I will admit that SnapChat is the one social media that defeated me.
I like to think that I am quite savvy when it comes to all things social media. Before my son even discovered the joys of being social on his devices, I was busy building up a following on Twitter, posting on Facebook and Instagram. I enjoyed it. I still do although I do have weeks now when I switch off and focus on real life for a while.
The teen slowly discovered social media, Instagram at first and then Snapchat. He loves Snapchat. In fact, I would go as far as to say it has become an obsession.
He still uses Instagram, but he doesn’t post. Insta is all about the F words; funny accounts, friends and famous people. Any posting goes on behind the scenes in private messages but I don’t think that even happens much anymore.
Snapchat has taken over and it seems to be constant. Never ending.
He is constantly posting rather strange selfies of half of his head, him pulling silly faces or vaguely dark selfies taken in mirrors. And the selfies are constant and never-ending. Without wanting to sound too much like a dinosaur, I don’t get it. It is like a strange affliction. Is that what all teens do?
You have conversations with him but he isn’t really listening, he is too busy ‘snapchatting’. And I know he isn’t alone. All of his friends are on their too, all posting strange selfies or mini videos of them doing the weirdest or the most mundane of things.
I had a brief flirtation with Snapchat. It was probably a couple of years ago. A blogging pal had been raving about it and I was having a rare night to myself with a large glass of wine to keep me company. So I signed up to Snapchat. Within 24 hours, I had deleted it again. It just baffled me. Whereas I could see the point of the other social media accounts, this one made no sense and in the end, I really wasn’t that bothered and I have never regretted that decision.
But, maybe if I had Snapchat now, I might understand the strange world inside my son’s phone or the possibly stranger world inside his head. Maybe I could have a conversation with him, where he might actually properly listen and take notice of what I am saying to him?
Who am I kidding? I doubt he would want to be friends with his mother, he is nearly 14 and it really wouldn’t be cool, would it?
As for the other social media? Well, apparently Twitter and Facebook are for old people, so he wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole at this point in his life. He wouldn’t have time anyway with all of that ‘snapchatting’ to do.
My boys are obsessed with Snapchat too. They have to do their ‘streaks’ every day and my eldest does a lot of the weird selfies. I learned about it at Britmums a couple of years ago and it sounded quite interesting, but I had an old phone with no storage for the app. By the time I got a new phone with more storage, nearly a year later, I couldn’t be bothered to get it. I’ll leave it to the young people!
I don’t understand Snapchat either….The only thing I like about it is the funny selfies you can do….
My teen and her friends are all into Instagram at the moment which I thankfully understand. lol x
I have to admit to being a bit of a mean mum on this one because I won’t let BP have Snapchat. There’s far too many security risks for me to consider it. I’ve told BP that I don’t even use it and because of all the issues with it, he can’t have it.
I have heard that Twitter and Facebook are for old people – I guess that’s what happens. We think we’re up to date and the kids are rolling their eyes at us and laughing under their breath.