Weekly news articles

Twitter accounts really are echo chambers, study finds

This article discuses how members who use Twitter for political engagement with other users are really in fact part of an echo chamber of tweets and views. According to a study, 2,000 Twitter users who publicly identified as either Labour, Tory, Ukip or SNP supporters were found to be more likely to interact with others from the same party and to share articles from publications that match their views. The research was carried out by the thinktank Demos, which looked at the tweets sent between May and August last year by 2,000 people who have publicly stated their political allegiance on their profiles. According to Krasodomski-Jones, the behaviour of these users were amplified by niche media outlets who used their polarised viewpoints to attract audiences. The rising popularity of alternative news is something that attracts specific groups, suggesting that these users are ideologically driven rather than for the news.

•  According to a study, 2,000 Twitter users who publicly identified as either Labour, Tory, Ukip or SNP supporters were found to be more likely to interact with others from the same party and to share articles from publications that match their views.

I agree with the article as Twitter is in some form an echo chamber as represented by the research done. Users also do not come across alternative views often due to the control they have over the people or groups they follow, which ultimately adds onto the theory of echo chambers.

Is Snapchat the new Facebook?

This article discusses the similarities between Snap and Facebook, which have got many financial analysts and advertising experts asking if Snapchat is the new Facebook. The article provides interesting statistics as outlined below:

• Facebook has grown to 1.86bn monthly active users – more than half the world’s population that has access to the internet. 
• About 1.2bn check their Facebook accounts every day.
• BUT Snapchat has far fewer users, but the company claims they are much more engaged than Facebook’s. 
• Snapchat had 158m daily users at the last count. 
• Two-thirds of snapchat users check the app every day – and the average daily user visits the app 18 times a day, spending an average of 25-30 minutes a day sending snaps and watching snaps from their friends, celebrities and advertising brands.
• Facebook made a profit of $10.2bn in 2016, up 177% on 2015. Its total advertising income was almost $27bn. 
• Snap, which is spending a lot of money on expanding its user base, made a net loss of $515m in 2016 – up on the $373m it lost in 2015.
• Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, the world’s largest advertising company, has said his clients spent $1.7bn advertising on Facebook last year whereas $90m was spent on Snapchat.

Both companies make their money from advertising. The article states that Snapchat has tried to differentiate itself from Facebook by not allowing adverts targeted directly at users’ interests or browsing history. On the other hand, Facebook’s advertising is sold entirely by computer program. 

I personally find these statistics very interesting as they highlight how Snapchat is rapidly growing in popularity and also in the markets. This suggests that Snapchat may one be on the same level as Facebook and have a dominance in the social media world as it continues to adapt and grow.