The Impact Of Snapchat App On My Life
In our daily lives, we are surrounded by digital technology that has become essential to our needs and something we humans believe we cannot survive without. As time goes on, we get so consumed by these digital devices that we do not realize the effects it has on us. An app that I use on my iPhone called ‘Snapchat’ has caused me to think critically of the influence it has on me. Snapchat is an app that allows one to interact with one’s friends and view live stories from around the world. Snapchat, for many users around the world, is seen to be essential, myself included.
With a sense of reality in mind, I think it is important to asses how the virtual world has affected me. Snapchat is something I use every day and is the main source of communication for me with my friends so, in a sense, it is a part of me. By this statement, you could assume that this app has deeply affected me. When I wake up in the morning, I tend to check my phone first, and Snapchat is the app I first check. It feels almost as if I am haunted in my sleep by an app that requires me to give it all my attention. I think my mindset is attached to being apart of the world because of this app that I think it has caused me to lose myself in it. More often when I go places, I forget to live in the moment and enjoy the view or place that I am at. I feel like other people will enjoy where I am or what I am doing more than me, so I end up snapping pictures for others to see rather than enjoying the moment myself. However, this app has done a lot for me, at least in the sense that it has improved my interpersonal interactions with others. It has allowed me to get to know people better and make new friends as it is a great source of communication.
However, talking to people and getting to know them is nice and all, but it has not helped me build confidence or courage to be able to talk to one in person. I believe most relationships need a foundation, and that can only be created in person, not over an app. Snapchat is a virtual world that I mistakenly believe to be my truth at times. Myself, along with the other younger users of Snapchat think that maybe you have no social life if you do not have Snapchat. This mindset has really separated people from people as we are in this trance that we have real friends. Friends are not made over text or an app like Snapchat. Yes, these apps can help strengthen friendships but not create new friendships. Ultimately, Snapchat is a digital device when critically assessed has made me realize the world I need to be living in, not fantasizing about.
