Snappin’ The Facts

Autumn Luthman, Staff Editor

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are widely-loved social media pages. Just seven years ago, Snapchat was added into the bunch, and has flourished since. However, like any other social media platform, there are some pros and cons that come with it.

On Snapchat, you can send pictures to your friends with captions or just talk on the text feature. If you Snapchat your friend every day, then a streak will pop up beside their name, this is one of the main things WCHS students enjoy about using Snapchat. Although, there is a downside to streaks. If you and your friend are busy all day and cannot each send a Snapchat, the streak will disappear (but not without a warning timer, of course).

Senior Savannah Harris said one major problem people have with Snapchat is that when a picture or text is screenshot, it alerts the person that a screenshot has been taken. Apple has recently come out with screen recording, and Snapchat even alerts the person that you have screen recorded.

Snapchat does have  pros. You get to choose who is on your friends list, and they have to have you added to see your content. This also affects what kind of stories or Snaps you see, whether it’s good or bad. So if you’re someone who doesn’t want to see certain things on social media, or if you prefer your social media to be private, this is a plus of Snapchat for you.

In June, Snapmaps was launched to all of Snapchat’s users. This feature allows your friends on Snapchat to see your location on a map and how long ago you were on Snapchat. The location is marked by the bitmoji that is personalized by you, for you. However, you get to choose who can see your location, or you can select ghost mode, where nobody can see your location. This feature goes so far as to tell your followers when you are in a car, plane, boat, or even listening to music, so be careful who you have on Snapchat if you are not on ghost mode! Some people find this scary, and some overprotective girlfriends/friends really enjoy this feature.

Many people use Snapchat and love it, but as with everything, there are some complaints made.