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. 2016 Feb-Mar:2016:1662-1675.
doi: 10.1145/2818048.2819948.

Automatic Archiving versus Default Deletion: What Snapchat Tells Us About Ephemerality in Design

Bin Xu  1 , Pamara Chang  2 , Christopher L Welker  3 , Natalya N Bazarova  2 , Dan Cosley  1
Affiliations

Automatic Archiving versus Default Deletion: What Snapchat Tells Us About Ephemerality in Design

Bin Xu et al. CSCW Conf Comput Support Coop Work. 2016 Feb-Mar.

Abstract

Unlike most social media, where automatic archiving of data is the default, Snapchat defaults to ephemerality: deleting content shortly after it is viewed by a receiver. Interviews with 25 Snapchat users show that ephemerality plays a key role in shaping their practices. Along with friend-adding features that facilitate a network of mostly close relations, default deletion affords everyday, mundane talk and reduces self-consciousness while encouraging playful interaction. Further, although receivers can save content through screenshots, senders are notified; this selective saving with notification supports complex information norms that preserve the feel of ephemeral communication while supporting the capture of meaningful content. This dance of giving and taking, sharing and showing, and agency for both senders and receivers provides the basis for a rich design space of mechanisms, levels, and domains for ephemerality.

Keywords: Ephemerality; H.5.3. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): Group and Organization Interfaces; ownership; permanence; privacy.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Key Snapchat interface elements. (a) Users can take photos (“snaps”) and draw on them or add captions. They can also set an expiration time in seconds, save a copy of the photo to the phone, or add the snap to their Story. (b) Receivers get notifications through their snap list, which shows unopened snaps, opened snaps, and sent snaps. (c) Receivers must hold the screen to view the snap; a countdown on the upper right corner shows when snap will be deleted. (d) Receivers can also take a screenshot while viewing the snap; here for example, by pressing the power button and home buttons of an iPhone. (e) When a screenshot is taken, senders are notified via their contact list (the arrow with three dots next to “B” at the top).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Ephemerality as a nuanced concept can be realized in different dimensions, including (1) data ephemerality, (2) interface ephemerality and (3) contact/network ephemerality. Further, these are not binary choices, but matters of degree.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
In Email and SMS, the sender is the owner; sending a message creates a copy that gives the receiver ownership of the copy. In Instagram, or Facebook Wall, the uploader is the owner, who can share persistent access with the receiver. The receiver can take ownership of a copy of the digital object (e.g., save function, screenshots), but the sender is not notified. In Snapchat, the digital object is ephemeral, and both sender and receiver only have temporary access, unless they screenshot to take ownership and the sender is notified.
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