Social networks or “social media” such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok or WhatsApp play an essential role in the everyday lives of young people. The communication rules – initially hard to grasp – trigger constant usage and outright ambivalent feelings among users. These predominantly include the desire for recognition and belonging to a group while at the same time fearing exclusion from the circle; or the joy of self-staging and the mutual exchange of information, up to self-delusion and a craving to please and control.

Together with three teenage girls, Rebecca Jenal quizzes their sending and receiving of multimedia messages, while documenting her protagonists’ thoughts and their in some respects careless social media behaviour.

By means of film, image and text contributions, the interactive web documentary “Why we share” invites adolescents to reflect on the way they interact with each other, while older generations find a way to appreciate the significance of these social platforms.

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