App Chat: Being Social Without Leaving a Trace
10:26 minutes
Half of 18- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. now use Snapchat—an ephemeral social network through which users can send disappearing photos to their friends. A bevy of other social networking apps, such as Secret, Whisper, and Yik Yak, leave even fewer digital breadcrumbs, allowing users to share completely anonymous confessions and critiques with friends and nearby users. (In some cases, that anonymity has led to bullying in schools.) Ellis Hamburger, a reporter at the Verge, talks about the ephemeral and anonymous app trend and where social networking may be headed next.
Segment Guests
Ellis Hamburger
Ellis Hamburger is a former reporter for The Verge in New York, New York.
Related Links
- Secret revealed: inside the most scandalous social network
- 3 Reasons To Be Wary Of Secret-Sharing App Whisper’s Claim To Anonymity
- Anonymous Emailing Service Leak Shuts Down
- How Yik Yak Keeps Its Anonymity App From Ruining People’s Lives
- Killer app: why do anonymous Q&A networks keep leading to suicides?
Meet the Producer
About Christopher Intagliata
@cintagliataChristopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.