The Oral Paradigm and Snapchat

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2413751
AutoresOlga Soffer (0000-0001-5955-6845, Open University of Israel, autor de correspondencia), Oren Soffer
Año2016
Volumen2
Número3
Fecha de publicación2016-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSocial Media + Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2056-3051 • E-ISSN: 2056-3051
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/2056305116666306
OpenAlexW2529350833
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas17
Referencias citadas18

In this short essay, I argue that the ephemeral nature of emerging instant-messaging applications, such as Snapchat, applies an oral paradigm. While online discourse of computer-mediated communication shares many qualities with oral communication, the case of ephemeral applications is unique, as the oral features are already integrated in the application technology design and as orality is often implemented on highly visual products. Snapchat applies technology that fades visual contents as if they were spoken words fading in the air after utterance. Moreover, Snapchat's promise to delete all messages from its database after they are viewed echoes a key characteristic of primary oral culture: that is, the inability (and in our case, the obligation not) to store knowledge. In this, Snapchat demonstrates counter-logic to the contemporary grammar of new media, which is based on information aggregation

Ephemeral key · Grammar · Linguistics · New media · Obligation · Orality · Political science · Sociology · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Digital Communication and Language · Digital Games and Media · Media, Communication, and Education