Nothing makes me feel older and out of touch than seeing people use Snapchat. The strange avatars, the red and blue squares or arrows next to everyone’s name. Despite having a Snapchat account and, for a time, using it heavily, it feels like a disconnected world to me. I feel like a grandparent asking their grandkids about that new-fangled app. I have all but abandoned the app, but I still see how people use it as a web of interconnectedness, of which I am not a part. I’m not trying to be the ‘fun police,’ as some have called me on Yik Yak. While I’ve criticized platforms like Yik Yak and find them repulsive, my issues with Snapchat are different, and I’m not completely opposed.
Some friends have hundreds of contacts and dozens of unopened snaps. To that, I ask, “Why?” First, why have so many contacts if you are not actually consistently communicating with them? Snapchat is not like other social media platforms, where you have passive followers. The whole point of this app is to make and maintain connections. Maybe it’s all an ego trip. Knowing that the people snapping you have others who they aren’t snapping can make one feel special, and having the ability to not respond to people while picking and choosing who is worth your time makes you feel powerful.
To me, the fact that messages vanish after 24 hours and that photos and videos disappear once opened has never seemed like a selling point. What if I need receipts or visit an old picture someone sent? I would have to save the message or take a screenshot. However, the app notifies the other person when you do that. If you exit the message too quickly, you can replay it, but that also sends a notification. I think this sounds dystopian and will ultimately create an environment where everyone’s actions are heavily scrutinized, monitored and speculated about.
However, people like the impermanence of it all; it’s one of the major selling points. Perhaps the appeal of impermanence comes from a sense of comfort that everything will be gone. Maybe it’s more nihilistic, and people believe that because it will be gone, what you say and do ultimately does not matter and will be forgotten. Alternatively, the fear that everything will be gone will make people use the app more out of fear of missing out.
I hate to sound like a dork, but what exactly is fun with this app? Putting aside my personal qualms, I still don’t see its appeal. Sure, those filters can be fun for a while, but they quickly lose their charm. It’s not exciting to see a photo where someone has a stretched face or a PNG of sunglasses over someone’s face.
When I used Snapchat regularly, I mostly received two types of pictures. First is a casual picture, often of the person or their surroundings. It’s clear the sender is just expressing their emotions or sharing what they are doing. The second kind of photo is where the sender is trying too hard, usually to be sexy or nonchalant, often looking candid or effortless, but being heavily staged to make the recipient want to engage further. The casual snaps are nice to see my friends or know what they were up to, but they never make me feel closer to them. The second type of photo is always so lame. These wannabes trying to look hot or interesting always result in a basic photo designed to farm engagement, most of the time by being sent to everyone.
One of the worst features of the app, by far, is the ability to send the same snap to everyone. That’s not fun. It takes away from the personal connections people are supposed to make through the app. Is it supposed to feel good when you get a snap only for you? Is it supposed to make one feel special? It makes me feel nothing because that should be the norm.
Most people don’t seem bothered by these issues, and I know I’m in the minority with my opinions. It makes me feel like an out-of-touch old person who isn’t up to date with what the youth considers cool. More and more, I realize I don’t know what’s trendy and usually depend on my friends and sister for updates. However, for this, I’ve decided I don’t care if it’s popular. I don’t like Snapchat. Maybe I’ll finally delete it, as I’ve said I would for years.