When I first started writing this piece, I had the intention of it being a list of quirky little rules to follow when using the oh-so-popular app, Snapchat. As I began to get further into it, I realized how foolish it sounded. I was writing a guide on how to communicate using an application on a phone when that’s not how I think we should communicate at all.
It’s truly a shame that people take this app so seriously when it’s really just a way to send unflattering selfies to each other. I notice people saying, “Do it for the Snap” far too often. Do you want to do something just so you can put it on your Snapchat story? Why don’t you just do things for you? Since when has life been about doing things for likes, views and shares? Our generation is so concerned with doing things for other people’s approval that we’ve forgotten what it’s like to live our lives for ourselves.
I completely understand creating things for others to enjoy and to make others happy, but it’s the intention behind it that truly matters. There are very few things that bother me more than people saying, “Can you do that again so I can put it on Snapchat?” Take what you just saw and treasure it in your memory. Don’t recreate the moment and ruin what was so special or funny or memorable about it. Share your memories on Snapchat because you want to enjoy them, not because you want others to see them.
The importance of Snapchat has been blown out of proportion. Remember when Snapchat had the best friends list feature? That petty list was grounds to ruin real life friendships and relationships. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that one three-person-long list has such an effect on people’s lives. As a generation, we need to stop worrying about what’s happening online and start worrying about what’s happening right in front of us. Thank goodness this feature is gone and no more relations have to be ruined because of it.
Don’t get me wrong: Snapchat is not all bad. It’s a fun way to share quick moments with people you care about. I absolutely love receiving videos of my friends lip-syncing to our favorite songs or taking a photo of our inside jokes. I love posting videos to my Snapchat story of me singing my best friend “Happy Birthday” during her birthday dinner so the whole world can see her face light up as she makes a birthday wish. It’s a blast to see people’s scenic views from their vacation destinations so I can pretend I’m right there with them.
On the other hand, lip-syncing videos should not be posted to your story in full hair and makeup with the caption, “I’m ugly,” in hopes of people complimenting you. Don’t make the waiter at your best friend’s birthday dinner sing to her again so you can get a better angle. Don’t go to a specific location just because you know the snaps will be cool. Do things you love to do, and if you happen to catch a moment for your Snapchat, post it. After using Snapchat for a few years now, I have realized the one unwritten rule of Snapchat: don’t force moments, instead, embrace them.
