How Do We See Snapchat?

So, I guess a lot of you will know about the app that is getting everyone’s attention; yes, I am talking about Snapchat. As a backdrop for this wordy post, I will give a brief description about what Snapchat is.

Snapchat is an application where you can take videos or photos, personalize them with text, emojis, filters and funny camera tricks (like turning yourself into a nibbling mouse) then send them to your friends who can only view it for the amount of time you set it for. For example, I may want to send a really flattering shot of myself trying to make my face look as if I have twenty chins to my brother – but I want him to only see my face for a little while, to make sure he doesn’t send my picture to some of his mates for a laugh – I can adjust it so he can only view my picture for 3 seconds, before the image deletes itself and vanishes into air.

I have Snapchat, and am following various people on the app, such as friends, family, and also, celebrities. Kylie Jenner currently has the most followers on Snapchat, but other celebrities who use it are popstar Nick Jonas, Australian rock and pop band 5 Seconds of Summer, and even American TV and radio host, Ryan Seacrest. So the next question is, why do people use it?

Now, when I think about this question, a lot of things fill my mind. Maybe it’s the fact that us human beings are quite nosy, and like to see what other people are doing with their lives. Or maybe it’s the fact that sometimes people can be quite competitive; for example, someone might want to see whether their friend has put a selfie of their night out in town, so then copies her friend and tries to out-pose her? Although, it could be for another reason: people want to feel good about themselves, to be more confident and to portray an image showing that everything is ok with them and there are no flaws in their lives whatsoever. You’d be surprised how many people use it for this reason, even celebrities.

There are some famous people I see on Snapchat , who sometimes post pictures and videos wearing a full face of make-up, pouting in a filter and mouthing the words to a sexy hip-hop song that is playing in the background. At first, I thought it was a bit strange; why are they doing that? What is the point in posing and creating this cool and current image of yourself? But that’s it; it makes the person feel better. Maybe the fact that they look their best and having a wee sing-a-long makes them feel a part of a bigger picture, and that maybe they’d get some replies saying how gorgeous they are.

We’ve all done it, and I guess that is one thing that happens on social media. People want others to think they are having a great time; yes, sometimes they are, but there are times where it’s a cover-up of their sad, lonely or melancholy emotions. You’ll notice that not many people post a make-up-free selfie, or a video of themselves crying, or something that shows their more fragile side.

That is just concerning the senders of the pictures; what about the millions of people who receive their media in their feed? How does it affect them?

People may feel good about sending their selfie, but it may be a different story to the person viewing the photo. What if that person has low self esteem, and starts comparing themselves to the other person, and this results in them beating themselves up over not looking as good or not doing the same things as the sender? Maybe the receiver feels victimized by being made to feel inferior than the person sending it? Or they could just think their friend is seeking attention?

As one of the millions of people who use Snapchat, I feel a mixture of things. Sometimes I see these celebrity photos and think: “God, they’re so pretty” or “That picture made no sense” and even “Why are they posing and pouting in the back of a taxi?” However, it is different when I see friends post pictures. I sometimes look at their photos and videos from a party or a night out that they’ve been to and my thoughts say: “They are having a great time, good for them” or “Wait, how come no-one invited me?” to the one I think the most often: “Their lives are so much better than mine”.  It can create a feeling of inadequacy, loneliness and sadness about my own life. It also goes back to the point I made earlier; you don’t see many snaps showing negative emotions, just the ones that make the viewer think that their friend is having a better and happier time than they are.

We shouldn’t be afraid to post media that shows our vulnerability, as we are human, it’s second nature for us to feel upset just as it is second nature to boast. Just remember you only see the good sides of people’s lives, the sides that they choose to show you.

Love,

Em x