What do you know about Snapchat? I've barely paid attention to this app, but have heard that loads of teenagers love it, so I've kind of steered clear. After having my share of selfies from ALT it's hardly something I see myself using. So what is this app? You take a picture, draw whatever you want on it, send it to a friend and voila, they have 10 seconds to view "before this picture will self destruct."
So why the appeal of Snapchat? I like the Fly or Die segment on Techcrunch about this app. As they said, teenagers are separating their Virtual and Real selves. These kids have grown up on Facebook, their Virtual self. Images here are permanent, so the pressure to look cool and really care about every image is high, same goes with liking things that you really don't necessarily like, but you do it to look cool. I know you have teenagers following you on Instagram and they will like ANYTHING you post.
As for Snapchat, this is the Real self. With the less pressure to create a lasting image, Snapchat images apparently disappear in 10 seconds. You can snap your everyday life, with seemingly no consequences. Call me a skeptic, but do we remember Monica Lewinsky and her emails, nothing really EVER disappears online. Plus with all the recent problems, even today with snapchat going down for 30 minutes, and images sent out, but never received by user, then WHERE ARE THEY GOING? Also mentioned over and over again is there truly concern that sexting will be an issue on Snapchat with this 10 second "destructable" image?
I think there is a caution for these kids on social media and their selfies especially when you start hash-tagging the death out of them with things like #amIsexy #doyouwanttodateme, etc. Look at the pool of images your putting yourself in, do you really want to be associated with those people, do you really want that attention? I think it's best to look at the root of the issue with these kids and for parents to be balanced about it. Give them freedom in small doses, slowing release the spring, but be informed and aware of the dangers of social media.
Now enough of that soapbox. What's the deal with the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler joke at the Golden Globes this month?
“A lot of nominated shows this year are actually on Netflix. House of Cards. Orange Is the New Black. Enjoy it while it lasts, Netflix. Because you’re not going to be feeling so smug in a couple of years when Snapchat is up here accepting Best Drama.”
Is it that Hollywood and Silicon Valley are converging? Is it that Netflix won it's first ever Golden Globe? For Netflix they started off delivering content already made, now their in the business of creating original content and getting awarded for it on the way. This is why Netflix will last as opposed to the bygone era of Blockbuster.
Will Snapchat start creating original Emmy/Oscar winning content? Will the movie only be 10 seconds long? Let's watch carefully and see how this convergence works itself out.
So are you Snapchatting, is that even the right word? Or maybe your kids are, what do you think? Would love to hear a dialog about this.
