More than 400 million photos and messages are being sent each day through an app called Snapchat. These photos can be viewed for up to 10 seconds (the sender has the choice) and then they vanish. Because these images self-destruct, Snapchat is being embraced as an antidote to a world where nearly every feeling, celebration and life moment is captured to be shared, logged, liked, commented on, stored, searched and sold. For those people who don’t want to have to worry about unflattering photos being plastered on the Internet forever, the apps appeal seems obvious…..until theres a screenshot.
Snapchat allows users to screenshot photos and messages they receive. So although you may think your photo vanishes, it may never truly be gone. Each time your photo or message gets screenshotted, you receive a notification letting you know…but at that point there’s not much you can do about it. Many young people seem to be growing tired of “polished” Facebook profiles filled with advertisements studies show. Also, active social media users are becoming more aware of the permanence of content share via The Internet and its repercussions in life, therefore they switch to a more private and less permanent outlet, Snapchat.
The Snapchat service started two years ago but has rapidly grown and gained a reputation for an easy way for people to send naughty pictures. Evan Spigel, the creator, says “You can’t build a service off of sexting”, disagreeing with many of the critques from parents he has seen. Since the overwhelming majority of Snapchat’s users are age 13 to 25, the application has provoked concerns from parents. The company acknowledges that the service can be misused, but does not dwell on it. “We are not advertising ourselves as a secure platform,” Mr. Spiegel said. “It’s a communication platform. It’s not our job to police the world or Snapchat of jerks.”
Scott D. Cook, the founder of Intuit and a prominent entrepreneur and investor, has taken the Snapchat founders under his wing, and the start-up recently raised $13.5 million in venture financing, led by Benchmark Capital, which values the company at $60 million to $70 million even without an established revenue stream. Snapchat has become one of the hottest means of social media and it is still continuing to grow!
Feedback:
- Do you use a Snapchat?
- If so, how often do you snap?
- Do you prefer for the best friends list to be visable to all?
- Do you think parents should be concerned with children using Snapchat?
- What do you like and dislike most about Snapchat?
OBU Social Media 
Do you use a Snapchat?
Of course.
If so, how often do you snap?
I open more snaps then I send, but I usually snap three times a day.
Do you prefer for the best friends list to be visible to all?
No, who people snap the most should not be anyone else’s business.
Do you think parents should be concerned with children using Snapchat?
I definitely think it should be monitored for younger children. With kids getting phones so young, Snapchat can be a dangerous place. If they are allowed to have the app, then they need to be educated on the fact that the picture really never “disappears.”
What do you like and dislike most about Snapchat?
My favorite thing about Snapchat are the new filters they have installed. Everyone enjoys using them. I don’t like how long it takes to load, and i have found that a lot of people have this problem, but with 400 million photos being shared, I can understand why it takes so long.
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You open more than you send, youre so popular 😉
It is important for people to be educated about things never really being deleted! good point!
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This was a really good summary of snapchat, Bekah!
Yes I use snapchat, most likely everyday! It is a fun way to connect and talk to friends that maybe live far away. Especially with their recent filters, it adds some extra flare to sending funny pictures and videos to my closest friends. I don’t really have much of an opinion about the best friend list being visible, but I can understand why people prefer it to be private.
I do think it is reasonable for parents to have some sort of concern about this app simply because it has been known to generate inappropriate messages and pictures between two people. However, I think there is a certain level of trust that needs to be established in every parent-child relationship. The same amount of negativity is easily shareable over Facebook or private text messages. Snapchat should be used for the fun app that it is, and sending our most embarrassing and unflattering selfies to our best friends.
My favorite part about snapchat is that I can talk to my friends that live in different time zones quickly without the pressure of long text messages. However, it is addicting! My least favorite (but kind of my favorite) thing about Snap is how fun it is, because I’m always on it.
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Great comments Haley!
Snapchat is definitely addicting. While it is fun and a great way to connect with friends that live far away, my data overage fee and lack of battery has Snapchat to thank.
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Snapchat KILLLLLSSS my battery too! But most days I think it’s worth it to use my last bit of battery to post a snap story
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I agree with you about establishing trust! Very true that there are multiple other ways to share things that should not be shared on any social site!
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Oh Snapchat, my Snapchat. It’ll be really fun to see how long Snapchat will last and what all it will expand to do.
1-2. Proud snapper, and I usually snap maybe 10-20 times per day on average.
3. I’m glad that they took out the best friends list because that was about to start some MySpace-era drama/best friend policing. Example: one of my friends here (we’ll call him Johnny) had another friend here (we’ll call him Bill) who got all up in Johnny’s business because Bill didn’t know who Johnny’s “best friends” were. YIKES.
4. I do think parents should be concerned, especially as their kids enter puberty and learn more about their bodies. Parents need to positively approach Snapchat and understand that it is a useful and fun way to communicate, but also treat it with the same caution as they do with other social media sites and apps. There’s already horror stories in the news coming from younger Kik users being assaulted by adults posing as children, so parents still need to monitor their kids (within reason, of course) and talk openly about social media.
5. Like:
-phone storage isn’t chock-full of silly selfies
-near-instant communication
-partner content you quickly read through and interact with
-FUN FILTERS
Dislike:
-People still don’t know that 3 seconds isn’t long enough to focus on a picture
-adding someone via Snapcode is awkward
-sometimes the app gets buggy (no audio when you record) and it takes a lot of complaining for Snapchat to update
-half of the features aren’t used by anyone (Snapcash, Add Nearby, etc.)
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Matthew, I never even have heard of Snapcash? Have you ever used this feature?
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Matthew, I agree with you on Snapcash. I feel like it’s nothing but a foolish waste of space and a way to add a new feature on an update.
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Does anyone even use it?!?!?! $$$$$
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Matthew, I loved reading your Snapchat dislikes! Three seconds is definitely not long enough to look at a picture. I’ve never even heard of the Snapchat features you mentioned. Snapcash and Add Nearby? I agree that these are not used by many people.
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I’ve been there with the “best friend” drama! I too think it’s probably best for it to just not be visible
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Good information, Bekah!
1. Yes, I started using snapchat my freshman year here at OBU. At first I really didn’t use it much, but it has grown to be a fun place for communication and photo/video sharing.
2. I probably use my snapchat once a day on a good week. But I don’t find myself checking in on this app when I’m having a busy week.
3. I mean I don’t really have a problem with it. But I can see how it could cause some jealously between friends, or significant others.
4. If you asked me when I was in high school I would have argued no, parents should not be worried. But the more I think about it, they have good reason to be. But I also think parents have good reason to be concerned about their child presence online in general. Social media platforms make it easier than ever before to meet people online and it is up to a parent’s discretion to decide if their child is ready for that kind of exposure. I can definitely see how the how snapchat is extremely concerning to parents of young teens based on all the sneaky features that can allow you to hide your communication.
5.
-I like that most of my friends use snapchat for humor and silly updates on their lives, its fun and funny for the most part. Also, I love being able to share when I’m in a cool place by using geo-filters.
-I don’t love that it drains my battery every time I use those funny new facial recognition filters.
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Great post about Snapchat, Bekah!
Do you use a Snapchat?
Yes!
If so, how often do you snap?
I snap probably every day. I mostly snap to one person though. I get a lot of snaps from friends, however I rarely snap them back.
Do you prefer for the best friends list to be visable to all?
It doesn’t really bother me. I found it amusing to be able to see other peoples best friends. There was a lot of drama that was started because of it though. I had friends from back home who were getting upset because their boyfriends had other girls towards the top of their best friends.
Do you think parents should be concerned with children using Snapchat?
I think that parents should be more willing to educate their children on this app and the importance of just being smart with what they post. I think it is very reasonable for parents to be concerned about what their children are posting on Snapchat, but I think they also need to be careful with how they approach it. If a child doesn’t feel trusted then they are probably more likely to misuse something like Snapchat.
What do you like and dislike most about Snapchat?
I like that you are able to post “stories” for 24 hours. It helps me stay updated with what’s going on in my friends lives from my hometown. I’m able to see what some of my best friends are doing that weekend and vice versa. The filters are also fun to mess around with and send to friends. I dislike the filters sometimes as well. Sometimes they don’t work or are super slow. They also don’t work 100% of the time or take a long time to load.
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Julianna, I like what you said about parents educating their children about this app. I definitely think that it will promote more responsibility as they use it.
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I really enjoy what you had to say about parents educating their children. I think that with our generation, parents really didn’t understand the app or know how it worked so they weren’t able to teach us how to use it in safe ways. It will be interesting to see how younger parents start tackling this issue.
Also, you just confirmed all my suspicions that you were purposely not snapchatting me back. smh.
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Julianna, I agree with you on the stories feature. It’s cool to see what someone is doing so you know hey they’re in the student center i’ll join them or something like that.
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hahhaah yall are creepy 😉
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Stories are my favorite part about snapchat too..I don’t send many snaps, but I sure post basically my entire life to my story…which I’m sure gets annoying
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1. Do you use a Snapchat? Yes. Snapchat is something that I use on a daily basis.
2. If so, how often do you snap? I snap every day, multiple times a day.
3. Do you prefer for the best friends list to be visable to all? I don’t necessarily have a preference. I think it is fun to look and see who others have on their best friends list, but it definitely isn’t something that makes or breaks the app for me. I love it regardless.
4. Do you think parents should be concerned with children using Snapchat? Absolutely. I think that Snapchat can be a very dangerous form of Social Media if not used responsibly. Any kind of picture can be sent with the guarantee that it will disappear and that can be something that causes lots of temptation. I think that parents should monitor children very carefully if they have snapchat.
5. What do you like and dislike most about Snapchat? I like that its a fun way for me to keep up with what my friends are doing each day by seeing a picture or a short video. I don’t like that I can’t write very much in my captions, and I also don’t like when people overload their stories on a daily basis.
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I also agree with your take on restricting children’s access to Snapchat. It can be a dangerous app!
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Do you use a Snapchat?–Yes!
If so, how often do you snap?–Every day, multiple times a day. I’m currently on a 226-day streak with one of my good friends from home, so it’s become a daily activity for me.
Do you prefer for the best friends list to be visible to all?–I don’t really have an opinion either way, although the bit of nosiness I have in me did enjoy seeing who other people were snapping.
Do you think parents should be concerned with children using Snapchat?–I think Snapchat should be treated as any other social media platform in terms of how parents choose to allow their children to use it. Parents should be informed on the dangers of Snapchat just like they would Facebook or Instagram and gauge how they choose to monitor their child’s use of it based on how responsible they believe their child to be.
What do you like and dislike most about Snapchat?–I love the different geolocation filters that Snapchat offers. When I travel, I look forward to seeing the different filters for whatever city I’m in, and I love all the random ones I encounter when I’m driving on road trips! I do become frustrated at times with how easily a snap can be sent to the wrong person, as it is completely impossible to stop a snap from being opened once it has been sent.
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Geolocation is one of my favorite aspects too! I am glad that OBU has their own now! Basically everywhere else already did!!
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Do you use a Snapchat? Yes I do.
If so, how often do you snap? Every day!
Do you prefer for the best friends list to be visible to all? I’m alright with it. I think my friends are pretty darn cool.
Do you think parents should be concerned with children using Snapchat? Yes and no. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with Snapchat, although it can certainly be used for both good and bad.
What do you like and dislike most about Snapchat?
My favorite thing to do is to show my close friends glimpses of my day, when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to connect on that sort of level.
My least favorite feature is the in-app messaging. I feel as if it could be so much better.
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Nice comment Alex. I totally agree that nothing is inherently bad with Snapchat. Parents just need to educate their kids on what is appropriate to post on the Internet.
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I agree about the in-app messaging and I find it odd that it deletes the messages but that it is possible to save them without the other person knowing..butttttt if you screenshot the message it totally notifies them
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1) Yes
2) no very often, only time I do is when I feel like being funny.
3)yes, I think it would make things easier for you to find the people you want quickly
4)yea, cause it is just another way for a child to do wrong things and get pictures out to people much faster.
5)most liked thing on here has to be the new face features they put on, some can be really funny. Most disliked has to be the messaging thing as well.
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I love the facial recognition features they added. It adds a whole new dynamic to sending snaps. Now if only we can get an OBU filter.
I was wondering what is an acceptable age to start letting your child use Snapchat?
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I love the facial recognition feature as well. I joke with my friends all the time with it, but it could be scary for someone to actually use your face and they be a total creep.
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Good content Bekah. I do use Snapchat. I probably snap about 10 times a day. It’s funny because most of my snapchats are the ones that I get from my dad. He loves it. I actually can not get him to stop. He sends endless selfies of him at work. It’s hilarious. I do prefer the best friends to be visible because it lets you know who you are investing time in. Given that my parents frequently Snapchat me, I think it’s fine as long as you make sure that your kid is not sending anything bad. The thing I like is that the snaps only last for a maximum of 10 seconds. What I don’t like is the fact that you can’t add friends from Facebook or other forms of social media.
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Of course I use Snapchat! I snap daily. From sunup to sundown. I’m mutual on the best friends list. It helps when you want to be sneaky and see who’s snaping who, but also I like my privacy. If parents don’t monitor their child’s social media, I do believe that they should be concerned; especially with Snapchat. The idea of a 10 second video/picture that “disappears” forever sounds like a great idea to a young kid or young teenager. But the receiver is not the only person who sees the picture. I really love the filters that snapchat has to offer. I dislike the sponsored snaps, such as cosmo, CNN, etc. I believe it just takes up storage.
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1. I love snapchat. It’s easily one of my favorite apps ad there are some people I prefer talking to on Snapchat as opposed to text.
2. I snap daily, from the morning to the night. It’s easier than texting.
3. I know a lot of people who caused some crazy drama over a best friends list so I think it’s probably better to keep it invisible to the world.
4. Snapchat can be used for other things, but I think a child would be fine using a snapchat. My little brother uses it to talk to his friends about video games so I think in the right setting it’s harmless.
5. I like the fact that you can just quickly show someone something or tell a friend a anecdote without the effort of texting. I know that sounds lazier than anything, but sometimes I’d rather just talk and a snapchat allows you to do that. A picture is worth a thousand words. My least favorite feature is probably the advertisement snaps. I don’t find entertainment in Cosmo telling me what was happening in the fashion world that day in snapchat form. It really just takes up space.
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You say it is easier than texting…do you not run out of faces to make?? AND you can’t type much because of the character limit so I find it hard sometimes to have a legit covo
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How do you snap that often?! I would never be able to! Props to you though!
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Do you use a Snapchat?
Yes I do!
If so, how often do you snap?
Once a week. I do not use the app very often.
Do you prefer for the best friends list to be visable to all?
Yes! It’s way more fun to be able to see who people are snapping! The nosy side of me really wants to know!
Do you think parents should be concerned with children using Snapchat?
Absolutely. I think you should not let your children use Snapchat until they are much older and know how to handle it responsibly.
What do you like and dislike most about Snapchat?
I like that it is instant pictures of people, I do not like that I am expected to open snaps and snap them back instantly haha
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Elise I agree that being nosey is fun, but I absolutely hate for someone to see me snapping it up with someone else.
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Do you use a Snapchat? Yes
If so, how often do you snap? Maybe once or twice a day. A ton if I’m really bored.
Do you prefer for the best friends list to be visable to all? No, I’d rather it not. Then people will tend to speculate things, that’s totally unnecessary.
Do you think parents should be concerned with children using Snapchat? I think it should be certain age permitted on snapchat and it be monitored if they are under a certain age, but that’s with any social media site.
What do you like and dislike most about Snapchat? I dislike the fact that if you screenshot something, the other people will be notified. I like how it is only available for a certain time length.
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