Capturing a visual record of content displayed temporarily on a social media platform is a common practice. This involves using a device’s built-in functionality or third-party software to create a video file of the displayed content. For example, one might use their smartphone’s screen recording feature to save a short video clip shared by a contact that is only available for a limited time.
The ability to archive ephemeral content provides several advantages. It allows users to preserve memories, document information that may disappear, or share content with individuals who are not able to view the original posting. Historically, individuals would have needed to take a photo of the screen, but native screen recording capabilities offer a much higher quality output.