A social media site or a way of life?
Before you go crazy, hear me out: I am not a Snapchat hater. In fact, I have a snapchat and I use it daily. A friend gave me this unpopular opinion and it forced me to ask myself this question: is it too far to say snapchat is overrated although you have bought into all its gimmicks? Overrated means that something is seen with a higher opinion than deserved. While I am an avid user and sender of Snapchats, is it thought about as cooler than it really is?
I feel like a typical millennial because I have been through all the stages of Snapchat. I once was a post-every-single-detail-about-your-life-on-your-story gal. I was also a big streaker in high school. (Not like nude streaking, like I had a lot of Snapchat streaks with people.) I’ve taken a break from Snapchat because I was too obsessed. I feel like I’ve been through it all (Snapchat boys, I’m roasting you next). However, Snapchat is something that has just always been there. It hasn’t ever really been my favorite social media, but it’s also never been the worst and I think that most people would agree.
A good friend of mine gave me this unpopular opinion. In the time, I was just coming up with future ideas for my blog so I didn't ask him to elaborate. So, today I texted him (hi Sam) and asked him for a statement to back up his opinion. He responded with the following.
"Snapchat is what people use when they get bored of texting. Not to mention that the discover page is the digital equivalent of the grocery checkout tabloid section."
Snapchat has a way of its own: what is appropriate to post on a story, a “just for the memories” type of picture or video (p.s. Thank you Snapchat for memories, it is my favorite feature), a “we’re just snapping” relationship, people thinking that if you didn’t post it on your story it didn’t happen and much more. I personally love group Snapchats. It is a fun way for me to keep up with my friends and my family (shout out to the "Millerz 💯", it is my favorite group Snapchat!). Snapchat is a way to connect but it also created a language of its own. So how much hype does Snapchat deserve? Is it overrated or should we be applauding?
I have to bring this up because it just is relevant and I’m thinking that others can probably relate. Relationships and Snapchat have a bad… well… relationship. I have three examples and if any of the three boys I am about to mention are reading this: first, I’m surprised you’re here, and second, you know what you did.
(1) I once snaped a boy for a long period of time in high school. I had never met him; he was a friend of a friend. I would say we were vibing over Snapchat, talking constantly, you know. Then, we meet in person and he has the audacity to pretend he hardly knows me and knows nothing about me. The AUDACITY of that boy is just unreal.
(2) I’m in college now and this boy that I kind of know starts snapping me. We snap for a couple of days and he then asks me to get coffee sometime. I say yes and we decide on Sunday afternoon. Sunday comes and I am confused because he says nothing to me. Amidst my confusion, I ask him if we are still getting coffee. He responds with, “I can’t today, are you free Tuesday?” Being the somewhat desperate girl I am, I say I am and we plan for Tuesday. You could probably what comes next. It's Tuesday and nothing. He doesn’t snap me, doesn’t say anything. I’m not about to snap him, so I just let it go and to this day I don’t know if he just forgot, or if he was too chicken to go through with it, but I will always look at that situation and think, "girl, you should've known."
(3) Lastly, a small shoutout to the boy who added me, started snapping me and being super flirty, then proceeded to unadded me when his girlfriend came to school for the weekend, and lastly added me back on Monday and acted like nothing happened. Not cool dude.
These stories were mainly for entertainment, but also relevant. (Trust me, my girl friends could add a lot more stories to this list.) Snapchat just doesn’t have the same meaning as texting, calling or, I don’t know, maybe just manning up and talking IN PERSON. Sorry for the rant. I need to be sensitive to the boys, I'm sure girls are just as bad.
In conclusion, I have a love hate relationship with Snapchat, but I do not think it is overrated. Instead, honestly, go off Snapchat. You made a whole culture of yourself and I’m not even sure if it was on purpose or if our generation is just like that. I am imagining in the future all the wild stories we'll tell our children: “And then he Snapchatted me, which I knew was a big deal because he posted on his story that he was with the boys. It was SO romantic and I knew it was meant to be.”
Thanks for reading unpopular opinions. Drop a comment below on how you feel about Snapchat, and as always, if you have an unpopular opinion that you feel needs discussed, let me hear it!
Before you go, a fun fact: There are over 210 million active snapchat users & 63% use it everyday.
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