CCGL9009 Local Cultures and Global Markets
Reflective Memo
Social Media and Gamification: Application of Snapchat
3035240087
Park Young Jun
The concept ‘gamification’ refers to the utilization of game-design aspects and formula in non-game conditions. In recent year, this concept has gained a wide-range of attention in different fields of businesses. The proponents of the gamification argue that it serves as an income stream for businesses and even to an extent as means to alter the world (McDonald, 2016). Nevertheless, the concept has also aroused opposition in that gamification has turned out the products into the means to maximize the profits by seizing the customers and it is a rather short-term tactic that is hard to subsist in the long run. Moreover, some assert that gamification has also turns patrons into passive decision-makers rather than interactive and active ones (McDonald, 2016).
According to the article ‘Social Media in Rural China: Social Networks and Moral Frameworks,’ the social network program called ‘QQ’ that adopted the concept of gamification seems to have brought about several impacts on the users and the society in general. As the dominant social media platform, QQ has manifold scheme in levels: users gain QQ levels according to their connectivity and activity. This arouses its patrons the sense of competition and renders them to be online as much as possible – to gain the QQ levels. In order to gain more points and increase levels, users constantly log into QQ and leaves the computer or mobile phone online for hours. This signifies the application of gamification in contemporary media platform.
Another way to gain QQ levels is to purchase ‘VIP membership services.’ The services allow users to to enjoy several exclusive features and provide extra ‘on-line status,’ which greatly increases the levels.
Several users in Anshan, however, have devised some strategies to boost the points faster. Their strategies were to manipulate the system of accumulation of QQ. The first tactic was to stay logged in for long time by enabling the function that allows users to use multiple accounts. In other words, by empowering that activity, one computer could render several number of accounts to have signed in and this, in turn, would increase the QQ levels for numerous users. Another strategy was to ask for others’ help. Some teenage QQ users have asked their friends to manage their accounts together. For instance, they could sign into multiple accounts and increase the online hours, eventually increasing the QQ levels.
Collecting points on QQ through signing in multiple times and posting regularly on social media has come to portray the hierarchical underpinnings of Chinese society. It consists of levels between generations within families, as well as among males and females (McDonald, 2016). It affected the proportion of property among siblings and kinship as well. The hierarchical concept is also evident in Chinese society by clarifying levels: moral and inter-personal hierarchies. These hierarchies may explain the adoption of level accumulation on social media platforms such as QQ levels. Another reason explaining the concept would be ‘Chinese entrepreneurial ethic,’ that credits those who are diligent and enthusiastic. The fact that accumulation of levels requires hard work such as continuous input of time would be regarded as ‘industrious activities’ – which suit the entrepreneurial ethic.
By examining the users of QQ in Anshan town, it could be concluded that unlike common criticism of gamification that exploits the users both mentally and financially, the townspeople have successfully rendered the usage of QQ into tradition-based hierarchical and entrepreneurial ethics (McDonald, 2016).
The concept of gamification can be observed outside of China. It has been advocated as the primary sources for businesses to increase their profits and some cases were proven to be successful, such as Starbucks Rewards. Gamification is also evident in social network platforms, with most notable one being Snapchat.
Initially released in 2011, it is currently one of the most popular social media platform along with Facebook and Instagram in Hong Kong (Woodhouse, 2016). It is chiefly used to send photos and videos to other users – referred to as ‘snaps.’ The messages as well as videos and images can be edited with filters and effects and can also be posted on the ‘feed,’ where online friends can watch and leave comments. Every ‘snap,’ regardless of public or private, will automatically disappear after 24 hours.
The Snapchat has also adopted the system of levels in its app through ‘Snapchat Score.’ It is the total sum of every snap sent and received. Whenever a user sends a snap to others, regardless of number of users whom it was sent to, the person gets one point. Moreover, every time when a user receives a snap and opens it, the Snapchat score also increases. Therefore, in order to increase the Snapchat scores, users have to constantly sign in, send snaps to others and reply to snaps received. According to a survey by Fortune, 95.6% of teenage Snapchat users were aware of the Snapchat scores and 41.4% of users have actually tried to increase the scores by sending and replying to multiple snaps.
As one of the active Snapchat users, I regularly send friends snaps and reply to received snaps. In order to increase the Snapchat scores, I send videos and images rather than texts to friends because sending videos or images would increase one point while texting would not give any points. My relatives and friends who are also active Snapchat users, have done the same thing. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see Snapchat score increasing up to 50 points in a day. The Snapchat would provide rewards such as virtual trophies and badges reaching certain points such as 1,000 or 10,000 and this has prompted many users, including me and my friends to be as active as possible, posting and sending up to 10 snaps per day.
In the case of Snapchat and users around me in Hong Kong, I believe that the concept of ‘Chinese entrepreneurial ethic’ seems more suitable – that rewards those who are hard-working and persistent. Since the user has to be earnest and attentive in gaining Snapchat points, sending multiple snaps and replying to them constantly, this fits the entrepreneurial ethic and it is proven that Hong Kong is Snapchat’s biggest and profitable market in Asia, where people accredit the assiduous behavior and receiving the outstanding topnotch in the end – the entrepreneurial ethic. Therefore, the article on the QQ and its implication in Pan-Chinese society seems to clarify the success of Snapchat and its score system in Hong Kong.
References
Chew, J. (2016, April 13). Snapchat Now Beats Instagram Among Teen Users. Fortune, Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2016/04/13/snapchat-instagram-piper-jaffray/
McDonald, T. (2016). Social Media in Rural China. UCL Press.
Pandey, A. (2016, October 27). Snapchat Planning to Raise $ 4 billion in 2017 IPO: Report. IB Times, Retreived from http://www.ibtimes.com/snapchat-planning-raise-4-billion-2017-ipo-report-2437820
Wang, H. (2015, October 15). Mattel to cooperate with Tencent’s QQ in toy industry and social media. China Daily. Retrieved from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2016-10/25/content_27164962.htm
Woodhouse, A. (2016, September 28). Hong Kong’s snap-happy users make city Snapchat’s No. 1 market in Asia. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/business/article/2023386/hong-kongs-snap-happy-users-make-city-snapchats-no-1-market-asia