Staff Editorial | The Chronicle
Snapchat has never been “just an app”. To our generation, an app meant for silly selfies has become a social expectation.
Since as early as 6th grade, kids were talking about Snapchat. Streaks, filters and the drama that came with them were often parts of daily conversation. In middle school, many teens feel pressure to get social media apps, like Snapchat, because “everyone else has it.” But once they are on social media, it is easy for young teens to start comparing themselves to others; zooming in on photos, analyzing every detail and feeling like they do not measure up. Often, the real issue is not about fitting into social expectations or the status quo, but about learning to build self-confidence and self-acceptance.
The main issue with Snapchat is its ‘Snapstreaks’ feature. The flame icon turns friendships into transactions by pressuring you to keep the streak with your friends. This often results in just sending your friends ‘group Snaps’ (sending multiple people the same snap) to save time, as if your online interaction is an inconvenience or a waste of time. Keeping in touch with friends becomes a meaningless task instead of an opportunity to bond, simply just trying to keep up with the stream of notifications.
However, there is a more well-known (and more problematic) reason that Snapchat is seen as dangerous. The disappearing messages/snaps feature allows users to send photos, videos, or messages that automatically go away after being viewed by the recipient, allowing anyone to send anything at any time and get away with it. Sometimes, group chats send mean messages and private chats send inappropriate pictures, knowing they are unlikely to get caught. The lack of honesty and accountability can make Snapchat a dangerous platform, especially for younger users.
Additionally, random people can add other random Snapchat users because of the Quick Add feature. Obviously, talking to random people on the internet is not a good idea, especially on Snapchat. But still, some users give in to the temptation “just for the fun of it”, regardless of the serious danger that could result. But, with good decision-making and self-control, this is not an issue, similar to the other dangers of the app.
Of course, Snapchat was designed to be engaging, but it is up to the users to use it responsibly. One issue that most people struggle with is screen time. When many users first downloaded it, their screentime skyrocketed. Maybe it is the excitement of getting a new app, but it is very time-consuming and makes teens unproductive.
What most people forget is that most everything is filtered online. Photos are edited, lighting is perfect, and captions are edited. Not one post captures the insecurity or the bad angle. So when teens are comparing themselves, they are comparing to a version of someone who doesn’t exist. This creates an endless cycle of competition.
However, Snapchat is not all bad. Many teens find it to be very useful and a fun way to connect. It can be exciting to share a moment with friends or enjoy a funny text with a friend. The real root of the issue isn’t fully the app’s fault, but partially the users. With the right amount of self-control and purposeful usage, it is an app that is a perfect way for teens to interact with each other. Just simply keep in mind that streaks do not define a friendship, remember to prioritize your own safety and keep the screen time to a minimum, and know that no filter can change your real worth.
