Social networks and messengers in comparison and detailed description
While WhatsApp is primarily aimed at text communication, another network app is all about photography: Instagram. The service, which was bought by Facebook in 2012, makes it possible to publish photos. A special trademark of Instagram are the “vintage” effects, which make the square digital photos look like retro Polaroids. As with Twitter, so-called hashtags are also widespread here. The user adds words to their pictures, which they prefix with a “#”. This allows you to search for other images tagged with the same #word.
In recent years, Instagram has become one of the most popular self-expression platforms for young people. In addition to the numerous effects that provide scope for creative use of the image material, Instagram released numerous new functions to bind users even more closely to their service: “Question stickers” can now be integrated into photos with which users can can ask their subscribers questions. They have the opportunity to respond freely. Music can also be integrated into Instagram Stories to make your own stories and captured moments even more interesting. In addition to Instagram, the “IGTV” app is now being launched, a kind of competition for the YouTube platform, on which you can watch videos vertically and in full screen [1] nn.
The platform is now also used by companies and organizations for marketing purposes. Photo artists use them, as do newspapers and magazines. As with YouTube, influencers a big topic on Instagram.
Facebook started with a kind of modern, interactive and online-based friendship album. Today, however, it is much more and with its numerous functions offers users the opportunity to post articles, post photos, videos and interesting links, advertise their company, start surveys, join interest groups, have video calls with each other via Facetime, to arrange appointments or make live recordings and make them available to users who can rate and comment on them in real time. All of these gadgets are entertaining and easy to use, but they also form the basis for problems such as cyberbullying or hate speech slogans .
There is also a risk of violations of copyright and personal rights. The platform, in turn, works very opaquely when it comes to the use and sharing of the personal data provided. It is therefore impossible to understand how extensive the resulting data profiles of individual users actually are and which services the operators also use. Cambridge Analytica case here .
Twitter is a microblogging service that was launched in 2006. Many people immediately recognize the blue bird of the “Twitter” provider, which tweets with short messages of a maximum of 280 characters (photos, videos or quoted tweets do not fall under this restriction). Another special feature are the so-called hashtags “#”, which are used to link individual tweets with each other. For example, if you search for the hashtag “#catcontent” on Twitter, you will find all tweets in which this hashtag was used. As with other providers, you can also like on Twitter (here in the form of a heart or a retweet, i.e. sharing the corresponding tweet with your own followers).
WhatsApp, a messenger for smartphones and owned by Facebook Inc. since 2014, enables chatting with contacts stored in the smartphone's address book and who also have the app installed. In addition to messages and documents, GIFS, videos and photos can also be sent. Since 2015, the smartphone can also be connected to the computer using the “WhatsApp Web” function.
This allows the user to access existing WhatsApp messages from the computer and write new ones there. Group conversations are particularly interesting for young people: several users can be invited to a group and a published message can be made visible to all group members. There is also a calling function that allows video calls or traditional calls to be made via the Internet instead of via the mobile network. Due to data protection concerns, WhatsApp has repeatedly come under criticism. We have therefore put together an overview of alternatives to the popular messenger.
TIKTOK
The video and social media platform TikTok from the Chinese company Bytedance is particularly popular among children and young teenagers. The secret of TikTok's success is that users can create their own creative and funny short videos in no time and share them with the community. To do this, they film self-imagined scenes with their cell phones, accompany them with music and add filters, emojis and special optical effects. Perfection isn't that important because TikTok relies on a fast pace: only 15 seconds are available per clip.
The focus of TikTok was originally on so-called LipSync videos. In these, users perform a choreography and move their lips in sync with the selected music. However, alternative video formats from areas such as comedy and beauty have now also found their way onto the platform. In principle, TikTok states in its terms and conditions a minimum age of use of 13 years with parental consent. In the app stores, the USK age recommendation is twelve years. When you look at the first videos, you notice that many users are significantly younger than the specified minimum age. This is sometimes because TikTok does not check parental consent.
The risks of using the social network include cyberbullying and cyber-grooming, as many young users are already trying to get attention with revealing videos and provocative choreographies. However, the distribution of video clips can only be controlled to a limited extent on TikTok, so videos may quickly reach an unknown group of recipients. Another challenge for children and young people are in-app purchases, with which users can buy virtual gifts from the “stars” of TikTok videos. Parents can find information on how to use the popular social network in the klicksafe brochure “What is my child actually doing on TikTok?” .
SNAPCHAT
Like WhatsApp or Instagram, the “Snapchat” service, founded in 2011, is one of the instant messenger apps. The special thing about this app is the ability to send photos that can only be viewed for a few seconds and then disappear on their own. The selected images or videos can also be edited with additional filters and effects. A simple selfie becomes a portrait with a dog costume, a rainbow-spewing creature or a cute princess with lots of pink and glitter effects. If you want to share several photos with your friends, you can use Snapchat Story, or use the video call function for a direct conversation. However, there are also gray areas in data protection law with these instant messenger apps.
YOUTUBE
YouTube, taken over by Google in 2006, is usually perceived as a video portal, but it is also a social network: you can create a profile, add contacts, send private messages and post comments. Although most people use YouTube primarily for receptive purposes, many young people post their own videos and, above all, comments there. The so-called influencers are also currently very popular: YouTube stars who spread (advertising) messages with their videos and reach a large number of audience groups. They are often opinion leaders who are placed in great trust.
This benefits numerous commercial companies that specifically sponsor YouTubers in order to place their product not only in classic advertisements, but also within their films and thus reach young interested parties. Be it cosmetic products, whose numerous benefits you can get to know on the “Bibis Beauty Palace” YouTube channel, for example, or video games that, for example, are presented by the well-known YouTuber Erik Range alias Gronkh in “Let’s Plays” and have more than 4.7 million subscribers or exciting information and questions about current political events, which YouTuber LeFloid analyzes in more detail - there is something for every taste.
CLUBHOUSE
“Hear and be heard”: The social network Clubhouse relies on this principle and stands out clearly from other social networks that have increasingly relied on images and videos in recent years. Clubhouse users, on the other hand, only communicate with each other via the audio track. You can open different rooms for virtual conversations. While private rooms are suitable for entertaining with friends, for example, clubs are intended for public discussions with politicians, experts or television stars and influencers.
In the discussion rooms, users can take on one of three roles: moderator, speaker or listener. However, by raising a virtual hand, listeners can also signal that they would like to ask a question or make a comment. However, unlike the major social networks, users cannot share, like or comment on the audio content. Immediately after conversations end, they are deleted from the platform and can no longer be listened to.
The network has been criticized for its exclusivity and data protection concerns. So far, Clubhouse is only available for the iOS operating system. On the other hand, users need a personal invitation from an already registered user to register. In addition, registration comes with access to all contacts from your iPhone address book.
ONLYFANS
The social network OnlyFans offers personal and intimate insights into the lives of pop, series and YouTube stars. In contrast to the large social networks, well-known artists, but also amateurs, can design their profiles on OnlyFans for a fee. This means that other users have to pay money to be able to see posts, photos or videos from so-called “content creators”. To do this, users can either take out a monthly subscription for their desired profile of between $4.99 and $49.99 or unlock content through one-off payments. 80 percent of the income generated goes to the content creators.
What's special: The content creators include not only stars, models and influencers, but also porn actors and sex workers. Because nudity, erotic and pornographic content is not censored on OnlyFans. According to founder Tom Stokely, “sexually explicit” content makes up around half of the overall portfolio – alongside fashion, music, fitness, lifestyle and nutrition. This means that the social network clearly belongs to the “adult entertainment” category. According to the terms of use, it is aimed exclusively at adults.
However, since age verification via ID card only takes place as soon as users want to upload content themselves, children and young people can also register there and be confronted with pornographic photos and videos. If teens have access to a checking account or credit card, they can also subscribe to paid sex worker profiles. Here you will find tips on how to deal with children and young people who are registered on the OnlyFans platform.
Xing is a social network founded in 2003 that is primarily based on networking professional contacts. Both private and professional information such as professional experience, top skills, training or qualifications can be left in your own profile in order to present yourself to the outside world and possibly receive specific job offers/requests. At the same time, the business network's messaging function offers the opportunity to contact potential employers/employees directly and exchange ideas. With a paid premium profile, members can unlock additional functions on
Source and thanks to Jennifer Madelmond & Madeleine Hankele-Gauß from the Baden-Württemberg State Media Center
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )