What's the Deal with Snapchat?

Published 07.02.2020
Why have 2,5 million Norwegians downloaded the app, and how is Snapchat changing our social interactions?

Last week, NCE Media and the ViSmedia project at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies, University of Bergen, invited to the seminar Snap Society 2020 in the Media City Bergen Atrium. The seminar highlighted the many voices of users engaged in Snapchat communication, and gathered close to 150 participants. 


Snap Society 2020 in MCB Atrium

Snapchat as news- and film platform
VG shared insight on how they work with innovative storytelling on Snapchat, an effort which have resulted in a staggering 500.000 followers on the platform. ViSmedia's Maja Vedå also presented findings from her Master's thesis: Journalism in a short format: An analysis of VG Snapchat.


Randi Elise Midtskog from VG and Maja Vedå, ViSmedia project, UiB. 

Snapchat in health and policing
The seminar highlighted the many voices of users engaged in Snapchat communication. How can we protect ourselves, and what do the teenagers say? Mental health collectives hosted by Snapchat is a new trend. The vlog Psyktærlig presented opportunities and disadvantages by using Snapchat as a communication platform where people can share stories and experiences related to mental health. In large cities the police practice web policing to reach out, among them is Nettpatruljen, Politiet Vest, that has initiated a pilot project on Snapchat. 


Interactive panel from Rothaugen skole, police from Politiet Vest and Marta Engevik Fjæreide from Psyktærlig. 

Snapchat in education
Teachers who experiment with Snapchat in school and students who serve as Snapchat coaches were also invited. Rothaugen skole shared their experiences with Snapchat in teaching, and Maren from the ViSmedia project, UiB, talked about SnapMap surveillance and image sharing. Eventually Utdanningsdirektoratet gave a lecture about digital judgement and pointed that you decide!


Terje Pedersen, Ragnhild Bekkevoll, Maren Myrseth and moderator Hilde Sandvik. 


Article written by Martine Brandal Øvrelid and Runa Elin Fjelle