Have you heard about the latest social media outlet called Snapchat? Maybe it isn’t all that new and I am behind the times, as usual.
With Snapchat, you can send a photo to your closest 1,000 friends and the image self-destructs within seconds after it is opened. I haven’t seen Snapchat in action so I consider myself an expert on the subject. Or at least I pretend to be one.
From an article in today’s paper, “Snapchat is being embraced as an antidote to a world where nearly every celebration and life moment is captured to be shared, logged, liked, commented on, stored, searched, and sold. For people who don’t want to worry about unflattering pictures or embarrassing status updates coming back to haunt them, the app’s appeal is obvious.”
I should know. The photo of me with a lampshade on my head at LouAnn’s virtual New Year’s Eve party has gone viral.
One of Snapchat’s founders, at the wise old age of 22, said, “It became clear how awful social media is. There is real value in sharing moments that don’t live forever.” Peter Deng with Facebook’s copycat of Snapchat called Poke adds, “People want something that is more lightweight than a message and less permanent.”
Come again?
Robin winning at Beer Pong, again. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I look at it this way. A High School girl can now sext racy pictures of herself to her English teacher and the poor guy doesn’t have to worry about a jail sentence. The photos of Susie are zapped from the face of the digital earth. College frat boys can capture and send images of their drunken debauchery around the world and future employers will never know they hold their state championship title in Beer Pong. Cougars now have a way to seduce the pool boy via provocative facelift and boob job photos and their husbands will be none the wiser.
Anthony Weiner probably wishes Snapchat was around when he felt duty-bound to send sexually suggestive photos of himself to young women. He might still be in office.
This quote from a Shapchat investor has me scratching my head. “People are looking to communicate in a real way. The real self as opposed to the projected self.” Huh? How does Snapchat work this miracle?
If you are really on your game when someone sends you a Snapchat photo, you can capture a screenshot of the image before it goes into oblivion. When a screenshot of your photo is taken, you are alerted that the picture of you wearing ladies underwear was captured for all time. Snapchat calls this a “feature,” or added value of the service. You can’t do anything about it, but you will know you need to line up a lawyer well in advance of being a victim of extortion. Phew. Thank you benevolent Snapshot for this service to mankind with a thing for lace bras and panties.
My question is this . . . If you are sending a photo you want destroyed, for whatever reason, why take the photo in the first place?
Robin Coyle 