With hundreds of thousands of available apps in the virtual world, it is no surprise young people are glued to their smartphones. Users move from app to app, scrolling through Instagram, taking a selfie for Snapchat, watching a video on Facebook, writing "yaks" on YikYak and swiping at Tinder.
Popular social media apps serve a dual purpose for young people: as time-consuming entertainment and as a platform for opinions.
But which ones are on the rise and which are losing their hold? Here are my observations having just finished my first year of studies at Northeastern University in Boston:
Trending up
YikYak is an app that allows users to post and view anonymous discussion threads or “yaks” within a 10-mile radius. Users respond to yaks by up-voting, down-voting or commenting. The app is popular around universities in the United States as a tool for conversation about campus activities. Most yaks are harmless posts. Sometimes they can stir controversy.
Amira Al Subaey, 18, is a student at Tufts University, in Somerville, Massachusetts, where students use YikYak to anonymously discuss social issues, which creates arguments and conflict. “At Tufts, YikYak often stirs racial tensions,” Ms Al Subaey said. She recounted one incident where a white male student posted a comedic and insensitive yak about getting a cornrows hairstyle – a culturally African-American hairstyle.
“YikYak breeds a lot of reckless aggression because there are no consequences. There’s no accountability,” she said. It is a space where people can voice their unpopular opinions, whereas on other platforms – Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – their profile is revealed.
Snapchat is probably the most popular app for communication and story sharing among young people. With only 10 seconds or less to view a Snapchat picture or video, the app promotes fast-paced visual communication. After the 10 seconds, the image or video “self-destructs”.
Snapchat allows you to share stories in real-time. It is about the now: no comments, no likes and no public follower count. It is an ephemeral interaction that happens then disappears.
If you want to share a picture or video with all of their Snapchat friends, you post it as their Snapchat Story and the content is posted for 24 hours before it “self destructs”.
Global Snapchat stories have broadened the scope of connection between people around the world. A user in Dubai can watch real, normal people celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Mexico. A user in New Delhi can watch the Academy Awards from the perspective of smartphones on the red carpet. Many celebrities have public Snapchat accounts and post stories of clips from their day. Users are interested in seeing uncut, unedited fragments of people’s lives.
The Instagram app, although not new to social media, is still trending in popularity. Instagram’s aesthetic is centred on edited images and videos, coupled with interesting captions. The app offers instant gratification through the number of “likes” a user receives on a post. Its popularity skyrocketed following its launch – it was bought-out by Facebook for US$1 billion in stocks and cash.
Instagram emphasises the power of a single image. Instead of posting an album of pictures to Facebook, many people opt to “Instagram” (verb) one photograph. Plethoras of editing apps have been created for the sole purpose of improving Instagram photos, such as VSCOcam, Whitagram and more.
Dating apps are popular in colleges. Tinder is the primary dating app, where users swipe left and right to find their matches. Other apps are trending upwards in popularity, such as Bumble, which is like Tinder but the female must make the first move by messaging first. At American colleges, these apps have made online dating normal.
Trending down
Although Facebook continues to reign as the most popular platform worldwide with its 1.65 billion monthly users, it is no longer a young person’s preferred form of social media.
A young person’s Facebook newsfeed consists of mindlessly entertaining viral videos, politically charged articles and videos, photo albums of people having fun and the occasional status update by a distant relative. Facebook has turned into a platform for people’s angry opinions. It is the outlet for outrage and uninformed arguments over political and social issues. It doesn’t provide the fast, easy visual fix that Snapchat and Instagram offer.
Twitter is still alive, yet trending down in popularity among young people. It is still used for breaking news, celebrity gossip, funny stories and everything in between. Its appeal over the years has dwindled.
The future of Vine, the six-second video app, is a mysterious grey area. Its descent in popularity has been slow and steady but it still holds a prominence in the world of social media. Since its surge of popularity in 2013, it seems the novelty has worn off.
No one can predict the future popularity of apps or the ever-changing nature of social media. Young people are at the forefront of this culture.
The writer graduated from Abu Dhabi's American Community School last year.
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The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
Wednesday's results
Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
Overview
Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
Winner: Mazeed, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Longines Ladies La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,600m.
Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
The details
Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West
Our take: 3/5
