In 2011, Snapchat made its debut, and a few years later the selfie epidemic swept our generation. But here's the thing about Snapchat, it not only enhanced but ruined our lives. Here's exactly why:
1. The next morning recap: You know that familiar feeling of waking up the morning after a night of drinking and having no clue what happened? You’re in your low-cut romper, heels next to the bed, make-up still—imperfectly—on your eyelids and that “I’m never drinking again” mantra. Well if you’re in need of some kind of recap just check out your friends’ My Stories and maybe yours to get a full play-by-play of you losing your sh**t on the dance floor. Come to think of it…. maybe don’t watch.
2. Let’s see just how ugly you can really be: We all love seeing just how ugly we can make ourselves look. Under-the-chin angles to really bring out the lines in your neck, pulling your hair back so tight you look like a boy and of course everyone loves a good ole’ cross-eye. Thank you Snapchat for bringing out our inner ratchet.
3. World’s worst blackmail: You’re one for sitting, in some places left unnamed, and taking selfies until you make yourself look so perfectly hideous. And why? It somehow gives you pleasure, and who else to share this pleasure with other than your best friends. Too bad they’ll screen shot it and save it for a later day to remind you what you potentially can look like—birthday collages are always a fun little highlight reel of your best of the worst.
4. With blackmail, there’s payback: Your friends are just as guilty of the “Ugly Selfie”, and thanks to the team over at Snapchat that screenshotting is a piece of cake. If you don’t already have one, an album should be created to showcase the double chins of all your mains.
5. Become the ultimate stalker: “Did you just look at my My Story and not text me back?” Yeah, I’m one of those girls, and admit it to yourself, most of you are, too. Unfortunately we can’t see who’s sending whom nudes anymore since they made it so that “best friends” are hidden, but that’s fine because we have that stupid emoji code that no one still fully understands.
6. Couldn’t get tickets to T-Swift? It’s fine, it’s on My Story: Thank you to Snapchat, I never miss a concert, street fair or a double rainbow. Thank you to all for keeping us up-to-date on your drives home from work and the weird shi**t your cat does.
7. The cheapest tool you’ll ever need to be an aspiring photojournalist: With the simple tap of your phone, you too can capture the world around you. Please continue to express to the world your thoughts on the woman at the grocery store’s wedgie and your drunk grandma at your Sunday night family dinner.
8. Explaining Snapchat to your parents is still painful and you wish they’d stop asking to see “that” picture: Your worst mistake, showing your mom a cute picture your best friend at that wedding she went to. Your mom barely has a chance to see it and asks to see it again. “No mom, it’s gone you can’t see it again.” It’s a concept never grasped by older generations and they can’t fully wrap their heads around why you would ever want to look at a picture for that short of time only to never see it again.
9. The ultimate FOMO: You’re all tucked in, Netflix open and content with your decision to stay in for the night, that is of course until you check your Snapchat stories. Until Snapchat became a thing, I don’t think we totally understood the nature of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out, for those of you unaware). There are all of your friends raving at the bar, and you’re just like, “cool cinnamon toast crunch and Parks & Rec.”
10. Look good, feel good, snap good: So Snapchat isn’t all-bad, and everyone loves to show off when their eyebrows are on “fleek,” which selfies so graciously let us do. Sometimes it’s nice to publicize when you look good for a night out on the town, so thank you Snapchat for bringing the selfie back from the days of high-angled MySpace pics.
