Mental Health Effects of Snapchat

By Emma Feldberg

Entering my late elementary school years and early middle school era, all I wanted was a Snapchat account to stay up to date with all of my friends. They all spent their time sending silly photos with obscure filters back and forth, and I wanted a piece of the pie. I had an iTouch, so I could download whatever I wanted. Fifth grade was the rise of Snapchat usage for my school, so I downloaded the app and created my profile to finally post the coolest selfie with a filter that gave me dog ears and a crazy dog tongue when I opened my mouth.

My account lasted three days until my parents found out that I was using Snapchat and immediately told me to delete it and said that I was not allowed to use the app because of how dangerous it was. I send photos with filters to my friends, how dangerous could it be? Because I was only ten years old, I had no idea the repercussions that came along with the new social media platform, but my parents and other adults in my life sure did know what they were, and they made sure to tell me every single one of them. The biggest concern of all is Snapchat’s pervasive use of short-lived content, comparison-driven culture, and addictive features, such as streaks and filters, which contribute to negative impacts on users’ mental health, including increased stress, anxiety, body image issues, and reduced self-esteem.

“The “disappearing” messages feature of Snapchat makes it very tempting for teens and tweens to share compromising photos or engage in cyberbullying and the Snapmap sharing a student’s physical location can be a scary thought for parents who want to protect their kids from predators.” (smartsocial.com) In my tween years, I heard many stories about people sharing sexual photos on Snapchat and how from then on, their lives would be ruined. I never believed it of course, because I would never do such a thing, especially because sent photos disappear after a certain amount of seconds, and you get notified if the person on the other end screenshots your photo. Why were my parents so worried about the disappearing photos? While this feature of disappearing pictures may foster privacy and authenticity, it can also lead to increased stress and anxiety. However, the feature does allow people to send risky messages or photos without there being proof of it afterward, which is the first side effect of Snapchat: the acceptance of riskiness in the content.

Not only can users be at risk by sending explicit content back and forth, but they also have access to explicit accounts that might display acts of violence, drug use, and even sexual content. Users have the option to add any account they desire as a friend and therefore can send and receive messages and photos, as well as view their public posts. There are no options to filter out certain content. This can add to the danger of how the app can cause mental anxiety for the users because the distribution of casual drug use and sexual content can be extremely unsafe and compromising to a young mind. My parents were frightened at the idea that I could fall into a trap from a random person on the app to attempt to get me to send explicit messages or photos. Looking back I am grateful that my young impressionable mind was not introduced to such things until a later age where I knew more right from wrong and how to stand up for myself.

On top of the photographic content that is included in the app, there are many other features that make the app dangerous to a young mind, including the streaks option. A streak on Snapchat occurs when a user has Snapchatted another person within a twenty-four-hour period for three consecutive days. Some might constitute a streak as a sign of continuous friendship or even a sign of commitment to someone. If I like a guy and he loses our Snapchat streak, then he clearly doesn’t like me back. Or if he doesn’t even respond to my Snapchat, then he hates me for sure. This short-lasting boost of serotonin that obtaining a streak with someone can become an addicting feeling that can easily be taken away. Snapchat’s streaks feature incentivizes users to send messages daily to maintain streaks, which can turn into addictive behavior. The fear of breaking a streak can lead to anxiety and compulsive usage.

Similar to other social media platforms, Snapchat encourages users to compare their lives with others through the display of curated stories and snapshots. This comparison-driven culture can lead to feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and lowered self-esteem. Users may present an idealized version of their lives, leading to unrealistic social comparisons. This is often done through carefully chosen photos and stories that highlight the most exciting or attractive aspects of their experiences. As users curate and filter their content to portray the best parts of their lives, it can create a distorted image of reality. When users view these curated stories, they often compare their own lives to the idealized versions of others. They may perceive that their friends lead more exciting, glamorous, or fulfilling lives, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and discontent. This selectivity in sharing can lead to unrealistic social comparisons because it doesn’t provide a comprehensive view of a person’s life, including the challenges and mundane aspects. On Snapchat users seek validation through likes, comments, and other forms of engagement, similar to activity on other platforms. When users receive less validation or engagement on their posts than their peers, it can lead to a sense of inferiority and diminished self-worth. Over time, repeated exposure to this culture of comparison can significantly impact users’ self-esteem. They may begin to doubt their own worth, value, and achievements in light of the seemingly superior lives presented by others on the platform.

In a survey conducted among my classmates, feedback has concluded that over 70% of Snapchat users agree that Snapchat has negatively affected their mental health from a young age, over 50% say that Snapchat makes them anxious, and over 60% have a short-lasting boost of artificial happiness when receiving a Snapchat.

These statistics provide evidence that Snapchat usage correlates with increased stress, anxiety, body image issues, and reduced self-esteem. It is imperative for both users and platform providers to be aware of these issues and work towards a healthier digital ecosystem that promotes positive mental well-being. Personally, after being at an age where my parents finally allowed me to download Snapchat and use all of the features on the app, not only the facial filters, I was exposed to all other dangerous aspects of the app. A feeling of “fear of missing out” (FOMO) when seeing my friends posting photos with one another and I wasn’t invited to be a part of it. I was targeted by creepy men asking for explicit photos, and thankfully I was at an age where I knew to not do it. I was even exposed and had access to an underground drug and alcohol scene in my town. These unexpected side outcomes of what is supposed to be a fun and light-hearted special media app are what make it so dangerous and detrimental to one’s mental health to always be checking in on yourself and others to ensure that you’re safe and taking care of yourself.

Snapchat, like other social media platforms, can take several steps to improve the user experience and mitigate potential negative impacts on mental health. “From challenging the definition of contexts to revealing the hidden moderators of social interaction, social media research will likely become more central to psychology with each new update (Kross 2017).” (www.annualreviews.org) Some examples of what user experience researchers could add to Snapchat to improve users’ mental health is wellness features like “digital detox” reminders that encourage users to take breaks from the app as well as limit screen time. Another feature could include in-app educational resources on digital well-being, including articles, videos, and tips for maintaining a healthy balance between online and offline life. They should offer links to mental health resources or hotlines within the app, ensuring users have easy access to support when needed. Perhaps even provide users with options to discreetly report concerning content shared by others, such as self-harm or suicidal posts. In regards to the physical well-being of users, promote body positivity by not promoting filters or features that excessively alter one’s appearance. Encourage users to embrace their natural selves and implement disclaimers on filtered images to remind users that these images are digitally enhanced. Overall, Snapchat should actively seek feedback from users through surveys and focus groups to understand their concerns and needs regarding mental health and well-being. As well as Conduct ongoing research to assess the mental health impact of new features and design changes. By taking these steps, Snapchat can create a more supportive and mindful environment for its users, helping to reduce the potential negative impacts on mental health associated with the platform.