Ever since the rise of the popular app, I’ve been obsessed with Snapchat. It has consumed almost every aspect of my life (you think I’m kidding) from my meals to my social life. I’ve been a fan of SC through it all--we go way back. When it comes down to it, unless I’m sleeping, I’m probably doing something snapchat-able. I didn’t realize the severity of my SC use until I recently realized a pattern in my behaviors. This led me to google the sentence: “Am I addicted to Snapchat?” and it wasn’t even a little bit shocking how relatable the results were.

1. It’s the first thing you check in the morning (or at any point of the day)

A normal morning routine for a college student would probably be to wake up & eat some breakfast. Maybe go to class if they’re feeling extra motivated that day. Me? My routine is a little bit different. Sometimes I set an alarm earlier than necessary just to give myself some extra time to dive into snapchat culture before getting out of bed. I’m immediately drawn to the excitement of watching other people’s Stories, even if they are just all photos of the dusting of snow from the night before.

2. You keep up with the lives of various people/celebrities

My biggest weakness when it comes to snapchat is living vicariously through celebrities who have made their Snapchat account public. That’s right, I’m an avid follower of DJ Khaled. I even keep up with the scripted and staged lives of John Mayer and some YouTube stars. I can’t help it.

3. The frustration is real when someone doesn’t snap you back

I get almost angry when someone doesn’t snapchat me back within 2 minutes. Don’t even get me started on when they open it but don’t reply at all. It’s honestly just common courtesy.

4. Streaks are your life

My life goal is to keep all of my streaks for as long as possible. Forget about a career or even getting my degree. If I can keep all of my streaks without once seeing that little hourglass of doom then it’s been a good life.

5. Did you really go somewhere if you didn’t use a geotag?

Not in my book. I always make sure to include a geotag in my Snaps wherever I travel.

6. Snap stories take serious strategic planning

I’m always on the lookout for snap-story material throughout my day.

7. You keep up with all the updates

Because we don’t need a repeat of the removal of the “view best friends” option, do we?

My SC addiction is definitely an issue-- I’m aware of this. All of my friends are aware of it, my parents are aware of it and I’m pretty sure the guy that sits behind me in my lecture class is aware of it. But am I going to do anything about it? Probably not. Snapchat isn’t an app or even just a hobby; at this point, it’s a lifestyle.