Written by Jessica Prell
SnapChat is one of the most popular apps available to download on your phone. It’s the perfect app that makes all your dreams come true. The description in the iTunes store reads, “Enjoy fast and fun mobile conversation! Snap a photo or video, add a caption, and send it to a friend. They’ll view it, laugh, and then the Snap disappears from the screen…”. How carefree and playful! Let’s download it! Slow your roll kids, and allow me to pop your SnapChat bubble.
SNAPCHAT: FANTASY vs. REALITY
1. The fantasy: I’ll start with the obvious. Every “snap” you send expires. Now you see it, now you don’t. Even the texting conversation will disappear (although really, why are you texting via SnapChat?). You can say, or send, anything you want because, who cares! It’ll be gone in ten seconds anyway…
The reality: We’d all like to think the snap truly disappears from the universe…but does it?? SnapChat actually has a database where it “temporarily” stores your photos before they’re eventually deleted…not to mention your pal you sent the snap to can take screen cap…So all those ugly faces, the cleavage shots, the pants a bit too low and dare I say…those nudity pics. They’re floating around..somewhere. Hopefully you put a good filter on them.
2. The Fantasy: Talking on SnapChat enables you to text someone without it being in your text log. So that guy you like, but you have a bf…you can still talk to him! In SnapChat! Your significant (or insignificant) other wouldn’t be the wiser when they check your text app (because you two already have trust issues). Text on!
The reality: Come on. If you need to talk to someone sneakily, chances are you probably shouldn’t be talking to them. Stop the shadiness.
3. The Fantasy: You can send photos to whoever you want, and only temporarily….my crush is snapping me right now!
The reality: Are they? Are you sure? You can snap ten people at once if you wanted, unbeknownst to the receiver. So you THINK someone could be personally snapping you, when really they’re just snapping twenty of their closest best friends.
Magical Bonus: However, there’s a silver lining… this can work in your favor and it’s not shady! I call it “strategic snap-chatting”. You send a cute snap to your crush (with maybe some carefully placed cleavage), and send it with a vague impersonal caption. They’ll think you sent it to all your friends- but nope, you sent it to seduce them.
Did I convince you to delete the app? Probably not. To be honest, I still use it myself… but sometimes we need a harsh slap of reality. Now stop sending those nude photos, and start being strategic instead! Game on!
Jessica is in no way an expect on dating advice, but she always seems to collect great stories. When she’s not venting about her dating experiences on her blog (jessicaprell.com), she’s acting, singing, or frantically trying to train her dog, Django. She enjoys boba milk tea, sarcastic hashtags, and a great face mask. It would make her happy if someone other than her mother followed her on twitter- so please follow her @jessicaprell
