Holding on to my youth with Snapchat

I had heard about Snapchat.  It was "what the kids are doing these days".  If you don't know what Snapchat is, it is a messaging app that lets you send images and videos out for a limited amount of time.  If you put a picture of yourself on your Snapchat making a silly face, that picture will be available for people to see for 24 hours.  If you send a picture to a friend, that picture deletes automatically after that friend sees it.  The same applies to videos.  You can also add text to your pictures and videos or text message directly to friends.  Everything is temporary.  I know what you're thinking.  This is just for kids to send pictures of their private parts to each other.  I thought the same thing!

When it came to Snapchat, I ignored the phenomenon.  I really didn't know it existed at first.  I had enough social media.  Since moving here I had gotten a personal smartphone which gave me access to Facebook.  Wow!  Then I started a Twitter and Instagram account.  I was caught up with the Joneses. Those social media platforms took up a lot of my time.  Not to mention my newfound affection for podcasts (I subscribe to 28 of them).  I felt like the most updated 30-something in the world!  Then I heard some kids talking about "Snap".

       - I saw it on Snap.
       - Do you have Snap?

Snap this, snap that.  I was so behind I didn't know the full name of this thing they were talking about.  Over time I put two and two together.  "Snap" was short for Snapchat.  Oh! Why would I want that?  I'm not a kid.  I like my pictures to not be of my penis and to be viewable at a later time.  It's enough to keep up with Instagram.  Two accounts, if you count the podcast IG that I update regularly.  See, I'm hip.  I said "IG".

Then I realized that my friends were getting it.  Most of them are a few years younger than me.  I see them multiple times a week.  How have we not discussed this Snapchat?  How did they leave me out of the decision to move ahead in the social media world?  When my one paranoid friend who things Big Brother is always watching got it, I knew it was time for me to get on board.  How harmful could it be?

I figured my friend Cassandra had it.  She's up on everything new.  If it's hot she at least knows about it.  It turns out she should be a freaking Snapchat instructor!  After a few minutes with her in the back seat of a car (on a short car ride) I was a pro.  We did a few short "Snaps" and I was on my way.  She showed me some stuff that I have forgotten, but whatever.  I'm a basic Snapchatter.

She knew when we were done with the tutorial that she had created a monster.  Now I'm hooked on Snapchat!  I started adding friends and realized that I was my only friend in Sweden who didn't have this thing.  Thanks guys!  Even Amat had it.  He shrugged it off like it ain't no thang.

       - I got it.  I don't really use it that much.

Yeah, besides EVERY DAY!  Maybe it's because he's on vacation, but whatever.  It's cool to get a glimpse into what your friends are doing throughout the day.  The problem was, most people's stories are less than two minutes long.  The video clips are normally around 10 seconds each.  People don't put a lot of videos in their story.  So newly addicted me started trying to find more people to follow.  I wanted to see cool videos of whomever.  I started grabbing Snapchat screenshots from Facebook friends [read: people I don't really know] and following them.  I NEEDED Snaps.  More stories!

Why was I addicted to this app for kids?  Because it's awesome, that's why!  I don't know about you, but sometimes I see a person in the airport or something and wonder where that person is going and what he's going to do.  I wish I was able to follow him and see how he experiences life for a few hours or so.  It would be cool to do that.  Not practical, but cool.  Well Snapchat is sort of like that, without the whole creepy stalker vibe that comes with asking some guy:

       - Can I follow you around for a few hours or so?

Whoever created Snapchat channeled into that curiosity that I know more than just I have.  A glimpse into the world as another regular person sees it.  I try to make my story interesting and fun.  If it's not, good.  I'll try again tomorrow when the uninteresting stuff is gone!  I also like that feedback isn't a big part of it.  I think people are more true to themselves if they're not trying to get "likes".  I post stuff I like.  I'll never know if you like it, so that doesn't matter.  It's just fun.  Like being a kid.  Makes sense sense I'm doing what the kids are doing anyway.  I'll never get old.  Until next time...