How Snapchat DESTROYS your friendships

Daria Cojasbye
2 min readJan 2, 2021

Do you, as an avid Snapchat user, ever feel as if none of your friends actually like you? Do you ever feel alone despite the endless notifications popping up on your phone screen? That is because Snapchat is incredibly detrimental to your relationships. Now, you might think that Snapchat is a harmless and fun app to connect with your boys (I am using this term in a gender-neutral way) and send silly photos to your fellow members of Generation Z. Wrong. Snapchat is the primary culprit of underlying tension and volatility amongst your friendships. Shocker.

Take a moment to think about the Snapchat streaks that you have. The highest number that you are currently maintaining. Now, imagine that that streak has disappeared, forlorn for eternity. You’re suddenly angry, disappointed, frustrated and filled with disdain. This superficial social media gimmick will undoubtedly drive a gigantic ridge between you and this person; your friendship is now on a one-way train to Rock Bottom.

Not sure if you have noticed, but Snapchat gradually makes friendships less meaningful. First of all, look at all of the people you send a snap to on a daily basis. Do you even talk to these people? Heck, have you ever even met them in person? I mean, sure, it’s always a good idea to expand your circle of friends, but sending them a blurry photo of your face with the letter “S” scribbled over it barely establishes a valuable emotional connection. Sorry to break it to you.

I guess sometimes you do make a new friend through Snapchat. But soon, with the lack of permanence, you will get caught up in the constant need to send streaks which will result in a stagnant friendship with a lack of substance and development.

Another feature of this wonderful application are the disappearing messages. You can say whatever you want to whoever you want, and the next time the person opens the chat, your words will be gone without a trace (unless you’re in the FBI, but that’s a conversation for another time). This feature undoubtedly makes it easier to say things you would never say in person, or even on another social media platform. People already hide behind the screen to say things they would never dare say in day-to-day life. Imagine what happens when, in addition to that, messages now disappear.

How does one maintain a meaningful, substantial, and wholesome conversation with another when all their words are erased every few minutes and your whole friendship is based on random superficial photos with no substance whatsoever? Snapchat basically sets you up for chaos!

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