Time to Stop Using Snapchat (Unless You’re a Teenager)
Towards the end of 2017, strange things began to happen. The Snapchat iPhone app kept logging out of my account. The first few times I logged in quickly, but after the fourth or fifth time it didn’t bother me. I was already bored with Snapchat and soon found that Instagram ‘s Story mimic feature was just as good – if not better.
Then, after reading the Daily Beast ‘s revelation of what’s really going on in Snapchat offices, I uninstalled the app from my phone. So I’m calling now. 2018 is the year we all have to ditch Snapchat – well, unless you’re a teenager.
Instagram is as good at storytelling as Snapchat
When Instagram first stole the Snapchat story idea, it didn’t bother me. Facebook has a long history of copying its competitors, and most of the time, the result is unfinished. But in this case, I was wrong. I’ve been using Instagram Stories exclusively for the past few weeks, and this is better for several reasons.
The biggest plus is that there are more people on Instagram. I have more friends and followers on the Facebook app than on Snapchat, which means more people are watching my stories (about three times more for me). So it feels like I’m just sending photos and videos to the void, as is often the case when using Snapchat.
On top of that, Instagram is just easier to use. Everything from posting new photos to checking who viewed my last story is simple and intuitive. The same cannot be said for Snapchat, which forces you to navigate different pages with a series of movements that I could never fully remember. Snapchat says it is working on a big redesign to make its app easier to use, but we still don’t know when that will actually happen.
Snapchat’s business is as messy as its app
The Daily Beast’s new story is based on internal data leaks that show that most of Snapchat’s important features are barely used. Exciting add-ons like Snap Maps and Discover (where media companies share news) don’t grow at all.
Snapchat’s corporate culture seems pretty grim, too. Speaking anonymously with the Daily Beast, former employees compared the company to a sinking Titanic and said they were often caught off guard by new announcements and features. Another source said CEO Evan Spiegel was “paranoid” and obsessed with leaks within the company.
Perhaps worst of all, Snapchat’s head of human resources, Jason Halbert, appears to be still in power, despite allegations of misconduct . He allegedly works closely with Spiegel and has “free rein” to pursue information leaks.
If any of this makes you uncomfortable, that’s a good enough reason to remove Snapchat once and for all.
If you are not a teenager
Snapchat came to be known as the app for teenagers and it is from here that its popularity continues to this day . A recent survey found that 79% of teens have an account, and 44% of teens would prefer it to other apps like Instagram or Facebook if they only had to choose one.
Much of Snapchat’s appeal among teens comes from Snapstreaks , an addictive feature that counts how many days in a row you and a friend exchange messages with each other. Streaks can last for hundreds of days or even years, and Snapchat rewards different stages with special emojis.
If all of this doesn’t make any sense to you, you’re probably not a teenager and you should uninstall Snapchat. If you nodded to the last paragraph, then stick with Snapchat and keep hitting those stripes, at least until Facebook or Instagram copies that feature as well.