“I don’t have Snapchat.”
It’s amazing how many people at Deerfield struggle to comprehend this idea. Most have an extraordinarily baffled expression. Others are more inquisitive and find that I lack not only a Snapchat account, but also an Instagram and Tiktok account, in addition to other social media platforms. They wonder how I can survive without these apps, and I too wonder what life could be like if I could stalk people on Instagram or have an amazing snap streak. No matter the case, social media has never had a presence in my life and frankly, I never found the need for it. I don’t consider Snapchat as my only source of communication at a school like Deerfield, and over-reliance can cause strain on relationships with others as well as yourself.
Before Deerfield, I went to a middle school of 1,300 kids living in various parts of my hometown: of Austin, Texas. Yet despite living up to 50 miles away from each other, most students lacked a social media presence and I came into Deerfield unaware of the frequent use of these platforms, Snapchat in particular. I was clueless as to what a “snap” was, or why people were compelled to maintain a snap streak. Snapchat suddenly became an unforeseen factor in my Deerfield experience, and yet the most frequent excuse for the yellow widget’s absence on my phone is this: my parents don’t currently allow me to have the app. And while this is understandable for most, this excuse masks far deeper motivations to avoid using it.
To start off, I find that using Snapchat at a boarding school is completely illogical: why turn to the internet to help you communicate with people on the other side of your dorm room wall? I understand that the ability to snap people and the location services are helpful to contact people over campuses as large as Deerfield, as well as day students who may not be able to communicate face-toface as often as boarding students can. However, I have found that people rely on Snapchat in situations when they need it the least. I’ve passed tables at the Dining Hall multiple times where students are glued to their phones, only to be snapping people right next door. Rather than using group settings to make real conversation, we turn to Snapchat to provide all communicative needs. Snapchat itself encourages constant use because of snap streaks, and the pressure to maintain these can build as time goes on. Deerfield encourages students to have face-to-face interactions with our cell phone policy, but after the school day, it’s up to us to make smart choices with our media usage, both for our physical health as well as our relationships with others.
I’m particularly concerned about the effects of social media in close-knit environments like Deerfield’s. It’s one thing to say something online that a distant friend may glance at without a second thought, but it’s entirely different when the people reading your stories are the people who live on your hall, sit with you in class, and play side by side on your team. As high school students, we are still learning how to find our voices and it’s only to be expected that we’ll make mistakes along the way. Unlike words that will eventually fade from our minds, we leave a permanent digital footprint of our actions on these apps, even ones we think are private. What we consider to be inoffensive now could be looked back upon in a few years with a raised eyebrow.
What bothers me the most about Snapchat is the effect it leaves on my self-esteem and confidence. I have developed a number of insecurities over the years, and have always been hyper-aware of my imperfections in photos. Sometimes I look at the mirror and poke myself unhappily, wondering why my face looks so wrong or why my body doesn’t look like someone else’s. It’s so easy to let unrealistic beauty standards find a place at the back of your mind, and then get sucked into the void of body dysmorphia and low self-esteem. Sending photos on Snapchat, or any social media platform for that matter, exemplifies my insecurities to a drastic degree and holds me back on my journey to a more positive self-image.
There’s no denying that Snapchat’s ability to draw users into socializing is strong and that the app provides a close recreation of face-to-face interactions compared with other social media, but their approach creates unhealthy online behavior and addictions, as well as demoralization of oneself. I prefer not to stray near Snapchat, and I’m doing just fine. And if I can do that then maybe, just maybe, you can set down the phone and break the streak.