It seems that the age of streaks and AMOSC (add me on Snapchat) could be coming to an end for college students. Some think Snapchat is past its prime and should be reserved for high schoolers, but do Vanderbilt students agree? Vanderbilt students use Snapchat, but their perception of the app is changing for the worse as the world evolves and Snap becomes more antiquated. Is it unusual for someone over 18 to be using Snapchat now?
During the age of Vine and Musical.ly, Snapchat was the up-and-coming social media app. People joined because of the platform’s brevity. Unlike the already popular Instagram, posts on Snapchat only last 24 hours. This new innovation created a sense of urgency within its following and capitalized on fears of missing out. In the mid-2010s, the app had strict control over the culture of the teen and young adult populations because of its lack of commitment. Snapchat is so stress-free because it’s not a part of our online profiles. It’s not curated in the way that users curate Instagram profiles. On Instagram, users often obsess over how they are portrayed and if the photos are perfectly edited. Alternatively, Snapchat plays a minor role in telling people who they are because nothing sticks. Stories only show a glimpse. Instagram is the expectation, while Snapchat is the reality.
Although Snapchat is seen as being on the decline in some social circles, research shows its total number of teenage users is increasing. In 2023, the Pew Research Center found that 59% of teens use Snapchat, an 18% increase from 2014. So, there is no doubt that Snapchat is still popular among high school students. Vanderbilt students don’t seem to be mirroring this growth, but the popularity is still there on a smaller scale.
In 2021, Pew reported that, of the young adults (18-29) who use social media, 65% use Snapchat. Additionally, more than half of the young adults who use Snapchat use it daily. However, is this usage “odd”?
Sophomore Bella Norman said she thinks the nostalgia associated with Snapchat and its habitual tendencies make it still popular among Vanderbilt students.
“When we were all in high school, messaging got phased out. We’re just stuck in the pattern of using Snapchat,” Norman said. “I kind of wish we never had Snap in the first place. It’s very addictive.”
Norman also elaborated on streaks, saying that maintaining a streak with someone is like having an “ever-burning candle” for your friendship. Instead of texting someone, Norman said sending them a daily picture of your face ensures you’re still friends. Snapchat has popularized this “low-maintenance friendship.”
Snapchat’s popularity seems to be sticking in young adult populations. The students interviewed by The Hustler said they use Snapchat in some capacity.
On the other hand, Sophomore Galen Roy said Snapchat is not part of her daily routine and that she almost never uses it. She said she has kept it to stay in the loop, but that she prefers texting or calling her friends.
“It’s irrelevant,” Roy said.
Junior Sydney Geiger echoed Roy’s thoughts, saying that adults should be asking for each other’s numbers — not Snapchat usernames. But something is stopping Geiger, like many others, from ditching the app altogether.
“I definitely feel like it’s a little outdated,” Geiger said. “I don’t use it much.”
Junior Kate Gallardo said she thinks using Snapchat for personal communication isn’t the best use for the app.
“Snapchat should not be your primary mode of communication,” Gallardo said. “But private stories are always fun to keep up with.”
Junior Vincent Falivene said he uses Snapchat, but he’s trying to move away from it.
“It’s weird if you ask for my Snap instead of my number,” Falivene said. “When you’re done with college, it’s weird to still be using Snapchat. But it’s almost like a necessary evil until then.”
Falivene also expanded on the broader context of social media in college culture.
“If you’re not present on social media, you’re seen as a little weird,” Falivene said.
So, is Snapchat getting ghosted by college students? No, at least not at Vanderbilt. Would they like to leave Snapchat behind? Yes, most of them.
