simple humorous content which outsiders, i.e. adults, do not understand.
Image Description | Series of six photographs: Snapchat icon and male portraits.
Image Tags | male(s), Snapchat

Jetzt ist es da, nun ist es weg

(Now it is here, now it is gone)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Tages-Anzeiger
Date | 4.5.2016
Language | German
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | Snapchat, social media, youth
Summary | 59% of 14 to 19-year olds use Snapchat (not specified whether in US/Switzerland/world-wide) while only 6% watch television daily. Snapchat is quickly catching up with Facebook in the amount of content created by users. While Snapchat has become famous for its function to send images with captions and drawings that self-destruct after a few seconds, many new formats are now available on Snapchat: users can create collage-like “Stories” of their recent snaps that stay on the platform for 24 hours. Corporations create high-quality digital content that they distribute through Snapchat’s ‘”Discover” function, and journalists document events in real time through “Live-Stories”.
Image Description | Video (interview) of Snapchat users, and series of screenshots of snaps.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), Snapchat

Schulmädchen im Internet

(School girls on the internet)

Hyperlink

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

“Pic speech”: le parler ado

(“Pic speech": teen talk)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | La Tribune de Genève
Date | 30.5.2015
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | emojis, Facebook, language threat, selfie, Snapchat, social media, WhatsApp, youth
Summary | Nowadays teenagers mostly express themselves through visual modes (e.g. Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat) and thus create their own language: “pic speech”. Images do not necessarily replace words; young people claim that words are still important since they contextualize images. Regarding emojis, teenagers use them for their “affective” purpose. This new language is a way for youth to become autonomous and emancipate themselves.
Image Description | Series of screenshots of different teenagers' snaps (selfie + Face Paint feature).
Image Tags | male(s), Snapchat

Page 2 of 2
Back | Next