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Automatic Archiving versus Default Deletion: What Snapchat Tells Us About Ephemerality in Design.
Bin Xu1, Pamara Chang2, Christopher L Welker3
1Department of Information Science.
CSCW : Proceedings of the Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work. Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
|October 9, 2018
Summary
Snapchat’s ephemerality, or content deletion, shapes user practices by enabling mundane talk and playful interaction. Selective saving with notifications supports nuanced communication norms for capturing meaningful content.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Social Media Studies
- Communication
Background:
- Most social media platforms automatically archive user data.
- Snapchat utilizes ephemerality, deleting content shortly after viewing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how Snapchat's default ephemerality influences user practices.
- To understand the role of ephemerality in shaping social media interactions.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving interviews with 25 Snapchat users.
- Analysis of user practices related to content sharing and saving.
Main Results:
- Ephemerality encourages everyday, mundane communication and reduces self-consciousness.
- Features like selective saving with sender notification support complex information norms.
- The platform's design facilitates playful interaction and a sense of agency for users.
Conclusions:
- Snapchat's ephemerality is central to its unique user practices.
- The balance between deletion and selective saving creates a rich design space for ephemeral communication.
- This model supports both casual interaction and the preservation of meaningful content.
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