Snapchat, specifically, has been a conspicuous source of contemplation for me in recent times.
Let us take a stroll through the ever-evolving, serpentine and ubiquitous presence of social media in teenagers’ lives. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat. Each one battling to emerge triumphant — inundating our lives with perpetual pings and eccentric interface updates. When I reflect on the way we teenagers use social media, one particular word comes to mind: devolution. I say this because contemporary social media seems to be an ocean expanding in width, but diminishing in depth. Text has never been more succinct and verging on becoming obsolete within the realm of teenage communication — it’s all about images, boomerangs, emoticons, and snaps.
Snapchat, specifically, has been a conspicuous source of contemplation for me in recent times. Why has this app become so unprecedentedly pervasive? One thing is for sure — it satiates the human desire to be connected conveniently. The app also facilitates behaviour we tend to overlook — impulsiveness, fickleness and the concept that everything is finite. Being an active user of Snapchat for a few years now, it pains me to admit the parallels that can be drawn between Snapchat and fast food, which are uncanny — it can never satiate you, it’s probably bad for you, but you keep going back for more.
I struggle to find a more fitting metaphor for teenage connections of my generation than Snapchat itself. Teenagers thrive under the futility of Snapchat streaks, our 24 hours of fame delivered through Snapchat stories, and the rotating roster of best friends defined by red hearts and blistering fire emojis. Snapchat, by virtue of its name, is based on a principle which can only be described as shallow, superficial, and faddish. The app has arguably been the most significant perpetrator in redefining friendships among teenagers. Norms have been rewritten. Friendships can now be forged over 80 characters of text embedded in a five-second Snap. The resilience of a friendship is indicated by how long the streak has been alive (Only 97 days? Lame!). Each one now has the ability to selectively story-tell their lives through the enthralling lens of flower-crown and puppy dog filters.
The larger issue I see, is with four billion video views per day, Snapchat perpetuates diminishing attention spans and the sensationalisation of news. The vibrant rectangles on the Snapchat Discover page reflect the increasingly cluttered teenage brain — overstimulated with ‘See Where The Kardashians Are Jet-Setting To Next!’, ‘Five Signs He Is Not The One’, and ‘Which Hollywood Couples Have The Best On-Screen Chemistry?’
Swipe up to find out! Is this really the quality of entertainment we are satisfied with?
Teenagers will invariably find an outlet to express rebellion, flippancy, take risks and to explore the world. But what world are we really exploring? Snapchat is nothing more than a craftily fabricated illusion which serves as the sentimental marketplace of our generation. Opinions, feelings and ‘entertainment’ are traded in real time, only to disappear the next moment without a trace!
One thing is for sure — Snapchat is not a slice of real life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as submerged in the illusion of Snapchat as any other teenager is, and these are just a few of my rambling thoughts as I navigate my way through my teenage years.
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