Snap zoned (v.): when a person doesn’t see a potential partner as a worthy time investment for texting so the relationship is confined to the more indirect communication mode, Snapchat.
Everybody knows about the slang “friend zoned”, in which one person is attracted to another person, but the second person doesn’t share the same attraction. Now, technology is presenting new challenges to the dating game that is tipping the scales.
Everybody knows by now that technology has delivered the slang "Netflix and Chill": when you go over a friend’s house to watch a movie for other purposes than watching a movie.
However, everybody doesn't know about the new policy being used that is a combination of “Netflix and chill” and the “friend zone” which is called “snap zoned.”
This is when one party is interested in pursuing a potential relationship but the other party doesn’t want a full commitment. As a result, relationships main form of communication is through Snapchat.
For example, when a man sees someone that he is interested in he will try to get her Snapchat instead of her phone number; if she isn't annoying then maybe he will ask for her number at some later date. The Snapchat approach has the advantage of sending pictures that will disappear after a certain time period. But the main reason it is slowly becoming so popular is that it is a more indirect form of communication, thus a less risky maneuver when first starting out a relationship.
With Snapchat, you can snap a photo to someone and pretend like you sent the picture to a whole group of friends. However, if you send a picture through text messaging then it is hard to not come off as "thirsty" or "desperate" (for any old-timers who come across this article).
In addition to being the less direct form of communication, it is less of a time-commitment. At times texting can be too much of an exertion, especially when you are talking with someone who takes a while to answer. Therefore texting is now becoming just a way to set up appointments/meetings, so this archaic form of communication is becoming too much like a contract.
The truth about this new policy is that the female is going to try and do everything to get out of this position, but it's hopeless. If you have a Snap streak of more than 10 days and he hasn't asked for your number, then you are in dangerous territory.
In many ways this approach is actually an intelligent form of getting to know more about a person in a less creepy type of way. The problem is when this phase of the relationship lasts too long. A good majority of the best relationships have started out as friendships and developed into something more.
