It is. My dad has something like 8 brothers and 7 sisters. They've had children and they're children have children, and then they all scattered across the world like dandelions. There is no universal messaging system that they can use that's like Whatsapp. People take their phone plans for granted. Whatsapp makes it easy for people to share stuff without fees everywhere from Sudan to Egypt to Kuwait to Dubai to Malaysia and back again. My mom loves Whatsapp. She gets to see pictures of her family from Sudan more often then ever before. She got an Arabic keyboard and can talk with them or send voice memos. It's actually improved her happiness and mood because she can do all that. The only downside I can think of about the app is that it's sort of turned into the new "forwards from grandma," in a way. I use Facebook for chatting and that's pretty much it. Oh, catching birthdays as well. Don't have Instagram because I'm not interesting. Used to be on Twitter but it feels hateful and counter-productive to conversation and critical thinking. Used to be on Tumblr but it hates longform content. Used to be on Medium but I like my blogposts being my own. Used Yik Yak for a week but it's just reposts from other places masquerading as unique content, and lots of "that happened" fake stories and bitching about homework or classes or "oh man I'm so lonely for real on the inside, no one will ever love me." I have never, in my life as a college student heard of GroupMe. I use snapchat more now. I get what it's supposed to be for. I can get behind its ethos. So truth be told, Hubski is my favorite "Social Media". Is Hubski social media, haha?Whatsapp seems swiftly dismissed in the article but perhaps thats a US choice
So you and galen are the only other people I've seen mention yikyak. The yak around me is sometimes funny, often reports, and surprisingly racist sometimes which I really don't like. I have confirmed through research that its most convenient use is to check if others around me have also lost power, to determine how widespread the problem is.
I use a lot of social media sporadically, e.g. when I'm bored as fuck and stuck in bed. I love tumblr in a way cause its a great way for young people to work out how to socially interact with each other in a very casual environment that moves fast and forgets fast. I use Facebook because it is a godsend if you want to manage political groups, closed as well as open and not always have only your name on it. Also, most of my teachers have a Teacher Facebook where you can reach them if you need help and were they post if they are going to be late or if they are not arriving.
I have an instagram but I don't like it that much and I just feel sad looking at all the needy 13 year old that just needs someone to give them a sweater. I use kik because it is like texting but so much easier. I think the key to social media is setting limits. E.g. muting someone. I use itslearning because I have to because it is for school. I mean, it is adorable seeing your Swedish teacher excitedly post videos about the authors you are reading. I don't use snapchat because of 1. the risk of dicpics 2. the risk of boobs. Like yes, people don't send me that shit, but thats partly cause I tell almost all my friends I hate snapchat and don't use it. I know a lot of my more casual friends drink and party, I don't want them to drunkenly send me naked pictures of themselves by accident.
Also I'm proof young people will not shut up about social media.
The Netherlands has the highest usage of Whatsapp per capita. Literally everyone with a smartphone has Whatsapp. I'm currently in 11 active group chats and it's my main method of communication: That's 5.6k sent messages and 46k received in just under a year. About 130 per day, and I'm not even above average among my peers. I don't text or call people. Sometimes I mail, sometimes I get a message on Facebook but that's about it, the rest is all Whatsapp.It is.
The Dutch are weird, though. I had this app for a while that was supposed to help people learn English. It would pair you with someone from somewhere else in the world and you'd go off on scavenger hunts. Like, you'd have to take a picture of a bus in your neighborhood, they'd have to take a picture of a bus in their neighborhood. 90% of the people on that app are Dutch.