Today: Mar 29, 2024

Why I deleted Snapchat: OPINION

Ali FernandFeatures Editor

After seven years of forehead pictures and black screens with the word “streaks” written on them, I have finally laid my Snapchat account to rest. This was a hard decision to make because Snapchat has become one of the main ways for young people to connect. However, my hatred for the app only grew to the point where I had to compromise disappointing others for my mental health. 

Snapchat has grown to be its own culture. With streaks, private stories, and the ease of disappearing photos, it has become something beloved by teenagers and young adults. It is a social media that connects you with others, but it feels sneakier than other platforms. Most messages are one- on- one and with your story, you can choose who you would like to see your posts without needing to go through the drama of unfriending them. This exclusivity became something fun, even for me. I loved my private story where I got to rant about things that happened in my daily life without broadcasting my thoughts to just acquaintances. I had fun sending random funny photos to my friends for them to open throughout the day.  

My first issue was how important Snapchat has become in young people’s dating lives. When someone expresses their interest in me, their first request to stay in contact is on Snapchat. This has become frustrating because Snapchat is not a great way to get to know someone. Conversations are often brief. With the disappearing messages, it is hard to remember what the person had said before. It is basically impossible to communicate unless you make direct plans to meet in person.  

Now, my first reaction to meeting up with a man that I have hardly spoken to is to be afraid. I do not want to meet someone who I cannot even trust to give my number. I have been stupid enough to do this before. It only leads to bad experiences with people who are pushy and violating. Since Snapchat gives a notification when messages are screenshot, it is hard to avoid someone who immediately goes full force with sexual harassment. I have had people add me on Snapchat and immediately send me intense messages of things I honestly do not want to hear.  

Even when your interactions with someone are positive on Snapchat in terms of dating, it is easy to become toxic because of the features on the app. When I have gotten more serious with people, I will often question their lack of responses. The map and the score on Snapchat have become a way to see if people are active and not responding to you. Countless times I have continuously gotten myself worked up because a love interest was shown as active on Snapchat and not responding to me. 

I am done with the toxic behavior of both myself and others. So, I have deleted Snapchat in hopes of having more meaningful interactions with people. If someone would like to get in contact with me, they must act like an adult. I am 20 years old; I do not want a potential partner to just be sending me forehead pictures all day. If they would like to hear from me, they can text or call me. I no longer want to feel the anxiety of checking when someone is active and not responding to me. I do not have time to worry about that. I had fun on Snapchat while I did, but I am an adult now and would like to have interactions with people that do not waste my time. 

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