How the new social media app Airchat can help students play to their core and build connections
Be sure to check out the suggested Huddle question at the bottom of this article to discuss this important topic with your students in class, if you feel it is appropriate.
Research suggests that humans bond more through voice messages than texting. When we listen to someone speak, we can pick up on the emotions, tone of voice, and nonverbal cues behind their words, helping us connect and understand each other more deeply. However, the occasional uncomfortable silence and pressure to express yourself perfectly in real time on the phone means some students feel anxious about phone calls. In fact, 90% of Gen Z feel nervous about talking on the phone. Texting can feel more convenient and less nerve-racking for students since they can edit their thoughts and avoid awkward moments.
Enter Airchat. The new, invite-only app offers asynchronous voice-only messaging: users can record themselves speaking and edit their recordings before posting them or sending them to friends, and their followers can comment or respond anytime. Airchat promises that the app can offer all of the benefits of voice messages, including more authentic conversations and social bonding, without the anxiety that real-time phone calls might bring. It has the potential to help students play to their core in their conversations by letting their personalities shine while still making sure they can feel confident that their words reflect their values.
When educators stay up-to-date about the new apps students are downloading, such as Airchat, and talking about, it helps them connect with their students and understand their day-to-day experiences, online and offline. Having a handle on the features platforms offer can also help educators guide students on how to play to their core across different apps, using tools like posts, shares, or stories to communicate their values and passions in ways that fuel their well-being. Keep reading to learn about Airchat and how educators can empower students to play to their core online.
What Airchat offers to students
As new apps emerge, educators can help students decide for themselves if the latest app is something they want to join and how to navigate it positively if they choose to do so. Let’s dive into some of Airchat’s features, benefits, and challenges so you feel confident talking to your students about this new app.
Airchat’s layout is similar to some students’ favorite social media sites, including Instagram and TikTok. Users can scroll through a post feed and interact with them via likes, shares, and replies. They can also chat with others through private direct messages. The chance to quickly take in a lot of content through infinite scrolling on these social platforms keeps students engaged while receiving likes or comments can make them feel good. This format means Airchat can feel just as exciting for students as their other favorite social platforms. However, Airchat has the potential to promote uniquely authentic, honest interactions between students since it features voice notes that build connections rather than curated posts popular on other social platforms.
Airchat is also a significant step forward in terms of accessibility. Visually impaired people are less likely to use social media, as some photos and videos might lose meaning when translated into text descriptions, or the descriptions might not be accurate. Since Airchat is completely audio-based, no one with visual impairments will feel like they’re missing out. Also, since the app auto-transcribes all posts, and early testers have praised transcriptions for their accuracy, deaf people can enjoy the app, too. There are nearly 600,000 visually impaired students and 300,000 hard of hearing students in the United States alone. Airchat seems like a great option to help these students enjoy social media like their peers.
While Airchat has many upsides, critics are concerned about its lack of content moderation. When the technology newspaper TechCrunch asked Airchat co-founder Naval Ravikant about how the app planned to protect its users against offensive or inappropriate content, he promised that there were “some complex rules” that would “hide spam and trolls” but did not respond to a follow-up question about the specifics of the algorithm.
Strong content moderation strategies are essential to keeping the platform a safe, positive space, especially for students, who can be strongly impacted by what they see online. Students who see inappropriate content on their feeds are more likely to interact with or repost similar content themselves rather than play to their core. These posts stick around forever and can affect students’ college or job prospects. While not perfect, a content moderation strategy like TikTok’s could be a starting point. TikTok has clear community guidelines and automated moderation technology, working alongside 40,000 human moderators and partners with expertise in issues like misinformation to weigh in on tricky cases.
TSI’s take on Airchat and empowering students to play to their core on social media
So, what’s our take on Airchat? Anytime a new app hits our students’ devices, we suggest staying up-to-date on all its features and how students use it, both positively or negatively, so you can educate and empower students to make an informed decision about whether to sign up. Also, educators can work with students to develop the tools to play to their core on Airchat and other social media platforms. When students play to their core online, they align their online interactions with their core values, making social media more positive and uplifting for everyone, making it less likely that harmful or offensive content will become a concern.
Some of the other benefits of students staying positive and authentic online? They build good reputations, which can discourage them from habits like cheating and help them get along better with their peers. So how can educators empower and encourage students to play to their core, whether recording a voice message for Airchat or making an Instagram post? Here are our tips:
- Help students find the positive content they feel excited to share: Some students love showing their friends funny memes, while others prefer to tell heartfelt stories that make others feel understood. When we’re excited about what we’re putting online, we make better posts that connect with others while making us feel good, making social media better for everyone.
- Empower students to avoid harmful posts: It’s important that students know how to prevent unsafe content, especially on sites with looser content moderation. Steering clear of content that might not align with a student’s core values protects students’ well-being and keeps this content from gaining exposure, which can lead students to post similar content that might cause issues. Make sure students are familiar with how to use content filters, report posts, and block or unfollow users on all of their favorite social platforms.
- Teach students the power of tone: On apps that allow users to post voice messages or videos, including Airchat, TikTok, Instagram, and more, tone matters a lot. 53% say the tone is more important to getting a point across than your words. By guiding students in reading tone and speaking in a way that makes others feel good, educators empower them to put their best foot forward online.
These strategies are a great way to start helping students play to their core online. However, playing to your core is not one size fits all, from standing up for your beliefs to bouncing back positively from mistakes and more. For more tips on playing to your core, check out the #WinAtSocial Lesson, Building a lasting, positive reputation on social media.
#WinAtSocial Huddle Question
Huddle with your students
The founders of the new social media app Airchat see voice messages as the best way to bond with others, so users communicate only through audio clips. What interactions make you feel most connected to your friends: real-time conversations, texts, or audio messages? How can you use this form of communication online to strengthen your relationships or form new connections?
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.