Do you think reddit is a relatively old app(?) (it's not just app I think and idk what else I can use here)? On the other hand, Snapchat and BeReal are new. What other apps/internet stuff(?) do you think is new, trending and help understand the English cu (2024)

Quality Point(s)

Question

Like

Yes, Reddit is pretty old because it was created in 2005. (“App” is fine. You can also call it a website because it can be accessed on a computer)

Snapchat was created in 2011, so it’s newer than Reddit. But it’s not a new app.

I’ve never heard of BeReal before. I looked it up, and apparently it’s a French app. It is the newest one because it was released in 2020. However, BeReal doesn’t even come close to being as popular as Snapchat, especially in the US.

To answer your last question, BeReal definitely can’t be used to understand English culture — or maybe I should say American culture specifically — because it isn’t well known here. On the other hand, Reddit and Snapchat might give you a good idea of small facets of American culture. But only specific types of people really use those apps. Instagram and TikTok are two of the most popular apps right now. But honestly, you should never rely solely on the things you see online/in the media/on TV to learn about a culture. Everything is greatly exaggerated and often only tells one side of the story.

@Pumpk-a-boo Research by reading books/articles and talking to the different types of people who live there. There are so many resources and so much information at our fingertips. Expecting to get accurate and wholistic depictions of a culture solely from social media and entertainment is ill-advised to say the least, especially if you don’t use discernment and critical thinking skills when consuming those things.

@bsloan7 Thank you! It's so well put! Now I have to think what resources I should get

@bsloan7 Would you mind elaborating a bit on "discernment and critical thinking skill" that you mentioned?

@Pumpk-a-boo

Basically, don’t just take things at face value. Consider context. Consider a person’s goals and reasons for doing something. Ask questions. Reevaluate the beliefs you have about different types of people and cultures.

Making assumptions and generalizations based on limited and (most of the time) specially crafted data like tv shows/movies and social media posts is how you end up in embarrassing or culturally insensitive/inappropriate situations.

@bsloan7 Thank you!! btw, this sounds a bit like a PR's job to prevent one from embarrassing or inappropriate situations.

@Pumpk-a-boo I guess? But I think most people naturally try to prevent themselves from ending up in embarrassing or inappropriate situations. I feel like that especially goes hand in hand with learning about a different culture, especially if you plan on talking to people of that culture or visiting places where people of that culture live.

@bsloan7 Thank you!! So true and I've def said something that's not supposed to be said in English!