‭Tordjman‬‭1‬

‭Ethan Tordjman‬

‭Professor Beard‬

‭ENGL 110‬

‭29 October 2023‬

‭Ghosting Permanence: Snapchat’s Temporary Nature‬

‭Snapchat, a popular social media application, enables a new, temporary form of communication,‬

‭in which the content sent is automatically erased.‬

‭In 2011, two college students got together with an idea: developing an application in‬

‭which images and videos are deleted within seconds of being sent. This app would be a form of‬

‭“temporary social media” (Rosen and Rosen). Spiegel and Murphy’s creation–an application we‬

‭now know as Snapchat–can be found on many of our Apple home screens; its icon is‬‭Snapchat's‬

‭bright‬‭yellow‬‭icon is‬‭,‬‭etched with‬‭a‭t‬he outline of‬‭a‬‭white ghost. Unlike other apparitions that are‬

‭scary and mysterious, Snapchat’s mascot‬‭,‬‭“Ghostface‬‭Chillah‬‭,‬‭” is playful, wandering through‬

‭users’ screens with a mischievous grin or knowing wink.‬‭“Chillah” was chosen to represent‬

‭Snapchat because, unlike most social media apps, the images, videos, and texts shared are only‬

‭available temporarily. Ghostface Chillah makes the memories disappear within seconds or‬

‭minutes of users sending them–before vanishing the content into the digital ether. In Snapchat’s‬

‭first blog post, co-founder Spiegel explains his purpose of creating the application this way:‬

‭“Snapchat isn’t about capturing the traditional Kodak moment. It’s about communicating with‬

‭the full range of human emotion — not just what appears to be pretty or perfect” (O’Connell).‬

‭Snapchat attempts to promote real communication for users by allowing them to express‬

‭emotions through their text or images with less stress‬‭Snapchat‬‭is a social media platform used to‬

‭share images, videos, and text‬‭.‬‭However, “Chillah”‬‭was chosen to represent Snapchat because,‬
 ‭Tordjman‬‭2‬

‭unlike most social apps, the images, videos, and texts shared are only available temporarily.‬

‭Ghostface Chillah makes the memories disappear within seconds or minutes of users sending‬

‭them–before vanishing the content into the digital ether.‬‭In an increasingly permanent world,‬

‭where pictures and memories shared are forever available online, Snapchat gives freedom and‬

‭comfortability to share more openly–especially for young adults who use Snapchat as a safe‬

‭place to explore themselves, friendships, romance,‬‭and‬‭sexuality with less fear and risk.‬

‭B‭B
‬ ‭e‬ cause of the temporariness of the application,‬‭Snapchat is negatively perceived amongst‬

‭parents and older adults‬‭who are fearful about the‬‭inability to monitor online behavior on the‬

‭app‬‭. However, in an increasingly permanent and stressful‬‭online world,‬‭I argue that‬‭the‬

‭application positively impacts young‬‭adults’s development‬‭adults’‬‭development‬‭by allowing them‬

‭to explore and express themselves more openly, hone their independence, and more freely‬

‭engage in and develop relationships with others‬‭.‬‭–despite‬‭what the app’s opponents suggest.‬

‭Snapchat was released in 2011 by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy (O’Connell). The‬

‭creators, who were college students at the time, decided to develop an app in which images and‬

‭videos are deleted within ten seconds of being opened by the recipient–a form of “temporary‬

‭social media (Rosen and Rosen). In Snapchat’s first blog post, co-founder Spiegel explains his‬

‭purpose of creating the application: “Snapchat isn’t about capturing the traditional Kodak‬

‭moment. It’s about communicating with the full range of human emotion — not just what‬

‭appears to be pretty or perfect” (O’Connell). Snapchat attempts to promote real communication‬

‭for users by allowing them to express emotions through their text or images with less stress.‬

‭Because of the application’s software, Snapchat provides its users with a sense of freedom in all‬

‭of their temporary moments; it gives them a chance to be more themselves.‬

 ‭Tordjman‬‭3‬

‭Despite the app’s goal to be a space for fun, open expression, many parents do not believe‬

‭Snapchat is a safe environment for growth with benefits to adolescents and young adults. Parents‬

‭are uncomfortable with the inability to monitor what their kids are doing, especially because‬

‭Snapchat has gained “a sexting app reputation” and “has become a prominent source for‬

‭sexting,” even among teenagers (Velten and Arif). However, even if it is uncomfortable for‬

‭parents, adolescents need a place to be independent and develop socially and sexually, which‬

‭psychologists deem as normal and healthy for their age group (Christie and Viner).‬‭Parents‬‭, a‬

‭popular parenting magazine, published an article “Is Snapchat Safe for Kids?” This is one of a‬

‭plethora of articles available online asking questions about the application’s safety. The‬

‭publication of this article suggests that parents have questions, don’t know how the app works,‬

‭are unsure about how to monitor their kids, and are debating if they want their kids using it. The‬

‭author Klurman discusses that many parents believe that without proper supervision, the‬

‭application can lead to bad things such as sending explicit photos (that can be saved) or bullying.‬

‭The author writes “there's nothing to stop a viewer from taking a picture of the screen using‬

‭another device. So the moment that disappears from the screen is now a permanent part of‬

‭someone else's image library, and that's a problem” (Klurman). Young people believing that all‬

‭pictures and messages sent cannot be saved is a genuine issue because there are all people who‬

‭can screenshot it, which means confidential information can be leaked. The app doesn’t always‬

‭protect photos, even though it is designed to do so. However, young people are familiar with‬

‭these risks and still take them to learn and grow from them (​​Poltash). Parents should explain the‬

‭possible risks if explicit images and messages are sent, teaching young people to develop‬

‭discretion and ensure they have trust with intimate partners. However, there is no way to entirely‬

‭mitigate risk, on Snapchat or in the real world. Parents who want to know everything about their‬
 ‭Tordjman‬‭4‬

‭child’s social lives feel very negatively about the application, but it is healthy for young people,‬

‭especially in our hyper online environment, to have an independent space to exist–and even take‬

‭risks as they figure out who they are.‬

‭Snapchat has become a refuge for young people, who rely on the temporary nature of the‬

‭application. For many young adults and adolescents, social media is “used to initiate and‬

‭maintain interpersonal relationships” (Velten and Arif). This is especially true for the younger‬

‭population when it comes to Snapchat. A demographic study published in Statista showed that in‬

‭2018, 74% of American teenagers 15-17 used the application, and 63% used the application from‬

‭the 13-14-year-old age group (Dixon). This data shows that the majority of adolescents in the‬

‭United States use the Snapchat application. This platform is distinct from other social media‬

‭apps–and has done an impressive job attracting the attention of young people who want a break‬

‭from permanence. According to Rosen and Rosen of the MIT Technology Review, part of what‬

‭makes this app so attractive to young people is that “temporary social networks increase our‬

‭sense of control over the conditions of our personal exposure” (Rosen and Rosen). Snapchat‬

‭gives young people more autonomy and control over what gets out on the internet–a huge reason‬

‭this age group, which has always lived in a very technological age, is drawn to using the‬

‭application in large numbers.‬

‭Young people are able to develop their sense of self and relationships with less stress and‬

‭risk through using the disappearing feature on Snapchat. Young people want to connect without‬

‭the pressure that what they send might be on another person’s phone forever–whether expressing‬

‭interest in a romantic partner or discussing familial struggles they don’t want their family‬

‭members to view. When Snapchat was initially released, it “came at a time when people‬

‭worldwide were experiencing high levels of anxiety regarding their online data” (Velten and‬
 ‭Tordjman‬‭5‬

‭Arif). In the modern world, people confront the internet, where everything is permanent.‬

‭Snapchat was a game changer by offering “temporary social media” (Rosen and Rosen). Users‬

‭can upload something without a trace of it–it could disappear. People make mistakes or might‬

‭change who they are and what they value, so the permanently available trail of whatever they‬

‭said or posted may not be an accurate portrayal of the person they are today.The creators‬

‭designed Snapchat so that images and videos are deleted within ten seconds of being opened, and‬

‭the algorithm of these disappearing messages has become like an anxiety medicine for young‬

‭people–alleviating them of some of the stress of their data being accessible to anyone at any‬

‭time. Snapchat’s temporary messages “allows more apprehensive communicators,” like‬

‭adolescents and young adults, “a safe place to communicate” (Velten and Arif). The features of‬

‭the application help give young people a protected space to dip their toes in the water of‬

‭adulthood, intimacy, and relationship building.‬

‭Adolescence is a crucial time period in our lives in which young adults discover their‬

‭identity and learn to be independent, and Snapchat’s disappearing feature gives young people the‬

‭autonomy to evolve and develop their sense of self. In “Adolescent Development,” an article‬

‭published in the BMJ, clinical psychologist Deborah Christie and Russell Viner discuss the‬

‭important stages of growth for adolescents, such as developing sexual identity or improving‬

‭independence. The article argues that developing social autonomy during adolescence is‬

‭incredibly important–meaning that young people should learn to connect with others and‬

‭maintain relationships independently, without parental oversight. While text messages are often‬

‭monitored by parents, older adults are less familiar with Snapchat and how the application‬

‭works–only 5% of Snapchat users are over 56 years old (Shepherd). Adolescents may experience‬

‭more anxiety with regular text messaging because their parents can more easily monitor what is‬
 ‭Tordjman‬‭6‬

‭being sent and received. On Snapchat, teens and young adults have more independence–and‬

‭therefore are more able to be their own people, motivated to say what they think and believe.‬

‭Christie and Viner discuss the importance of developing personal and sexual identity during‬

‭adolescence through independent discovery. Snapchat’s disappearing functions and population of‬

‭young people allow more sexual and relationship exploration without the fear of their words or‬

‭photos being on the internet forever. Snapchat can support adolescents’ development, enable new‬

‭connections to be formed, and can be used to help kids discover their personal, sexual, and‬

‭gender identity in a less intimidating environment.‬

‭Adolescents are more able to develop meaningful relationships through the temporary‬

‭platform Snapchat. Part of this is because Snapchat more closely mirrors real-life interactions‬

‭than other social media apps. In the MIT Technology Review, Rosen and Rosen suggest that‬

‭Snapchat is “arguably a more natural way to communicate…interactions in temporary social‬

‭media can be something like brief, in-person conversations: you can speak your mind without‬

‭worrying that what you say will be part of your digital dossier forever.” Real-life conversations‬

‭aren’t recorded or permanent. They are ephemeral and momentary. Part of the appeal of the‬

‭application is that Snapchat attempts to replicate the nature of real-life conversations, so people‬

‭can use Snapchat to interact with friends, romantic partners, and acquaintances without‬

‭everything they say or send being out of the internet indefinitely. They can more successfully‬

‭build relationships with others because of the realness and transparency the app allows. In one‬

‭study by Velten and Arif, which analyzed Snapchat’s effect on communication, the authors‬

‭concluded that Snapchat is a place to reinitiate bonds, maintain relationships, and intensify‬

‭existing romantic partnerships (Velten and Arif). Their research reveals how Snapchat makes it‬

‭easier to get to know someone, partially because people feel less likely to be rejected on the app‬
 ‭Tordjman‬‭7‬

‭because of the disappearing nature of pictures and text. It is easier to flirt or connect with‬

‭someone without worrying about the first text and helps bypass difficult parts of communication.‬

‭Relationships are discovered, explored, and improved through the temporariness of the‬

‭application.‬

‭Despite the app’s goal to be a space for fun, open expression, many parents do not believe‬

‭Snapchat is a safe environment for growth with benefits to adolescents and young adults. Parents‬

‭are uncomfortable with the inability to monitor what their kids are doing, especially because‬

‭Snapchat has gained “a sexting app reputation” and “has become a prominent source for‬

‭sexting,” even among teenagers (Velten and Arif). However, even if it is uncomfortable for‬

‭parents, adolescents need a place to be independent and develop socially and sexually, which‬

‭psychologists deem as normal and healthy for their age group (Christie and Viner).‬‭Parents‬‭, a‬

‭popular parenting magazine, published an article “Is Snapchat Safe for Kids?” The publication of‬

‭this article goes to show that parents have questions, don’t know how the app works, don’t know‬

‭how to monitor their kids, and are debating if they want their kids using it. The author Klurman‬

‭discusses that my parents believe that without proper supervision, the application can lead to bad‬

‭things such as sending explicit photos (that can be saved) or bullying. The author writes “there's‬

‭nothing to stop a viewer from taking a picture of the screen using another device. So the moment‬

‭that disappears from the screen is now a permanent part of someone else's image library, and‬

‭that's a problem” (Klurman). Young people believing that all pictures and messages sent cannot‬

‭be saved is a genuine issue because there are all people who can screenshot it, which means‬

‭confidential information can be leaked. The app doesn’t always protect photos, even though it is‬

‭designed to do so. However, young people are familiar with these risks and still take them to‬

‭learn and grow from them (​​Poltash). Parents should explain the possible risks if explicit images‬
 ‭Tordjman‬‭8‬

‭and messages are sent, teaching young people to develop discretion and ensure they have trust‬

‭with intimate partners. However, there is no way to entirely mitigate risk, on Snapchat or in the‬

‭real world. Parents who want to know everything about their child’s social lives feel very‬

‭negatively about the application, but it is healthy for young people, especially in our hyper online‬

‭environment, to have an independent space to exist–and even take risks as they figure out who‬

‭they are.‬

‭Ghostface Chillah, Snapchat’s phantom mascot, could be perceived as a mischievous icon‬

‭of destruction. However, Chillah, who helps transport 5 billion snaps per day, represents the‬

‭allure of impermanence–and the freedom it provides to its users.‬

‭The internet often feels like a vacuum–sucking up every bit of information–and‬

‭preserving it indefinitely. This evokes a sense of doom–whatever happens on the internet stays‬

‭on the internet forever.‬‭Young adults on Snapchat‬‭use the application–and its disappearing‬

‭feature–to explore themselves and their relationships and to find a sense of independence by‬

‭having a space that is not monitored and controlled heavily by their parents. This application is‬

‭incredibly important in today’s world because the internet is like a vacuum–sucking up every bit‬

‭of information–and preserving it indefinitely. It often feels as though whatever happens on the‬

‭internet stays on the internet forever.‬‭For people‬‭13-20, this is an intimidating amount of pressure‬

‭because‬‭as they‬‭these years are for‬ ‭try to‬‭explor‬‭ation‬‭e‬‭,‬‭self-growth‬‭grow‬‭,‬‭for‬‭learn‬‭ing‬‭from‬

‭mistakes, and‬‭for‬‭figur‬‭ing‬‭e‬‭out who‬‭you‬‭they‬‭are‬‭as‬‭a person‬‭as individuals, friends, or partners‬‭.‬

‭Snapchat offers some freedom and relief. It gives young teens the ability to find themselves‬

‭without the stress of forever in every message or picture.‬

‭Because of Snapchat’s ability to appeal to this age group, I think the application and its‬

‭benefits should be more heavily researched in academic environments and more embraced by‬
 ‭Tordjman‬‭9‬

‭teachers, parents, and administrators. The use of this application amongst young people might‬

‭reveal that younger people can communicate better with each other when online applications‬

‭more closely mirror real-life conversations. Other social media apps are possibly beginning to‬

‭notice how Snapchat appeals to younger generations and‬‭adapts‬‭their platforms in response;‬

‭Instagram started using 24-hour “stories‬‭,‬‭” and iMessage‬‭now lets you delete your messages from‬

‭text threads. People need relief from permanence. Ghostface Chillah, Snapchat’s phantom‬

‭mascot, could be perceived as a mischievous icon of destruction. However, Chillah, who helps‬

‭transport 5 billion snaps per day, represents the allure of impermanence–and the freedom it‬

‭provides to its users.‬

 ‭Tordjman‬‭10‬

‭Works Cited‬

‭Christie, Deborah, and Russell Viner. “Adolescent Development.”‬‭BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)‬‭,‬

‭U.S. National Library of Medicine, 5 Feb. 2005,‬

‭www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC548185/#:~:text=During%20adolescence%20yo‬

‭ung%20people%20will,of%20emotional%2C%20personal%2C%20and%20financia.‬

‭Dixon, Stacy Jo. “U.S. Teen Snapchat Users Age 2018.”‬‭Statista‬‭, Statista, 25 Aug. 2023,‬

‭www.statista.com/statistics/419400/us-teen-snapchat-users-age-reach/.‬

‭Klurman, Melissa. “Is Snapchat Safe for Kids?”‬‭Parents‬‭,‬‭Parents, 3 Aug. 2023,‬

‭www.parents.com/kids/safety/internet/is-snapchat-safe-for-kids/#:~:text=Since%20snaps‬

‭%2C%20disappear%20they%20can,to%20be%20shared%20and%20sent.‬

‭O’Connell, Brian. “History of Snapchat: Timeline and Facts.”‬‭TheStreet‬‭, The Arena Media‬

‭Brands, LLC THESTREET, 28 Feb. 2020,‬

‭www.thestreet.com/technology/history-of-snapchat.‬

‭Poltash, Nicole A. “Snapchat and Sexting: A Snapshot of Baring Your Bare Essentials.”‬

‭Richmond Journal of Law and Technology‬‭, vol. 19, no.‬‭4, 2013,‬

‭https://doi.org/https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1383&conte‬

‭xt=jolt.‬

‭Rosen, Jeffrey, and Christine Rosen. “Temporary Social Media.”‬‭MIT Technology Review‬‭, MIT‬

‭Technology Review, 23 Apr. 2013,‬

‭www.technologyreview.com/technology/temporary-social-media/.‬
 ‭Tordjman‬‭11‬

‭Shepherd, Jack. “24 Essential Snapchat Statistics You Need to Know in 2023.”‬‭The Social‬

‭Shepherd‬‭, The Social Shepherd, 26 July 2023,‬

‭thesocialshepherd.com/blog/snapchat-statistics#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%‬

‭2C%20the,just%205%25%20of%20the%20platform.‬

‭Velten, Justin, and Rauf Arif. “The Influence of Snapchat on Interpersonal Relationship‬

‭Development and Human Communication.” The Journal of Social Media in Society, vol.‬

‭5, no. 2, 30 Sept. 2016, pp. 23–33.‬

‭https://doi.org/https://thejsms.org/index.php/JSMS/article/view/152/76.‬