Odessa O. Peng
1 post
Oct 11, 2025
1:57 AM
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A more formal definition: ephemeral content consists of communications (such as images or videos) that are only available for a limited time and are deleted after a certain period (usually 24 hours).
The well-known Instagram and Snapchat Stories are good examples of this. But also consider Facebook or Instagram Live. What they all have in common is that they offer a form of direct communication that is primarily interactive . Users can, for example, ask questions in a story, respond to a poll, or discuss things with each other during a livestream.
Instagram Stories options.
How does ephemeral content work?
It's no secret that ephemeral content is popular. Stories abound, and livestreams are becoming increasingly common. But why does this type of content work so well? It turns out there's a psychological mechanism behind it. Research shows that it plays on the fear of missing out (FOMO) and the need for social contact.
A well-known theory in communication science— uses and gratifications —proposes that people use social media to achieve a certain sense of satisfaction. For example, satisfying the need for entertainment, social connections, or simply an escape from the busy world we live in. But as in many cases, we want more, more, more. Something new is always needed to achieve that feeling of satisfaction. We're all too afraid of missing out if we put our phones down for a day. That's precisely why many people can't.
Ephemeral content plays on this FOMO. Because we always want to be informed and don't want to miss anything, we're quickly tempted to check our Stories or click on that livestream notification, even though we know we have better things to do.
Besides FOMO, ephemeral content also appeals to the need for social interaction. This is because it shares certain similarities with face-to-face conversations. For example, you can "join the conversation" by asking questions, voting in a poll, or commenting on a story. And—just like ephemeral content—you only experience a face-to-face conversation once.
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