Dispo - Live in the Moment
By Ana Beltran,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Shutterbug tool for teens imitates disposable camera.
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Dispo - Live in the Moment
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What’s It About?
DISPO – LIVE IN THE MOMENT is a digital camera that imitates the process of developing film by not releasing captured images until the next day. Users can sign up through Apple or Snapchat or by using their phone number. They'll be prompted to set a profile picture and username, and after a quick three-step tutorial, they can start taking pictures. Users can create rolls to organize their pictures by theme, date, or topic. Each roll can be set to private or public. The app is organized into five tabs: Rolls, Library, Camera, Notifications, and Profile. The camera has a flash button, a zoom feature, and an option to switch from back-facing to front-facing for selfies. Under Rolls, users can see their personal rolls and those of people they're following. The library archives all pictures and organizes them by date. Notifications helps users keep track of picture availability, who's following them, likes, and comments. All rolls published as public appear in the profile, with recently updated rolls appearing at the top. There are two search features in the app. The first searches for specific rolls. The other search feature is designed to help people connect on the platform. Typing a word or name generates a list of Dispo members that users can follow or invite to view one of their personal rolls.
Is It Any Good?
This little camera within a camera is a modern twist on an old-school practice, but it's long-term appeal is unclear. It re-creates the notion of waiting for pictures to develop after they've been taken, challenging the common habit of retaking pictures until the perfect shot is captured. The camera feature is easy to use and, much like our devices' camera roll, the app's library sequences pictures based on date and time. What makes Dispo – Live in the Moment unique is the fact that pictures aren't available immediately. Kids have to wait until the next morning to see the images. One upside is that the design may encourage kids to focus on the subject, process, and art of taking pictures rather than repeating a shot until perfect. The app applies an automatic filter to images, giving them a bit of a retro look.
However, the app lacks tools to customize images or edit images. Users don't even have control over the filter type or intensity. Although using the camera and organizing images into rolls is a simple process, connecting with other Dispo members is not as straightforward as it is on other social media apps. The app doesn't incorporate hashtags for finding content related to a specific topic. For example, when you type "travel" into the search, a list of members with the word "travel" in their profile name pops up, regardless of whether their content reflects travel or not. Pictures in profiles are organized into rolls and recent updates, but browsing through them and trying to find specific content is messy. Users have the option to follow people or specific rolls, which isn't clear until you've played around with the app for a bit and tried different ways to connect with others. Overall, the intention behind Dispo – Live in the Moment's design is appropriate for teens who want to enjoy capturing images without the distraction of instant gratification. However, it lacks customization features, and its social media component is a bit confusing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about using social media responsibly when using Dispo – Live in the Moment. Discuss expectations for social media use and guidelines for sharing. What's OK to share? What's not OK to share? Consider the pros and cons of private content and public content, along with family expectations around privacy, sharing pictures, or making them public.
Talk about reporting images that display nudity, are explicit, or glorify violence. Discuss the power of words and how to interact with others via comments in a mindful manner.
Talk about composition, lighting, and interesting subjects to explore through a camera lens to promote creativity and help kids define their own style.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: March 12, 2021
- Category: Photo & Video
- Publisher: Dispo, Inc
- Version: 2.0.4
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 14.0 or later
- Last updated: April 2, 2021
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