Snapchat

By Saamia Saalik

We chose Snapchat for our cultural artifact because though the app was created in 2011, it
has had a large influence on our culture over the years and is a reflection of values of the newer generation. Snapchat was founded by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown who are former Stanford students. The application was initially intended as a private way to exchange photos. Researchers believed that most people would utilize the app to send sexual content, since the images can only last a max of 10 seconds. However, it was discovered that most people utilizing Snapchat are on the app to create comedic snaps with witty captions, rather than for the privacy factor Snapchat had during its initial launch.

Over the years, Snapchat took a clear diversion off its intended purpose for privacy, in order to adapt to our currently interactive culture and remain relevant. Snapchat added more features like the ability to screenshot snaps, replay snaps, and take videos which enable you to capture memorable moments. Snapchat has even allowed you to add a “story” which is a picture or video you can post that lasts a whole 24 hours, which allows everyone to see how you’re spending your day and who you’re spending the day with. There is even a way to find out someone’s location if they have the GPS setting turned on in Snapchat as well as a way to exchange money over chat. What sets Snapchat apart from other forms of social media is the ability to see people in their daily lives, no matter how casual they appear or how mundane the snap may be. On social media like Facebook and Instagram, appearance is everything and it is important for people to maintain a certain “glamorous” image. Nobody wants to portray themselves in a negative light, but since snaps only last a few seconds and you can choose who you send the snap to, there appears to be no harm in taking an “ugly” picture.

Snapchat also differs from other avenues of media because it requires some level of active participation and content creation. On Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, it’s easy to simply scroll down your feed and see what updates are occurring in other people’s lives without having to offer up a fraction of your life in return. The moment Snapchat opens up, you’re faced with a camera because the sole purpose of the app is to exchange information through images and videos. There is no point in having a Snapchat if you aren’t sending out any content, because chances are, you will receive little in return. Though the idea of active participation can seem time consuming and strenuous, it barely takes any time to capture an image and is a way to communicate simple ideas in an efficient way. Because snaps are present for a limited amount of time it’s important to be able to convey your message in a line or two.

The ability for Snapchat to enable people to carry out quick paced conversation without the strain of constructing a lengthy text, is a reflection of our fast moving digital culture. Since Snapchat provides an image that serves as context for your snap, the captions are relatively short or may be unneeded. It’s a way of relaying information in a short amount of time. Because Snapchat is so straightforward, it appeals to the sense of instant gratification newer generations long for. Instead of receiving a lot of information and having to process what’s most important, snaps already give you the main point without having to find it yourself, which is why Snapchat is still used worldwide today.