It seems like recently, all my blogging friends are rushing to jump on the Snapchat train.However, some of them have been a bit hesitant, asking their followers and friends if they should make the jump. I would always answer with a resounding NO! And I will never join Snapchat...Periscope, maybe....if I had a working phone camera! But Snapcat? No.
Here are six reasons I WON'T be using Snapchat for personal or blogging use.
"Safe" sexting.
Snapchat was created by a bunch fraternity guys. There was a leaked email that shows that their demographic was women for pictures easily detelable. And the way they refer to women is completely crude.
We have all heard Snapchat is for sexting. Be real and honest. There are many sights that warn parents about sexting. I mean, the picture disappears, right? What an opportunity for teens whose parents check their phones! That is also why they don't let kids under 13 use Snapchat. Even the FBI is warning parents about Snapchat.
There has already been a site of pulled pictures from Snapchat called Snapchat Sluts, showing inappropriate pictures of women and girls from Snapchat. These women probably believed that the pictures were safe and hidden and self-destructed. But, as you can see, it's a gateway to porn! Two sisters have actually sued Snapchat because of a revealing photo of them in a bikini.
Cyber bullying
We already know that cyber bullying is getting worse. I mean, there is now a movie out about cyber bullying (and ghosts, but still)! Any form of bullying can lead to a person, child, teen, or adult, to fall into a depression, self-harm, or even commit suicide. The worst thing about Snapchat and cyberbullying, is because of the timer of photos, it is hard to get tangible evidence of the bullying.
I have personally had a family member be somewhat bullied through Snapchat. It was more of a misunderstanding and silly reasoning of an angsty girl and did no damage, but it could have been worse.
Ways to save Snaps
Nothing on the internet is safe. Nothing on the internet is temporary. Once something is online, it creates a permanent, everlasting footprint. Even though your snaps "disappear", there are still ways to save it. Smart phones can take screen shots. Other phones or cameras can take screen shots.There are now apps to get them back and save them, like SnapHack. And, it actually never totally "disappears." It's just hidden deep in files. They are actually saved as temporary files on your phone's hardrive!
Now, the bloggers I know don't have to worry about any scandalous photos--they don't use Snapchat for that. But, we as bloggers have all heard about intellectual and creative property infringements--stories of blogs copywriting other blogs, people stealing bloggers' photos, etc. What an easy way for this to happen!
Snapchat OWNS your photos and has access to personal information
I've read many, many posts sayig that one of the main reasons bloggers switch to Wordpress is because they own the content, whereas, technically, Google owns your blog if you are on Blogger, even if you use a 3rd party host. Well, Snapchat has the same issue as Blogger. If you actually read the Terms and Usage Agreement, as well as their Privacy Policy, somethings might surprise you!
Snapchat's privacy policy states that they have access to and collect information from your activity and messages, your device information including your unique device identifiers and phone number, your device phonebook and photos, website cookies, and login information!
And this is directly from the Terms of Agreement:
- You retain all ownership rights in your User Content. However, by submitting User Content to Snapchat, you hereby grant us an irrevocable, nonexclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, edit, publish, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, promote, exhibit, and display such User Content in any and all media or distribution methods, now known or later developed (the "User Content License"), subject to any privacy settings you have set to control who can see your User Content. Without limiting the foregoing, when you submit User Content to Snapchat in connection with Our Stories and other crowd-sourced Stories, you agree that the User Content License accords Snapchat the right to sublicense such User Content to other companies, organizations, or individuals in connection with the syndication, broadcast, distribution, promotion, or publication of Our Stories and other crowd-sourced Stories in any and all media or distribution methods, now known or later developed. No use of User Content, including without limitation, Our Stories and other crowd-sourced Stories, in accordance with the User Content License shall entitle you to any compensation from Snapchat, or any other companies, organizations, or individuals
Scandals, Suings, Bad Press
There has been so many hackings and lawsuits (including one of the co-founders suing the rest) that I'm not going to hyperlink to them. Just Google it! Do we, as bloggers, influencers, encouragers, want to be associated to that? I think not.
It's just yet another social media platform
I'm already a user of blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and researching about Periscope. I am a stay-at-home-mom with a busy 1 year old. I have a husband who wants to spend quality time with me, and I him! I am also a tutor, a freelance writer, and a transcriber. There is no way that I want to stretch myself any thinner with yet another social media platform. (That, and an unworking iPhone camera is why I'm hesitant to join Periscope). Do we as bloggers really need to be on every platform to be successful? I'm saying we don't!
So, although bloggers won't get into sexting trouble on their Snapchat accounts, there are plenty of other issues involved. I won't hate or picket against you if you do join Snapchat, but I do ask, please, please, please, please do your research and do it well. As for me, I'm happy on other platforms!
Do you use Snapchat? Why or why not?
