The science behind why our generation is obsessed with the social media app, Snapchat

By Clarice Marr

Unless you live under a rock, you probably have noticed that Snapchat has become a celebrity in the social media scene. The app provides its users with a channel for communication that is fun, casual, and easy. However, Snapchat has created a much different effect in the social media market than other apps in the past. Ever wonder why?

If it’s not on our Snapchat Story, did it really happen? If something monumental takes place but our phone is dead so we can’t Snapchat it, we go into a panic. Why is this?

For many of us Gen Y-ers and Z-ers, much of our daily lives, and the lives of others, are constantly displayed on Snapchat. Perhaps it’s simply because we like the app, or because it helps us procrastinate things we’d rather not do, or just because we want to prove to people that we actually have lives and things to do. But in fact, there is science that explains our obsession.

In a research study led by Professor Bayer at the University of Michigan, Bayer and his colleagues found that when compared to other social media channels, communication via Snapchat is much more “enjoyable” and is “associated with a more positive mood.” It’s a game. With all the added filters, face-swapping, text, and transforming tools, the content is much more personalized, light, and humorous.

So now you no longer have to feel guilty for finding so much joy with Snapchat because you’re not alone, and even science has got your back.

The aspect that makes Snapchat so unique is that its communication is ephemeral, meaning that the content is only displayed for a certain amount of time, and then it disappears. This is very different from other popular social media such as Facebook and Instagram, where content is archived.

Due to this key aspect of Snapchat, users do not see the app’s main purpose as a place to share photos, but instead it is a casual and fun way to share everyday life experiences with their friends. It might be a picture of what we are eating, a cute animal (or person) that we saw, or a recent and personal example–a picture of me sitting on the floor, locked out of my dorm room after coming back from Thanksgiving break.

Since the content vanishes after a max of 10 seconds, and in some cases 24 hours, the pressure is off. Users do not have to manage self-presentation with their pictures or worry about their video being seen by everyone they know. Instead, they feel the communication is personal, impermanent, and spontaneous.

This makes a lot of sense when you think about it…

I wouldn’t think twice about sending a hideous selfie with a gross filter on to a friend for five seconds on Snapchat. But there is no way I would post that same selfie onto my Instagram feed.

The fact that most of Snapchat’s content has a limit has a lot to do with why users find it a more enjoyable social medium to use, and why it has such a positive effect on us.

Even though Snapchat is a mood-booster, when compared to other social media, the app does not create as much social support. Meaning an individual’s feeling of support and level of being cared for by others shown through social media.

In a study done at Michigan State University, professors aimed to gain a greater understanding of the use of paralinguistic digital affordances (PDAs) in social media. PDAs are the simple communication tools or cues that we use to communicate with just one click without using any other specific language.

In simple terms, PDAs are the “Like” buttons on Facebook and Instagram, and the “Favorite” button on Twitter. With just one click of a button, we are sending some sort of communication, although it can vary in meaning and function.

The study concluded that one of the motivations to use PDAs was to show social support, and Snapchat does not really have a “one click” communication tool built into it. You can’t “like” or “favorite” a person’s Snapchat they send you or something you see on their Snapchat story. Maybe that’s why participants of the study reported less feeling of social support than when using other forms of media that involve heavy use of PDAs.

However, this ties right back into the key aspect of Snapchat, and why we use it so much.

We are not sending out Snapchats or putting things on our Snapchat story for “likes” or for “favorites,” we’re just doing it because we want to. It feels more like a no judgment zone. You don’t have to worry about your Snapchat getting a certain amount of likes, because there’s no way to know.
Another unique characteristic of Snapchat compared to other social media, is the major role that selfies play within the conversation. Unlike any other social media, most of the time on Snapchat, the selfies themselves are used as the main exchange of communication.

According to a study done by professors at Boston University, the participants that were interviewed reported that they saw selfies on Snapchat in a very different light than selfies posted on other social media, and even selfies saved onto their phones.

Participants said that they view “Snapchat selfies as impermanent, mostly unedited, and more private,” which points back to the ephemeral nature of the medium. Also participants noted that taking and posting a lot of selfies on other platforms, or just on their phone, could be perceived in a negative way. But on Snapchat, it’s the more selfies the merrier.

Due to the app’s design and ephemeral nature, users can be so much more open, creative, and explore without fear of it being seen by the whole public or being permanent. It is a personal way of communication, but also one that allows users to feel connected with each other, have fun, and share even the small unimportant parts of their everyday lives with whomever they choose.

Snapchat is an entertaining experience that we can’t get enough of. And now maybe instead of just knowing that we really like Snapchat, we understand why.

A wise person once said that you should do what makes you happy. So Snapchat your hearts out my friends.