With all the ways social media is taking over the internet, teenagers seem to be some of the most affected groups of people. Whether it’s through communication, videos, snaps, teenagers can experience jealousy, drama, connection, exposure through all sorts of apps. When it comes to quick forms of communication, Snapchat seems to take the stand within teenage social media. 

Snapchat is a social media app that first appeared on Sept. 16, 2011. It quickly became a very popular app and replaced many other forms of calling and texting. When Snapchat introduced short videos and stories, many found it a fun way to make announcements, posts, and share fun experiences with everyone. 

To some students and young teens, Snapchat is a central source of communication with other people. For Freshman Kaydence Spears, Snapchat has been a source of drama and interaction. 

Spears first learned about Snapchat through mutual friends that introduced her. The app has offered her a lot of support, whether it’s through calls or texts, she has had the opportunity to connect and relate with others because of Snapchat. 

“My friends support me when I’m sad, even if it’s not in person,” she said. 

Although, with the benefits, Spears has experienced tough downfalls through Snapchat. She has experienced other people making separate accounts and adding her to view her stories or continue previous drama. She has received death threats and has had a few long nights trying to defuse situations. 

Spears also goes into depth on why he thinks Snapchat is similar to a dating app, reporting that people can add you through quick add if you have multiple mutual friends. 

“I have had a few relationships start from quick add,” said Spears. 

She has taken a couple breaks, often for no more than a few days, and said she felt there was more peace to her friendships. She believes that deleting the app gave other people time to think and figure out how to best deal with situations involving her since she doesn’t not have a 24/7 way of communicating with other students. 

“I think it has also given me time to reflect on situations instead of having to address them immediately,” she said. 

When asked what a mature age for an app such as Snapchat is, Spears commented that 15-16 should be the minimum age requirements. 

“Even though I am 14, I know that Snapchat can be dangerous and no one under 15 should be allowed to have it,” said Spears. 

For Junior Lilli Gilstrap, Snapchat is one of her main sources of communication with other individuals, first finding out about the app from her cousin a while back, Gilstrap said she mainly uses it for texting and calling purposes. 

Some of the most beneficial parts of Gilstrap’s Snapchat usage has been the exposure to new people, getting to know people she really hasn’t before.

“I’ve met some really cool people through Snap and I’m really thankful for it,” she said. 

Even with this new exposure to different people and groups, Gilstrap has noticed that the constant access to other people has caused arguments and affected her word choice during those arguments. 

While she has taken a break from Snapchat, Gilstrap is in active use most of the time, saying the app could be dangerous if it isn’t used correctly. She also believes that many people are worried about older men or women using the app inappropriately. 

“Not everyone is an old guy pretending to be a teenager,” said Gilstrap.

She goes into more detail by explaining that it is simple enough to find out if someone isn’t who they say they are, especially because Snapchat only allows snaps to be taken within the moment unless it’s a story. 

Gilstrap has estimated that she spends most of her day using Snapchat to communicate and text other individuals. Often messaging her 12-year-old cousin throughout the day. She believes that if an individual is mature enough or has a monitored usage of Snapchat, that it should be fine to use the app openly. 

“I really feel like it just depends on the maturity levels of the person,” said Gilstrap.

Written by Cheyenne Brading, sophomore