"Broke down and got a Snapchat," Tweeted a classmate of mine a few days ago. "Add me."
This media message summed up my experience with the app rated "better than Instagram" and "better than Facebook because it's NOT Facebook"--until I reread this Tweet and decided to delve into what Snapchat is really about. The verdict? Probably sexting, but also for the freedom that comes with sending a fleeting photo.
(For anyone over age 22)
Snapchat: Free app for Apples and Androids that allows you to take a photo and send it to a receiver of your choice. They see it for a limited amount of time (1-10 seconds; you choose) before it self-deletes off their device. Because viewing the image requires finger-to-screen contact, they can't take a screenshot.
Except most people have two hands and have figured their way around Snapchat's weak 'security.'
This media message summed up my experience with the app rated "better than Instagram" and "better than Facebook because it's NOT Facebook"--until I reread this Tweet and decided to delve into what Snapchat is really about. The verdict? Probably sexting, but also for the freedom that comes with sending a fleeting photo.
(For anyone over age 22)
Snapchat: Free app for Apples and Androids that allows you to take a photo and send it to a receiver of your choice. They see it for a limited amount of time (1-10 seconds; you choose) before it self-deletes off their device. Because viewing the image requires finger-to-screen contact, they can't take a screenshot.
Except most people have two hands and have figured their way around Snapchat's weak 'security.'
Almost as adorable as a Playboy cover girl.
I did a Tumblr search for Snapchat, and the results weren't shocking. Of the photos tagged under "Snapchat," there were 5 categories:
Selfie
Naked Selfie
Excited Phallus
Boobs
Vagina or Chin Fat? (only 1 of those at a quick glance, but I couldn't resist giving it its own slot on the board.)
I know, I know, I know. You also Snapchat photos of your cat(s).
Selfie
Naked Selfie
Excited Phallus
Boobs
Vagina or Chin Fat? (only 1 of those at a quick glance, but I couldn't resist giving it its own slot on the board.)
I know, I know, I know. You also Snapchat photos of your cat(s).
The Appeal?
I suppose the appeal of Snapchat is the freedom felt in sending a photo--be it risque or Instagramesque or feline--and knowing it's only temporary. But why should a sender feel relieved that their photo will only exist for 10 seconds? I know I'd only hold my breath about the length of a photo's existence if it happened to portray my, uh....sister’s rabbit; he's really shy and doesn't think any of his photos turn out well.
Or perhaps Snapchat feeds the feeling of whimsy inside us--it's one more fun, quirky, activity accessible on the phone, perfect for the short-attention span people we've become. After 5 failed attempts at Temple Run, taking an adorable selfie that your bff will only see for 7 seconds is the only logical thing to do, right?
This Forbes article slates Snapchat in a more positive light: Basically, people try to make their online image perfect, a portfolio of red-carpet profile pics that let any potential partners or stalkers believe they've got a real catch on their screen. Employers scope the Facebook pages of their applicants, which means those silly photos from Cabo last spring break have to go. Snapchat, then, is a way for users to express themselves as they really are--silly, weird, random (and nude), without having to fear future repercussions in the form of scathing Facebook comments.
This Forbes article slates Snapchat in a more positive light: Basically, people try to make their online image perfect, a portfolio of red-carpet profile pics that let any potential partners or stalkers believe they've got a real catch on their screen. Employers scope the Facebook pages of their applicants, which means those silly photos from Cabo last spring break have to go. Snapchat, then, is a way for users to express themselves as they really are--silly, weird, random (and nude), without having to fear future repercussions in the form of scathing Facebook comments.
Of course, Snapchat users have found ways around the mortality of a 10-second pic. Snapchat co-creator Evan Spiegel admits that the "no-screenshot" feature isn't foolproof, and it's not meant to be. Again, from Forbes, "The goal, says Spiegel, isn’t to eliminate the possibility that someone could make a permanent copy of a private photo, but to set transparent expectations around the conversation. 'A little friction is powerful,' he says."
Beware, Snapchatters: There might be friction between you and your crush when you screenshot their hoohahs.
I successfully guilted you into only peeping for 10 seconds, right?
The megaminds at Snapchat also say through this CNN piece that "We believe in sharing authentic moments with friends," it read. "It's not all about fancy vacations, sushi dinners, or beautiful sunsets. Sometimes it's an inside joke, a silly face, or greetings from a pet fish."
These things the Snapchat bigwigs hold in esteem--jokes, faces, and pet fish--seem pretty inclusive to me. I don't share inside jokes with outsiders, and NOBODY gets their hands on a photo of my beta without my say. So, Snapchat gives a way to share comfortable, real moments with the people to whom we're comfortable and real; so comfortable and real that we can't have them see our photos for more than 1/6 of a minute. I understand completely.
Beware, Snapchatters: There might be friction between you and your crush when you screenshot their hoohahs.
I successfully guilted you into only peeping for 10 seconds, right?
The megaminds at Snapchat also say through this CNN piece that "We believe in sharing authentic moments with friends," it read. "It's not all about fancy vacations, sushi dinners, or beautiful sunsets. Sometimes it's an inside joke, a silly face, or greetings from a pet fish."
These things the Snapchat bigwigs hold in esteem--jokes, faces, and pet fish--seem pretty inclusive to me. I don't share inside jokes with outsiders, and NOBODY gets their hands on a photo of my beta without my say. So, Snapchat gives a way to share comfortable, real moments with the people to whom we're comfortable and real; so comfortable and real that we can't have them see our photos for more than 1/6 of a minute. I understand completely.
The Bottom Line
The largest swatch of Snapchat users are between the ages of 13-24, which prompts and perpetuates an immature, easy-to-maneuver app. This is the one app that parents won't invade (except for Anthony Weiner). Ghostface Chillah, the adorable mascot wallpapering every tween's mobile screen, promotes a few things:
1. Unaccountability: I feel no shame. Oh, they'll only see this picture of me for a few seconds. It really doesn't matter that I'm sending this intimate photo to someone I'd be embarassed to fart in front of.
2. Unity Via Technology: I am feeling bored and lonely....I know! I'll send a photo of my bored and lonely face to my bff. Knowing I'll be their sole focus for 4 seconds makes me feel better already.
3. Unaccountability: It's your fault! Yeah, I know that you can take a screenshot by using your free hand to press "menu, take screenshot," but I trusted you not to! Does our friendship mean nothing?
4. There's An App for That. When every media article about Snapchat first has to address how it's NOT made for sexting before telling the reader what it IS made for, there's dissonance between what the creators wanted and what the kids are doing. Now there's a colorful, friendly, seemingly hitch-free way to sext.
All you can do is hope that your viewer will be too lazy to screenshot your junk (or too awed by its glory to do anything but stare). Say cheese.
I, personally, am hoping that Snapchat usage creates subliminal messaging in the minds of its users; deja vu for everyone! Tyler Durden would be proud.
1. Unaccountability: I feel no shame. Oh, they'll only see this picture of me for a few seconds. It really doesn't matter that I'm sending this intimate photo to someone I'd be embarassed to fart in front of.
2. Unity Via Technology: I am feeling bored and lonely....I know! I'll send a photo of my bored and lonely face to my bff. Knowing I'll be their sole focus for 4 seconds makes me feel better already.
3. Unaccountability: It's your fault! Yeah, I know that you can take a screenshot by using your free hand to press "menu, take screenshot," but I trusted you not to! Does our friendship mean nothing?
4. There's An App for That. When every media article about Snapchat first has to address how it's NOT made for sexting before telling the reader what it IS made for, there's dissonance between what the creators wanted and what the kids are doing. Now there's a colorful, friendly, seemingly hitch-free way to sext.
All you can do is hope that your viewer will be too lazy to screenshot your junk (or too awed by its glory to do anything but stare). Say cheese.
I, personally, am hoping that Snapchat usage creates subliminal messaging in the minds of its users; deja vu for everyone! Tyler Durden would be proud.