Category: Uncategorized

Let’s Talk Snapchat

Snapchat was created by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown. Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, who were Stanford University students at the time, came up with the initial concept for the app. Reggie Brown was also involved in the early development stages but later parted ways with the company. Evan Spiegel is often credited as the primary founder and CEO of Snapchat.

Snapchat is particularly popular among younger demographics, including teenagers and young adults. According to The Social Shepherd, Snapchat has over 365 million daily active users worldwide, with India having the largest audience to date. In the past, the app gained significant traction among high school and college students. However, it has since expanded its user base to include a wider range of age groups. While Snapchat’s primary user base consists of people between the ages of 13 and 34, there are also older users who enjoy the platform’s features and functionalities. It’s important to note that user demographics can vary across different regions and over time as social media usage patterns evolve.

Snapchat became popular for several reasons, which contributed to its appeal among users.

Snapchat introduced the concept of disappearing messages, photos, and videos, which created a sense of privacy and encouraged more spontaneous and authentic communication. This feature attracted users who wanted a more ephemeral and less permanent form of sharing.

One of the first platforms to popularize augmented reality (AR) filters and lenses, Snapchat allows users to add fun and interactive elements to their photos and videos. These AR features, including face filters and animations, offered a unique and engaging way to express oneself and became a major draw for users.

Creative tools, such as drawing, stickers, text overlays, and geofilters, allow users to personalize their content and make it more engaging and entertaining. The platform’s playful and innovative nature makes it attractive to users looking for a fun and expressive social media experience.

It also provides a convenient and intuitive way to communicate with friends through private messages, group chats, and its Stories feature. Users share moments from their day and create narratives with photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. This emphasis on sharing and storytelling resonates with users who want to connect and engage with their friends in a more dynamic and visual manner.

With the introduction of the Discover feature, Snapchat offers a wide range of content from publishers, influencers, and brands. Users explore news, entertainment, and lifestyle content within the app, making it a hub for staying informed and entertained.

Snapchat Features -Present & Future

Features come and go through a variety of social platforms and the same applies to Snapchat while some of the basic features have stayed the same. New features are also being added. We look at why so many individuals turn to Snapchat daily and the future of this app below.

  1. Disappearing Messages- One of Snapchat’s signature features is the ability to send messages, photos, and videos that automatically disappear after being viewed, adding a sense of privacy and spontaneity to conversations.
  2. Snap Map- The Snap Map feature allows users to share their location with friends on a map. Users can choose to enable or disable location sharing and customize the level of privacy. It also shows “Our Story” content from various locations and events.
  3. AR Lenses and Filters- Snapchat offers a wide range of augmented reality lenses and filters that overlay animations, effects, and filters on users’ faces or in their surroundings. These lenses can be applied during photo or video capture and often change based on facial expressions or gestures.
  4. Stories- Users can create Stories by posting photos and videos that are available for 24 hours. Stories can be enhanced with text, drawings, stickers, and filters. Users can also choose to make their Stories visible to all their friends or select a specific audience.
  5. Discover- Snapchat’s Discover section provides content from publishers, influencers, and brands. Users can explore articles, videos, and other media from various sources within the app.
  6. Snap Originals- Snapchat produces its own original shows and series called Snap Originals. These shows are designed to be watched vertically on mobile devices and offer interactive and immersive experiences.
  7. My AI – Snapchat launched ‘My AI this past February and it has taken off. A user can chat with an AI bot, ask questions, and create their own AI persona. The ultimate goal for all new AI technology is to maximize engagement. Following this newly added feature comes another similar concept called Dreams.
  8. Dreams– Another AI element being added, ‘Dreams’ will allow you to upload several selfies that then generate “fantastical Snaps” of yourself. This will place yourself into different AI generative realms.

Additionally, Snapchat is offering several other features including Generative AI Lenses, After Dark Stories, Friendship Flashbacks, Communities for more Schools (allowing classroom messaging in a school community), Snap Map Updates (providing live shared locations with friends), Bitmoji Depth (allowing Bitmoji’s to appear less cartoony and more 3D), and last but certainly not least, more AI features.

Did You Know?

There are public profiles through Snapchat along with private ones. A public profile let’s you be discovered in the app, showcase your creativity publicly, and grow an audience on Snapchat. There are several features available to an individual who has a public Snapchat account, which may assist during an online search or investigation to know. Public Snapchat story tiles show the viewers and number of Snaps in that Story, according to an article through Snapchat.com. Tap a Public Story tile to see the views, viewers, screenshots, swipe-ups, and interactions per Snaps. There’s a lot a public user can view on who is interacting with their account.

Snapchat has certainly evolved over the years, allowing users to interact with their peers in unique ways. Users have ability to interact with whom they choose, share content they want, but also view who is seeing their snaps and stories shared. The future of Snapchat is bright and filled with intertwined features and technology. Stay tuned!

Communicating Nonverbal Clues Through Digital Media

Body language can play an important role in investigations, as it can provide valuable clues and insights into a person’s thoughts, emotions, and intentions. Private investigators can use body language in several ways to gather information and conduct investigations.

Body Language Examples

  1. Detecting deception: Private investigators may use body language to detect signs of deception or dishonesty. For example, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, or nervousness may indicate that a person is lying or withholding information.
  2. Assessing emotions: Private investigators may use body language to assess a person’s emotional state. For example, facial expressions, tone of voice, and posture can provide clues about a person’s mood and level of comfort in a particular situation.
  3. Observing behavior: Private investigators may use body language to observe a person’s behavior and activities. For example, observing a person’s movements and gestures can provide insights into their routines, habits, and activities.
  4. Building rapport: Private investigators may use body language to build rapport and establish trust with a person. For example, using appropriate eye contact, posture, and gestures can help a private investigator establish a connection and create a comfortable environment for an interview.
  5. Gathering evidence: Private investigators may use body language to gather evidence for a case. For example, observing a person’s behavior and movements in public places can provide evidence of infidelity, fraud, or other illegal activities.

So we wondered. Can the same rules be applied when reviewing a subject’s Digital Media? Can a Facebook or Instagram video be enough to use some of the same techniques as in person examples to provide clues into behavior?

The Trump Deposition

Have you heard of The Behavior Panel? Scott Rouse, Mark Bowden, Chase Hughes, and Greg Hartley are the world’s top body language and behavior experts. Together as The Behavior Panel they analyze body language and human behavior in videos of public interest. They are a non-partisan team, looking to educate and entertain you with their interest and expertise in communication, body language, deception detection, interrogation, and resistance to interrogation. You can find them on YouTube.

They recently analyzed the online video of Donald Trump’s recorded Deposition. This is a great example just how much can be taken from an online video of a person answering questions. If you get a chance, take a look at the video on the Behavior Panels’ podcast. They point out several items of interest. The shrugging of shoulders that Trump does from time to time may convey a sense of being sorry for something is just one example they explore.

Not only can some of these techniques be used in digital media, it can be used in Social Media as well.

Social Media Body Language

Technically, body language refers to the nonverbal signals that we convey through our physical movements and gestures, which are typically seen in person. However, in social media videos, you can still convey nonverbal cues through your facial expressions, tone of voice, and posture.

For example, facial expressions can show enthusiasm or sadness, change the tone of your voice will convey different emotions, and gestures may be used to emphasize certain points. Voice inflections can be a sign of stress or anxiety.

Studying a social media post’s background can be very telling as well. For example, a cluttered or messy background may communicate disorganization or lack of attention to detail, while a professional or clean background may communicate professionalism and attention to detail.

Social media posts can provide valuable clues in an investigation, as they can reveal a person’s thoughts, emotions, activities, and connections with others.

Clues in a Social Media Post

  1. Location: Social media posts may contain information about a person’s location, such as check-ins or geotags, which can be used to verify alibis or track movements.
  2. Relationships: Social media posts may reveal a person’s relationships with others, such as friends, family, or acquaintances, which can be used to identify potential suspects or witnesses.
  3. Activities: Social media posts may provide information about a person’s activities, such as hobbies, interests, or daily routines, which can be used to establish patterns of behavior or gather evidence of illegal activities.
  4. Emotions: Social media posts may reveal a person’s emotions, such as anger, sadness, or happiness, which can be used to assess their mental state and motivations.
  5. Communications: Social media posts may contain messages, comments, or other communications with others, which can be used to identify potential witnesses or suspects, and to gather evidence of criminal activities.

Overall, social media posts can provide valuable clues and insights into a person’s thoughts, emotions, activities, and connections with others, which can be used to support an investigation. However, it’s important to note that social media posts should be used in conjunction with other investigative techniques and evidence-gathering methods, and that proper legal and ethical guidelines should be followed when accessing and using social media data.