The following is a response to the recently published article, Yes, I Am Deleting Snapchat, And You Should Too.
Before I start, I want to say that yes. Snapchat, as with many forms of social media, does have a negative impact on our social lives. After all, many of us might think why go out to speak to you friends when you can simply message them or video chat from the comfort of your own home? And that can be problematic- leading to missing out on new relationships, events, and experiences.
However, I didn't entirely agree with all of the points made, and I wanted to express my view on them.
1. You don't forget how people sound, or how you sound for that matter.
Yes, snapchat does offer the option to alter your voice, through audio filters or by speeding up or slowing down the video itself. But hearing a video of your friend singing in a high pitched voice, or listening to your voice slowed down for laughs isn't going to change your perception of how actual human beings sound. Each and every day, we hear voices- your professor lecturing the class, a Starbucks barista calling out your order, or even your own voice. Hearing a voice filtered to sound like a chipmunk isn't going to change how your brain remembers the vocalizations of human beings.
2. Snapchat news actually keeps some people updated.
CNN and the BBC are news corporations, and they produce news segments, as opposed to "stories". In my opinion, using BBC snapchat links to news articles is essentially the same as going to the BBC website to find the same articles there. Yes, there are a few pages on snapchat news that are just celebrity gossip pages and DIY ideas. But, just as on the internet, some sources are more trustworthy and valid than others. As consumers of media, it's our job to determine what are reliable sources of news and what aren't.
3. Some snapchat filters do distort your face, but it's all for comedic purposes.
While some snapchat filters have been controversial, for seeming to promote pale skin and Eurocentric features, I don't really see a problem with the fact that some of them just distort the face in a comedic way. No one I know has been upset seeing their face filtered to look like they have comedically large teeth or really tiny eyes.
4. Yes, snapchat might have negative impacts on your social life.
While your argument that snapchat enables us to contact friends without leaving the comfort of our own homes does make some sense, it also applies to every other form of social media. In my opinion, your argument could be taken to mean that we should all be vowing to stop texting our friends, messaging people over Facebook, or even DMing people on Instagram. But in this day and age, it's really hard to avoid communicating over social media, and what we really need to do is strike a balance between communicating online and in the real world.
5. Snapchat wasn't designed to make you exercise.
Social media is a primarily sedentary activity. Yes, you might leave your house to get pictures to post, but almost everyone I know edits and posts these pictures while seated, or at least while indoors. Social media apps weren't designed to help people exercise, but there are so many apps out there designed to get you moving, provide workout tips, and even offer healthy meal ideas.
6. Snapchat is not slavery.
You may feel obligated to keep your snap streaks, or take a video each time your at a party, but an obligation is extremely different than slavery. Slavery is a systematic oppression of one group of people, who are forced to labor and toil with no payment for the benefit of another group. Comparing snapchat to slavery is insensitive and ignorant. By doing so, you are comparing your stress over maintaining snap streaks to the years of unpaid and harsh labor African Americans endured, and this is not a fair comparison at all by any standard whatsoever. You may dislike the app, but please don't compare it to an institution built on abusing people for the monetary gain of others.
I'm sorry, but overall, I didn't find any reasons that compelled me to delete snapchat. I understand that sometimes, people decide to take breaks from, or quit social media- after all, we could all use a little break from the digital world every now and again. I understand that snapchat might not be for everyone, but personally, I'll be keeping mine. I don't see any reason to quit funny filters, geotagged pictures of the sunset, or cute videos of my puppy any time soon.
