Last Updated：Nov. 19, 2024

This is a page about SNS Master 2.

SNS Master 2 is an analog version of a board game teaching material developed to improve SNS literacy.

"SNS Master" was developed in Japan in 2023.

This educational material, which is also in the form of a card game, allows students to improve their SNS literacy while having fun.

Story

The participants of the game are a team of people who manage a community on a social networking site.

You can gain new friends (job cards) by creating an atmosphere where the community is more inclusive.

When you have more friends, your posts will be recognized by more people and more people will join the community. However, if you have few friends, your posts will not stand out and it will be difficult to increase the number of friends in the community. To increase your friends, it is important to respond positively and positively to good posts and to speak up appropriately to problematic posts.

Use social networking to your advantage and become a "SNS master"!

Goal of the game

The goal of the game is to effectively use SNS to make all of the job cards become community members.

The participant who is the most proficient in using SNS will be honored as the "SNS Master"!

Contents (total 69 cards / 20 pieces)

• Post cards (40 cards in total): These cards show content as it would be posted on a real social networking site. For example, there are posts about how you feel or what you like. However, it also includes false content or posts that might hurt someone.

• Reaction cards (5 cards in total): These cards are used to indicate the player's reaction to the posted content. When each reaction card is selected, the player acts as shown in the table. For example, if it is a comment, the player gives his/her opinion on the post.

• Like: Sympathize with the post

• Share: Read the post

• Comment: give your opinion on the post

• Problematic: say what is wrong with the post

• Do nothing: Do nothing

• Job Cards (Total 24 cards): Job cards are earned when conditions are met. To earn an Job Card, you must exchange tokens for the number written on the bottom left of the card.

• Tokens (20 in total): The color of the contents is random. They indicate the player's influence in the game. each player can own a maximum of 5 tokens. no more than 6 tokens can be owned.

Figure 2. Sample images of each component

How to Play

Number of Players

The number of cards and tokens used is adjusted according to the number of players.

• 4 players: Use all cards and tokens.

• 3 players: 10 post cards, 6 job cards and 5 tokens are removed. These cards are not used.

• 2 players: Remove 20 post cards, 12 job cards and 10 tokens. These cards are not used.

For 2 or 3 players, the cards to be used are chosen at random.

Preparation

Place the post cards, reaction cards, job cards, and tokens using the placement example in Figure 1 as a guide. All post cards should be stacked with the front side (the side with the image on it) facing up.

Each player starts the game with an initial token of 2 tokens.

The game proceeds in a clockwise direction, starting with the player with the longest social networking history.

Glossary of Terms

• Poster: The person who reads the posted card.

• Reactor: The person who responds to the post.

• Problematic Behavior: Behavior that is likely to become a problem on a real SNS. In this game, it is the behavior of pointing out that a normal post is problematic, or of agreeing with a problematic post. It is important to consider that your reaction may have hurt someone.

Types of posts

• There are two types of posts in this game: normal posts and problem posts.

• Normal posts: These are posts that are unlikely to cause problems if posted on a real social networking site. There are blue lines at the top and bottom of the back of the posting card.

• Flaming posts: These are posts that are more likely to cause a flame war if posted on an actual social networking site. There are red lines at the top and bottom of the back of the submission card.

Types of Reactions

In real social networking sites, you can take some action in response to a post. You can act in the same way in this game, and it is important to react appropriately to the posts.

There are a total of five types of reaction cards. See Figure 2 for an example. Each reaction card gives you a different number of tokens.

The table below shows the relationship between postings and reactions. Combinations with negative values are problematic behaviors.

• Like (1): Normal post (+1), Flaming post(-1)

• Share (1): Normal (+2), Flaming post (-2)

• Comment (1): Normal (+3), Flaming post (-3)

• Problem (1): Normal post (-3), Flaming post (+3)

• No action (1): Normal post (0), Flaming post (0)

Game Procedure

1. When it is your turn, you act as a contributor and the other players act as reactors.

2. The contributor posts a card. The top card in the deck is read out. At this time, the back of the card should not be shown to the reactors.

3. The responders think about how they will react to the postings read out. (Do not tell them how to react, even if they decide quickly.) At this point, wait until everyone has made a decision.

4. When all responders have finished thinking of their response cards, point to them at the same time.

5. Each responder does what is written on the reaction card (e.g., “share” is a post). (e.g., if it is “share,” read the post out loud.)

6. The contributor turns over the post card and reads the commentary, if necessary. They then earn one token.

7. Each responder checks to see if it is a problematic action; see p. 10.

8. If it is a normal behavior, the reactant earns as many tokens as the number of tokens on the reaction card. However, the maximum number of tokens you can own is 5. Check p. 10 for details.

9. Penalties are given for problematic behavior, see p. 13.

10. This is an opportunity for all players to earn job cards. Starting clockwise from the contributor, there is no limit to the number of job cards that can be earned in a single turn. Check p. 14 for details.

11. Check to see if the game is over; check p. 14.

12. One player's turn is over. Clockwise, the next person is the contributor; resume from step 1 on p. 11.

Penalties

Penalties are incurred for problematic behavior.

The penalty depends on the number of tokens and job cards you currently have. Check the rules in the following order to determine

1. If you have more than one token, reduce the number of tokens you have by the number of tokens on the reaction card. If the penalty is more than the tokens you have, the number of tokens you have is zero.

2. If the number of tokens you have is zero, choose a profession card and restore it.

3. If you have neither tokens nor job cards, no penalty is incurred.

Game End Confirmation

If you have earned all the job cards, the game is clear; see p. 15 to see who the SNS Master is.

If you have used all your post cards, the game is over.

How to get job cards

Players can gain one job card per turn.

To acquire an job card, a player must spend his or her tokens as many as the number of tokens listed on the job card. For example, to acquire the following job cards, you must spend 2 tokens.

Results

There are two types of results in the game: cooperative success or failure (i.e., whether or not all job cards are acquired) and individual winners. However, the “SNS Master,” which indicates the individual winner, will be determined only in the case of a successful cooperation.

Determination of SNS Master

After successful cooperation, the "SNS Master" is determined, which is usually one person, but may be more than one. Check the rules in the following order

• The person who has the most job cards

• The one who has the most job cards with the most tokens 

• The person who fits both rules

If more than one person has the same condition for the second rule, it is decided here!

More than one person can be the SNS Master.