The way friendship rolls on Snapchat
A study has found that images speak louder than words, writes Nur Zarina Othman
SNAPCHAT was founded on the basis that “chatting” via sending photos and/or videos (or messages) is more personal and fun.
Developed in 2011, the company SNAP INC has never deviated from this mission of helping close friends express themselves and be creative together.
Recently, it undertook a massive global study on friendship.
Engaging 10,000 people between ages 13 and 75 in Australia, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the friendship study was broken down into four main generation groups: Gen Z, born 1996-2006 (aged 13-23); Millennials, born 1979-1995 (aged 24-39); Gen X, born 1965-1979 (aged 40-54); and Boomers, born 1944-1964 (aged 55-75).
FRIENDS FOR LIFE
The study focuses on friendship and puts forth questions such as how many friends the survey respondents have, how and where they meet their circle of friends, what qualities they look for in a best friend, what topics they talk about with their friends, how they communicate with each other, how they resolve fights and what they want to change about their friendships.
From the study, where10 friendship experts were brought together to conceptualise the data. In general, everyone has an average of 4.3 best friends.
From the study it is learnt that Gen Z and the Millennials are looking for widespread networks and searching for closeness and intimacy.
The two generation groups prefer communicating with emojis, pictures and videos compared to text messages, which can be easily misunderstood.
STANDING TOGETHER
For both Gen Z and the Millennials, video and photos help to strengthen visual communication. From the study, 61 per cent believe that videos and photos help them express better, in a way that is not possible with just words.
Although the average number of best friends for Malaysians is 5.8, which is fewer than the other countries in the region, talking on the phone is one of the most frequently done activities with one’s best friend.
So, it was unsurprising when the two generation groups agree that video and photos help friends to express themselves better and is especially true when they don’t share a native language.
In India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, 24 per cent of the respondents said that communicating through the camera reduces language barriers.
Based on the study, it is clear that people who grew up in India, Malaysia, and the UAE don’t speak the same language as their friends. Or, in other words, they have different mother tongues.
But, regardless of language differences, an average of 56 per cent of the respondents love sending videos and photos because it helps them to express themselves better.
Just like us in Malaysia. Although we comprise different races, there are many common factors that bind us together, including food (nasi lemak or asam laksa), public holidays (from Thaipusam to Chinese New Year) and, of course, the balik kampung phenomenon.
For these, using video and photos appear to be more efficient — it is easier to tell when we are stuck in traffic jam just by sharing a photo rather than typing.
INTIMATE OR THE MASSES
Journalist and author of Generation Z: Their
Voices, Their Lives, Chloe Combi, shares in the friendship study report that: “You have to understand that the Millennials are the Facebook and MySpace generation. Their connection to the emergence of social media was on those platforms, which are all about networks. It is exhilarating for them to connect with this vast network of people via their immediate circle.”
By contrast, you can learn a lot about Gen Z by the apps they use. “If you think about Snapchat or TikTok, they’re not about a vast network but more about you and what you want to focus on.”
The public sharing tendency for the Gen Z is lower compared to the Millennials. They form friendships in different ways too. The Gen Z prefers smaller groups of friends while online communication platform choices can create differences between large friendship groups and smaller, intimate ones.
CELEBRATING CONVENIENCE
One of the findings from the friendship study includes visuals inclination. It is proven that images such as Bitmoji help people express themselves in a way they can’t with just words. It works very well especially in a situation where two or more people don’t share the same first language.
The study also found that Malaysians are among the friendliest in the world, which can be attributed to our multicultural society and the shared experiences that make us truly Malaysian.
In line with Malaysia Day, Snapchat has made available a Bitmoji, a personal digital avatar, that remind us of what made us Malaysians.
By creating a personal Bitmoji, you can express how you really feel about the typical Malaysian scenarios.
Thus, if you ever find yourself in typical Malaysian scenarios — the boba trend, public holidays, watching football at the mamak, stuck in traffic, use the Bitmojis to express yourself better.