WhatsApp's Impact on Society: Communication and Behavior

Introduction to WhatsApp and Its Global Reach

WhatsApp is an internet-based, proprietary, cross-platform messaging service that can be used on smartphones and on some models of selected feature phones. Its basic function is to facilitate communication between individuals through messages, images, video, and audio media. Users can also share their location with others if they choose to do so.

The company and its smartphone application were founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, both former employees at Yahoo. The Mountain View, California-based company had 600 million users as of October 2014 and is considered the most popular messaging app globally (Berker).

A number of recent studies have indicated that WhatsApp has become popular among users because it allows better accessibility and greater ease of communication, as well as offering real-time messaging. According to Plana, Gimeno, and Appel (2013), this has given users a sense of empowerment along with a sense of belonging, allowing them to be more sociable through quick, cost-effective information sharing (Plana et al.).

A multi-method study by Church and Oliveira (2013) involving 140 respondents in Spain between the ages of 20 and 60 found that convenience in communications and low cost are the primary reasons users adopt and regularly use WhatsApp (Church and Oliveira).

Soliman and Salem (2014) identified similar reasons for adopting and using WhatsApp in a study investigating usage and motivational factors among users in Riyadh (Soliman and Salem). That study was conducted on a sample of 450 college students and faculty members between the ages of 18 and 55. The sharing of jokes and funny messages was also identified as an additional reason that people across a broad age range adopted WhatsApp.

Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding WhatsApp

These findings can be understood in light of Marshall McLuhan's theory, developed in his book Understanding Media (McLuhan), in which he argues that a medium is best understood as a technological "extension" of a human sense. For example, the radio is an extension of hearing, and the printed book is an extension of the visual sense. In that manner, WhatsApp can be said to be an extension of the sense of sight, as users read messages and view images.

It can also be argued that McLuhan's hot and cold media theory helps to explain WhatsApp's popularity. According to the theory, a cold medium is more attractive because it leaves a great deal of space for audience participation (McLuhan). Under this framework, WhatsApp would be considered a cold medium, as it invites engagement and interaction — which helps explain why people are drawn to it.

Neil Postman's critique is also relevant here. Postman asserts that modern media is more about entertainment than information. Citing television news as his example, he argues that it functions as "a form of entertainment programming" rather than genuine information delivery. By extension, while messaging services like WhatsApp are widely regarded as providing useful knowledge, Postman's framework suggests they may primarily serve entertainment — effectively giving society the impression of being informed while actually providing diversion (Postman).

The near-monopolized status that WhatsApp has achieved — especially in combination with Facebook — is addressed by Ben H. Bagdikian in The New Media Monopoly. Bagdikian argues that media cartels formed by large media companies are able to exert significant influence over society, as was evident in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s (Bagdikian and Bagdikian). In this light, WhatsApp's dominant position in internet messaging gives it the power to shape social impressions in ways that may not serve the public interest.

Joseph Turow, in The Daily You, adds another dimension to this concern. Turow argues that users need to become more informed about the media they use in order to understand the tools advertisers deploy to gather information about them by tracking online behavior (Turow). The effect is that users are led to see themselves through the lens that advertisers have constructed for them.

Social and Educational Impacts

The communication with others in virtual space was found to be the primary reason behind widespread WhatsApp use in the United Kingdom, according to a study by O'Hara et al. (2014) involving 20 individuals between the ages of 17 and 49. Users reported a sense of belonging to the virtual space, as well as a feeling of a secure and committed bond fostered by the rapid exchange of messages. The study concluded that this constituted a significant social impact of WhatsApp on society (O'Hara et al.).

Another notable social impact — particularly among students — was investigated by Bere (2012) in a study of 118 undergraduate students in South Africa. The study found that the messaging service was considered a beneficial form of ubiquitous learning, suggesting that WhatsApp can yield educational gains for certain student populations (Bere).

On the negative side, a study by Yeboah and Ewur (2014) on students at tertiary institutions in Ghana found several harmful effects of WhatsApp use. These included distraction from studies and assignments, degraded use of language, spelling, and grammar, and a general lack of focus during lectures (Yeboah and Ewur).

A study by Plana, Gimeno, and Appel (2013) that explored the relationship between WhatsApp use and English reading skills — in contexts where English is a foreign language — found that widespread use of WhatsApp had increased students' confidence and interest in reading English through its messages (O'Hara et al.).

A study by Devi and Tevera (2014) similarly concluded that applications like WhatsApp and Facebook were regularly used by students for communication and information sharing about academic topics (Devi and Tevera).

According to Bere (2012), WhatsApp is also frequently used as a medium for identity formation. The group texting feature helps shape how one perceives oneself and how one is perceived by others.

WhatsApp's ease and low cost have also influenced intimacy. According to Yeboah and Ewur (2014), the medium enables many people to flirt or connect with romantic partners given its convenience and affordability. Like other social media platforms, WhatsApp has been cited in many divorce proceedings, demonstrating its influence on personal privacy (Yeboah and Ewur).

References

Bere, A. A Comparative Study of Student Experiences of Ubiquitous Learning via Mobile Devices and Learner Management Systems at a South African University. Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2015. Proceedings of the 14th Annual Conference on World Wide Web Applications.

Berker, Thomas. Domestication of Media and Technology. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2006. Print.

Blog.whatsapp.com. "WhatsApp Blog." N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Church, K., and R. de Oliveira. What's Up with WhatsApp? Comparing Mobile Instant Messaging Behaviors with Traditional SMS. Munich, Germany: N.p., 2013. Print. Mobile HCI — Collaboration and Communication.

Devi, T.S., and S. Tevera. "Use of Social Networking Sites in the University of Swaziland by the Health Science Students: A Case Study." Journal of Information Management 1.1 (2014): 19–26. Print.

O'Hara, K. et al. Everyday Dwelling with WhatsApp. Baltimore, MD, USA: ACM, 2014. Print. Proceedings of the 17th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing.

Plana, M.G.-C. et al. "Improving Learners' Reading Skills Through Instant Short Messages: A Sample Study Using WhatsApp." Proceeding of WorldCALL 2013 — CALL: Sustainability and Computer-Assisted Language Learning. 2013. Presentation.

Soliman, D.A., and M.S. Salem. "Investigating Intention to Use Mobile Instant Messenger: The Influence of Sociability, Self-Expressiveness, and Enjoyment." The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge 19.2 (2014): 286–293. Print.

Yeboah, J., and G.D. Ewur. "The Impact of WhatsApp Messenger Usage on Students' Performance in Tertiary Institutions in Ghana." Journal of Education and Practice 5.6 (2015): 157–164. Print.

Bagdikian, Ben H. The New Media Monopoly. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004. Print.

McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media. Print.

Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin Books, 2006. Print.

Turow, Joseph. The Daily You. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011. Print.