Snapchat Analysis

Facebook. Snapchat. Twitter. Instagram. Social media platforms have made the release and distribution of information increasingly fluid and immediate. As a result, our world has become more globalized and interconnected. We can now be privy to different cultures and multiple perspectives. Most importantly, we have created alternate communities that can cater to our specific interests. For example, I have a passion for ceramics and thereby, I follow accounts on social media that super-serve ceramics. However, does such a privilege come at a cost?
“Hey, Charlie: which photo do you think will get me more likes on Instagram?”. “Hey, Charlie: we need to take a Snapchat story right now to show everyone we’re here!”. “Hey Charlie: don’t post that

photo. People won’t like it” Questions and actions such as these are all too familiar and at this point, many in my generation have become jaded to the whole process. One would think it is of the utmost importance to act in a manner that has a positive reflection on yourself. However, we must remember to not make decisions and build our identity on a foundation of gratifying others in lieu of the self.
Across social media platforms, individuals make a concerted effort to emphasize the highlights of their lives, but in doing so, neglect to acknowledge a time he or she has fallen short. Of course, no one is proud to have failed, but defeat is a key component of our human existence. After failure, we learn how to act in the future to avoid such situations. Social media has made us lose sight of an appreciation for things and experiences both big and small.
As social media proliferates through society, I have begun to witness side effects on my life and on the lives of the students at Darien High School. We, as students, have fallen into a social routine. The day begins as students are alerted with the sound of the bell which causes a Pavlovian response as everyone reaches for their iPhone, rushing to refresh their social media status. Students proceed without personal interactions as they file in formation towards their next class. They only lift their head for the occasional, “sorry”, or “excuse me” as they mistakenly bump into an unknown classmate before returning directly back to their phone. Not only have social interactions decreased throughout the halls, it has now affected life in the cafeteria. This dependency on technology has resulted in less conversation and contact amongst our student body, destroying what was once a building block of relationships. In my own life I have come to realize that social media has begun to diminish the intimacy of relationships. We have lost the importance of a simple conversation, as we start to recognize people based on their self defined persona on social media. Last year when my friends and I were watching the NCAA March Madness Tournament, I realized what a problem social media has become. Even among my closest friends I looked around to notice we were not talking, only interacting with our phones instead of appreciating our time together. This sparked me to make a conscious decision to moderate my use of social media and to focus more on being a participant not just a “post”.
Switching off of social media is not as easy as it seems. These platforms such as, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram, have grown to become billion dollar companies. They utilize this immense amount of money towards advertising their brand. Evidently, they are very good at luring not just kids, but even adults into their stronghold. Which leaves It up to us as society to limit our engagement with social media. As for me, my decision to reduce my social media participation has resulted in stronger friendships and more meaningful time spent with the people I care about and therefor well worth the effort.