In today’s digital age, social media platforms have become an integral part of the lives of many teenagers. Among the multitude of platforms, Snapchat has emerged as one of the most popular and influential apps, revolutionizing the way teenagers communicate, share experiences, and express themselves. Streak saving, being left on opened, and having a best friends list are all commonly used terms for today’s era of snapchat users. A sensitive culture of snappers is now using the platform to navigate romantic relationships as well. With the new addition of the Snapchat AI feature and Snapchat Plus, teens are being tempted by Snapchat because of their curiosity, and fear of missing out, all while the app gains money. The app’s core feature of disappearing photos and videos, combined with real-time messaging, undeniably has made it easier for us to maintain friendships and stay connected. Snapchat’s unique design encourages casual and spontaneous communication, however this can go both ways.
In one sense, Snacpchat can foster a sense of closeness and create random new friendships among users. On the other hand though, depending on the way the app is used, it can lead to a lack of authenticity in relationships and toxic one sidedness. The function used to “mass snap” every one of your friends with the same selfie in order to save time is truly feeding into this. You may receive a snap from someone that you think you are close friends with, but little do you know they sent that same snap to 50 other people without giving any care about what they were sending you individually. If you think about it in perspective, what’s really the point? If the photos and videos that are sent and disappear forever seconds after opening them, then we are simply wasting our time with Snapchat. The worst part of it all, today’s friendships now rely heavily on the amount of snaps you send. If you have a large snap streak with someone or if they are at the top of your “best friends list,” then most people would consider themselves closer friends with that person rather than another friend who speaks more words to them in person. In the online relationships being created on Snapchat, if you are not snapping the person you are “talking” to a few times an hour, then it becomes clear to them that you are “not interested” or “not putting in enough effort”. This however is stupid, because as the teenagers with busy lives that we are, we should not have to cling to our phones every minute of the day just to maintain some sort of social circle. The compulsive checking of notifications and the constant need for validation through snaps and story replies contributes to addictive behaviors and negatively affects sleep patterns and overall mental health for teens. Clearly, this toxic cycle that Snapchat enforces is not one worth our time, energy, or money for Snapchat Plus. Sadly though, it is too tempting for most teens to participate in it in order to feel that they fit in with everyone.
While opening a snap the other day, I got a quick glimpse of an emoji next to the sender’s name right before it faded away. This is a feature unique to those that have purchased Snapchat Plus for $2.50 a month. Truly, this addition in itself is the most toxic thing to be added to Snapchat. They now feed into your intrusive curiosity and “FOMO” for money as well as send all teenagegers with it down the wrong path, where now, from a young age, kids will forget how to create authentic relationships for ones started online. Snapchat Plus continually feeds into the idea of your best friends being the ones you snap the most. Another function of it allows you to see when people rewatch your stories which is so meaningful to teens, because if a crush of yours rewatched a story, then it could mean they are interested in you. This logic, however, along with being left on delivered or read, should not be what teens are using to decipher the meanings behind actions in relationships. From personal experience, it leads to unnecessary second guessing, lowered self esteem, confidence, and one sidedness. The impermanence of Snapchat also creates a false sense of security, encouraging risky behavior. In the past few years, a phenomenon has emerged in the dating world known as the “talking stage.” This refers to a period during which two people engage in casual dating, getting to know each other without explicitly committing to a relationship. The talking stage has gained popularity, particularly among teens, because of its flexibility and non-committal nature. Snapchat is making it harder for teens in talking stages now because now they cannot “get out” of them. If you think you are close with some new guy you started talking to, chances are he is also sending 20 other girls he’s into the same snap with heart eyes emojis. Surely, it is Snapchat and the talking stage culture that are quietly fostering teenage hardships with commitment and monogamy.
The culture in which snapchat has created, in itself, has negatively impacted modern social life, and now that it has begun to creep its way into how teenagers manage their romantic relationships, it is more important to be aware of what’s on the other side of the screen. In the end, whether we teens enjoy being on our phones or not, most of us would certainly prefer to create in-person relationships, so why do we rely so much on snapchat to decide who our “best friends” are?