Snapchat: How Long Will the Hype
Last?
By Lyndsey Lombard
Features
After
downloading the app, Snapchat requires you to create your own account with a
username and a password. After login, the user is able to add contacts from
their address book or invite friends that are not already using the app.
Contacts can
also be found by searching usernames.
Because of this, Snapchat allows you to share and receive messages to
and from people who are not friends or apart of your contacts. This privacy
setting can be adjusted.
Snapchat’s
interface and functionality is simple and understandable. It only features three main screens, the
Snapchat camera, Snapchat contacts list, and your activity feed. The activity feed can also direct you to
settings. The camera screen displays
buttons that direct you to the other two screens, an on and off flash switch,
front to rear camera switch, and a shutter that can be clicked to take a
picture or held down to record a video.
After taking a picture or video, the user has
a few options. The first is to delete
what was captured and start over.
However, the most important are to draw on it in different colors or add
text, choose the length of the Snapchat between 1 and 10 seconds, save it into
your own gallery, and the newest feature which is to add it to your “story.”
Snapchat
Stories, a feature added in October 2013, allows users to add snaps together
throughout the day to create a story.
Instead of just sending a snap to a select few people, your friends can view
your Snapchat Stories as many times as they would like until they disappear in
24 hours. Pictures and videos are added
to the story and played in order creating a real life narrative. Each snap in the story also displays a list
of people who watched it.
Positives
- “Interface is simple and intuitive. The timer feature makes for a unique and fun way to share photos and videos.” (CNET)
- “By taking away the part about a photo lasting forever, it actually encourages users to share more.” (TechCrunch)
- Appeals to a wide range of ages and even has a younger demographic version called “Snapkidz.”
Negatives
- “Snapchat needs more photo and video editing tools. You can't import items from outside the app. Video quality is low.” (CNET)
- A major concern has been the use of Snapchat for “sexting.” The screen capture function can make these moments less private and even be circulated on the Internet. (Forbes)
Origins
Stanford
University students, Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, came up with the concept of
Snapchat in 2011. The two, who met in
the Kappa Sigma fraternity house, ended up making a great team with Evan
studying product design and Bobby studying mathematical and computational
science. Although the concept they had
come up with didn’t receive a great response in Spiegel’s “Design and Business
Factors” class, they pursued it anyway.
They felt that people needed a more human and natural form of
communication. After receiving their first investment of $485,000 from venture capital firm, Lightspeed Venture, they wasted no time building the app to what it is today.
Overall
Because of Snapchat’s beginning association
with “sexting,” I was a little late to the bandwagon. The idea completely turned me off of the app
and I refused to download it. However,
once people started discussing its actual purpose, I started to feel like I was
missing out on a really cool form of messaging.
Since there are now more photos shared on Snapchat than Facebook,
apparently I was missing out (Slate).
Snapchat has
a ton of potential and that is seen with the recent price tag Facebook put on
it. Will the hype last though?
An article
in Slate
discussed how Snapchat co-founders, Evan and Bobby, plan to make money in the
future. They discussed two main revenue
streams, advertisements and virtual goods.
One advertisement every 20 or 30 snaps will not affect the users
experience. I even watch snaps sent
personally from Snapchat so I don’t see why I wouldn’t watch one from a brand
that interests me. Virtual goods would
be virtual gifts that people buy and send to friends through the app. I personally wouldn’t buy them but there is
definitely a lot of revenue made off of in-app purchases.
There are
many things up in the air but Snapchat has made some good decisions so
far. I love the layout and there aren’t
any changes I would suggest they make.
Snapchat provides a level of excitement to photo sharing because you
never know what will pop up. My friends
have basically turned the attempt to screenshot embarrassing snaps into a
game. The fact that your friends can see
when you catch them is just a plus. I
hope they can figure out how to make more money and extend the life of it
because the hype is here to stay for now.
It is definitely one of the best apps to come out within the last year!
