Understanding YouNow: Practice Exercise

This page presents a practice exercise for students to understand and explain the concept of YouNow to an Australian friend.

Exercise instructions:

1. Read an article about YouNow
2. Understand the platform's concept and popularity in Germany and the US
3. Write an email explaining YouNow in about 150 words

The exercise includes an excerpt from a German article titled "deutsch-girl in Echtzeit" which describes: • How teenagers allow strangers to view their rooms live • Parents' confusion and youth protection advocates' concerns • A specific example of an 18-year-old user interacting with viewers

Vocabulary: Streaming platform - An online service that allows users to watch or broadcast video content over the internet in real-time.

Example: The article mentions a user named Tarkan Günay who promises to share his phone number if he gains more subscribers, illustrating the interactive nature of YouNow.

Pros and Cons of YouNow

This page delves into the advantages and disadvantages of using YouNow, highlighting the platform's impact on users, especially young people.

Pros of YouNow: • Reduces feelings of loneliness • Provides an escape from reality • Allows people to stay connected • Enables interaction between influencers and fans

Cons of YouNow: • Potential for predators to watch young users • Lack of user profile requirements for viewers • Difficulty for parents to monitor and protect children • Uncontrolled content • Potential for extremist groups to influence users

Definition: Influencer - A person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending items on social media.

Highlight: The popularity of YouNow in Germany is noted to be particularly high, second only to the US.