Sharing the small moments: ephemeral social interaction on Snapchat

ABSTRACT

Ephemeral social media, platforms that display shared content for a limited period of time, have become a prominent component of the social ecosystem. We draw on experience sampling data collected over two weeks (Study 1; N = 154) and in-depth interview data from a subsample of participants (Study 2; N = 28) to understand college students’ social and emotional experiences on Snapchat, a popular ephemeral mobile platform. Our quantitative data demonstrated that Snapchat interactions were perceived as more enjoyable – and associated with more positive mood – than other communication technologies. However, Snapchat interactions were also associated with lower social support than other channels. Our qualitative data highlighted aspects of Snapchat use that may facilitate positive affect (but not social support), including sharing mundane experiences with close ties and reduced self-presentational concerns. In addition, users compared Snapchat to face-to-face interaction and reported attending to Snapchat content more closely than archived content, which may contribute to increased emotional rewards. Overall, participants did not see the application as a platform for sharing or viewing photos; rather, Snapchat was viewed as a lightweight channel for sharing spontaneous experiences with trusted ties. Together, these studies contribute to our evolving understanding of ephemeral social media and their role in social relationships.

KEYWORDS:

• Ephemerality
• emotion
• support
• persistence
• mobile
• temporal

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the University of Michigan under the MCubed Research Program. We thank Erin Brady for her intellectual contributions and for her technical implementation of the ESM study. We also thank Hakeem Jefferson, Lindsay Blackwell, Tsubasa Morioka, and Lauren Reed for their feedback and support of this research project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Joseph B. Bayer is a Ph.D. Candidate in Communication Studies at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on communication technologies, with special emphasis on the roles of mobile, temporal, and spatial factors [email: [email protected]].

Nicole B. Ellison is a Professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, where she studies the social implications of information and communication technologies [email: [email protected]].

Sarita Y. Schoenebeck is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan. Her research is in social computing and human-computer interaction, and focuses on the study and design of technologies to support families in their everyday lives. [email: [email protected]]

Emily B. Falk is an Associate Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication where she studies social influence and media effects [email: [email protected]].

ORCID

Joseph B. Bayer http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6555-4472

Notes

1. Since the current research was conducted, Snapchat has changed their interface such that users now tap to view content.

2. Note that the ephemerality assumption applies to the primary sharing interface alone and therefore excludes the private interaction window. Although 1-on-1 interaction window was not available during our data collection, current affordances allow the user to share archived content with the individual (demarcated by a different color in the notifications window).

3. However, more recent additions (not available during the data collection period) provide users with more long-term feedback about their Snapchat relationships (e.g. friends that a user shares the most frequently with, friends who they snap at but whom do not snap back). Of course, the user can also provide social feedback by responding directly.

4. The Snapchat application has incorporated a personal text chat option since the data collection period of the two studies. Nonetheless, the text messaging part is not a primary function of the revised interface, which continues its emphasis on visual content.