I remember the first time I heard about Snapchat. I was a missionary and a member told me about this new app that lets you send a picture or short video to someone else who is then only allowed to see the picture/ video for 10 seconds or less. Immediately I thought of all the bad things that people would use the app for and I couldn't believe what the world had come to.
Well, I am currently a Snapchat user. A friend of mine convinced me to get it after showing me that it can be used for good, clean, fun. Although I'm not one to send a lot of pictures on Snapchat to friends and family, I do appreciate sending fun pictures and not having it fill up the memory space on my phone. I currently have less than ten people on my list of Snapchat friends (half of which are mission companions).
As I've thought about my original impression of Snapchat and my current use of it, I have come to realize how there are a lot of things in this world that can be used for both good and bad. The Internet for example has a lot of inappropriate, incorrect, and cruel things on it. However, it is also filled with many great, uplifting, and inspiring things as well.
I think it is good to remember that media isn't inherently bad, but that we should be active consumers of the media we view and use. Talking to one of the young women in my ward, she mentioned that she isn't allowed to have Snapchat. I completely agree. I feel that although I use Snapchat in appropriate ways, it may not always be easy for an immature consumer to know the most appropriate way to use it. I commend her parents for not allowing her to use Snapchat, because I can see how easy it would be for someone to send inappropriate pictures.
Obviously there are some forms of media that are bad for all ages. I believe that we should be active consumers and really think about what forms or types of media we chose to consume rather than just passively accepting the societal norm.
Leanna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post about Snapchat and how media can be used for both good and bad, as well as many other things in life. I remember feeling the same way about Snapchat after I came back from my mission too, but now I'm also a user and I find it to be pretty fun at times. It's so important to not let ourselves get caught up in what we're using or viewing and take the time to think about what's really going on as a media consumer. Thanks for your post!
Leanna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post about Snapchat and how media can be used for both good and bad, as well as many other things in life. I remember feeling the same way about Snapchat after I came back from my mission too, but now I'm also a user and I find it to be pretty fun at times. It's so important to not let ourselves get caught up in what we're using or viewing and take the time to think about what's really going on as a media consumer. Thanks for your post!
I loved hearing about your initial reactions to snap chat because I had the same ones! (Maybe because I was also a missionary when I heard about it for the first time). I love your message about being an active consumer though, so true!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I'm doing an advertising project for snapchat in one of my classes and it's interesting that a lot of people had the same first impression as you. I agree, many people use it to stay connected to friends and family that live in other places, but it does have it's downfalls. I'm glad that parents are setting limits for children when it comes to different apps, I wonder what we'll have to deal with when we're parents!
ReplyDeleteI definitely have to take a step back and look at the good and the bad as well. I do not have snapchat, but I have seen through my friends and family how it can be enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI love that you said all forms of media can be used for either good or bad. I think we not only need to be critical consumers, but we also need to make sure we are never contributing to the bad forms. That being said, we definitely need to make sure we are aware of the bad and use it as a teaching tool for our children. Thanks for sharing :)
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