Human beings require 3 elements in order to survive: food, water, and shelter. Of the three, food is one that we not only need in order to be healthy, but also is one that we need as a cultural and social agent. People of different cultures and geographic locations require different nutritional needs. The intake of food directly influences biological function and results in changes on a biological level. Thus, nutrition is considered “a cultural biological process” rather than just a “physiological and biochemical process” (Ma).
In the Traditional Chinese Culture, food is seen as not only a source of nutrition, but also something that plays vital roles that extend beyond daily life. This can include maintenance and growth of interpersonal relationships, representation of social status, group identification, and symbolic significance. I am interested in investigating the ways in which these Traditional Chinese Values relate to food, and how they translate to posts on Snapchat.
I will investigate different aspects of posting habits of 3 different Chinese-American Adults between the ages of 18–25. The aspects of the posting culture that I am specifically interested in include (1) the frequency in which food pictures are posted, (2) the way in which they are edited (filters/text/etc.), and (3) who they are sent to and why. By investigating, analyzing, and drawing conclusions in these 3 areas, I will be able to determine how much if any, the traditional views of food in Chinese culture plays a role in daily online/sharing activity on Snapchat.
Snapchat, a social media App best known for its image messaging abilities, was created by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown, former students at Stanford University. Originally, Snapchat was centered on private, one-on-one photo sharing. However, new features include a Discover platform where users can surf different media channels including People Magazine, Buzzfeed, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as group messaging. In fact, one of Snapchat’s newest features is the launch of McDonald’s Snaplication filter that allows users to send in a video in order to initially apply for a position at the fast food chain.
My interest in Snapchat particularly stems from the distinct intentions that consumers have when using Snapchat. As compared to other social medias, the process to post an image to Snapchat is very quick. It is typically used with the intent to show others something casual since the content is temporary, and only meant to be viewed briefly.
