The modern age has introduced a variety of new terminologies and abbreviations. The younger generation often prefers to talk in short forms that are common with their peers. One such term is POV. If you are connected with modern social media, you must have come across this term and may have wondered what does POV stand for?
This article will focus on this abbreviation and will enlighten you about its possible uses and meanings, especially on social media. We will explore its relevance in multiple forms of communication. We’ll also discuss the key takeaways and safety tips for parents whose kids are most likely to use this terminology.
What does POV stand for?
The POV term literally means “Point of View”. When someone says POV, they mean that the viewer or listener needs to see a situation from his or her own perspective. This term started from the film industry to give viewers an experience of watching the story by imagining themselves in that story. The POV perspective gives a viewer an experience to imagine and feel the story or the content as a first person.
Movies naturally provide viewers a POV experience because the audience usually relates themselves as being a part of the movie. If you get scared when you watch a horror movie, it means that you were watching that movie by imagining yourself in it. People enjoy the POV experience by actually experiencing how they would have felt if they were in that particular situation.
With the advent of social media, the POV term widely got its usage in social media communication. Users started using this term in comments, chats, status updates, and even in videos. Now, it has become a new normal to use this term in short form, instead of full phrase.
What does POV mean in texting and social media?
To get a better clarity on POV, let’s discuss what it really means in texting and social media. As this term is now more common in daily communications, it is of great importance that you know about all of its perspectives to understand the overall concept of this terminology.
Here is a brief explanation of common uses of POV in multiple forms of communication:
Text messages:
You will find a very broad usage of POV in text messages. For example, a text message may say: “POV: You are your boss, and you find yourself sleeping on your workstation.” This text message lets you think of a situation from the angle of how your boss would react if he saw you sleeping on the job.
TikTok:
The POV term is also very widely used on video-sharing platforms like TikTok. As this platform is all about scrolling through videos, users may come across many videos with this terminology written at the top of a video. For example, if a video uploader wants you to imagine yourself as the pyramid builder in Egypt, he may write on the video as POV: You wake up as a pyramid builder in 1550 BCE. Writing “POV” makes it easier for the viewer to understand the video’s concept.
Instagram and Reels:
Just like TikTok, Instagram, and reels are also related to scrolling videos. Reel uploaders also widely use the POV term to explain the concept of their videos to the viewers. For example, an Instagram reel may mention something like, “POV: someone’s first time getting into your new car Vs your best friend. This POV video will show a comparison of both situations, probably in a funny way. If there was nothing written on the video, it might have left viewers confused about the concept of the video.
YouTube Shorts:
Just like TikTok and reels on Instagram, you will find a lot of POV videos on YouTube Shorts. As a small example of a POV video on YouTube Shorts, a video may write something like “POV: You have a dentist appointment.” The content of the video might show what a person would most probably do when he or she has a dentist appointment coming soon. That person would most probably work on their teeth to make them look good or freshen up their breath to avoid embarrassment. This video intends to put the viewer into the shoes of the person in that video to provide a first-hand experience.
Snapchat:
Snapchat also allows users to share videos with others. You will find POV videos on this platform, too. Let’s discuss a simple example of a Snapchat video that mentions “POV: You’re a goalkeeper.” This video shows a goalkeeper in a football match and how he is involved in stopping the goal attempts from the opposite team. This way, a viewer would most likely experience being a real-life goalkeeper and would see how it feels to be in the place of a football goalkeeper. You may not have imagined this experience before, but after watching such a POV video, you will get a firsthand experience somewhat closer to the real one.
Examples of POV
There can be countless examples of POV uses for different purposes on different social media platforms. Let’s discuss some examples below, segregated by their concepts.
Neutral everyday examples: We also use POV in our daily lives. We can use this phrase to make our point in an argument or to describe our idea to the other person. This phrase is equally relevant in our personal and professional lives.
Viral POV trends: There have been a variety of POV trends on multiple social media platforms. Most viral trends are usually funny and entertaining in nature. That’s why they get the attention of a huge audience. Some examples of viral POV trends include “Employee-boss relationships”, “Struggling to win an argument with wife”, and “motivational initiatives gone wrong.” All such vital POV trends get huge attention from around the world, depending on the language and location of the viral POV video.
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Why do people use POV?
POV itself hints towards its meaning and purpose, but still, let’s have a clear idea of why people use this term. There can be multiple occasions and reasons to use this phrase. Let’s discuss some of the objectives below:
For humor:
One of the obvious reasons to use POV is to add a humorous touch to the discussion or the content. As this phrase finds most of its relevance on social media, users use this term to make their contact impactful. Adding humour to a post opens up more chances for that post to go viral and increase its reach. That’s why people take help from this term to make a post humorous.
To express personal perspectives:
If you want to tell your audience about how you feel or describe a particular situation, you can use this term. It becomes much easier for people to express their personal perspectives by using POV. Instead of spending more time telling viewers about your perspective, you can just use the POV term to let users understand the core concept behind a video or a simple post.
To tell mini-stories or relatable feelings:
Most POV videos have a hidden story in the background. If you start describing that story from scratch, it would make the content lengthy. That’s why people find it convenient to use this term instead. When viewers see those POV posts, they are more likely to relate to those posts or videos. You will find yourself naturally relating to a POV video as compared to plain videos without POV.
To mimic real-life experiences:
How do you narrate your experiences efficiently to build a long-term audience? One of the best ways to do it is to let your viewers be in your shoes. That’s where POV videos come and make their relevance throughout the video. A user may also mimic or copy real-life experiences. If a user wants to narrate about the first day of a country’s president in his office, he or she may use the POV term to explain it well.
POV and kids — What parents should know
This section is all about the connection between parenting and POV. Is it harmful for them, and what do you need to be informed about already? Let’s check out a few points below:
Why teens engage with POV trends?
Teens are more active on social media compared to older generations. Teens like to imagine things and be in other people’s shoes. That’s why they enjoy watching POV trends. They tend to interact with each other by sharing each other’s views, and POV videos make it easier for them.
Risks of mature POV videos
According to a 2023 study by Common Sense Media, as many as 73% of teens have encountered or seen online porn content. As teens spend most of their time on social media, it is a constant worry for responsible parents that they might see mature POV content. The mature POV content is quite addictive, and you must always try your best to avoid such content.
How POV trends can influence emotions and self-perception in kids?
As the POV trends take kids into their imaginations, these videos have a high tendency to influence and shake their emotions. Such videos also affect how a kid perceives himself as POV videos take them into other people’s perspectives.
How to protect your kids from unsafe POV content?
Now you know that POV videos are not free from risks for your kids. So, what can you do to ensure that your kids are safe from the harmful content involving POV concepts? Let’s discuss the two most practical solutions below:
Talk to kids about POV videos and real-life expectations.
You must always have open discussions with your kids about everything. This includes POV videos, too. It’s a possibility that your kids might not even know what does POV stand for. But you need to tell them about this in advance. Try telling them about all possible aspects of POV that we discussed in this article, including the negative aspects. This will make them aware of what to watch and what to avoid. You need to tell your kids to clearly draw a line between POV videos and real life.
Combine the FlashGet Kids-related features with the content:
Do you want a magical and most practical solution to keep your kids safe from almost every online risk? Try the FlashGet Kids app. You can filter or block adult POV hashtags and videos. That way, you can ensure that your kids remain away from adult content or bad words. This app also allows you to set healthy screen time limits for your kids. So, even if a kid starts getting addicted to short videos on video-sharing apps, the screen time limit automatically acts to prevent it. You can even block the usage of certain apps if you think they are not fit for your kid’s age. Most of all, you can monitor your kid’s social media activities live via your phone. This will help you take immediate and appropriate actions for the safety of your kids.
Conclusion
So, now you must have a clear idea of what does POV stand for and how it may affect your children. Most POV videos are just for fun, and the related trends are usually harmless. But still, your kids always need your guidance and supervision. It only takes a moment to indulge in a bad addiction to certain videos. That’s why you always want to have good and open communication with your kids regarding online threats.
You can have proper and most convenient monitoring by using the FlashGet Kids app. Using this app will give you and your kids the liberty to enjoy POV trends and videos, while you can still have close monitoring of your kids. This way, your kids may still enjoy healthy and fun POV videos so that they don’t feel left out with their peers. At the same time, you will be quite sure that they are on the safe track, especially online.
