From “could I get your number?” to “what’s your Snap?,” Gen Z is changing the dating scene one picture at a time.
Snapchat, first introduced in 2011, gained popularity for being an app where users could send photos that disappear after a certain amount of time. However, the app has evolved immensely in the past 13 years.
One of the most notable changes in Snapchat culture is its descent into the dating world.
In today’s day and age, commitment is scarce in most Gen Z relationships. For this reason, Snapchat has become a very attractive way to “date” without truly committing to anyone due to its instantaneous photo sending capabilities and activity-tracking features.
One of the unique features of a Snapchat situationship includes your status of either “Delivered” or “Opened.” These tags tell users if their photos were successfully sent, or if their photos were opened on the receiving end.
In Snapchat culture, to be left on “Opened” typically means that someone is just not interested—or in the best case scenarios, that they’re busy. But, to be left on “Delivered” is another story. Oftentimes, people will wait to answer someone’s snap in order to not come across as desperate or clingy. This tedious stratagem makes for very simple conversations strung out between multiple unnecessary days.
¨You can go hours and hours without responding, and it’s like the same conversation is happening over a week,” said Whitney Shady (11).
Another feature unique to Snapchat is someone’s Snapscore. User’s Snapscores are calculated using a “super-secret, special equation” that combines the amount of photos you send and receive, the amount of stories you post, and other miscellaneous factors.
Because this number is on display for all user’s friends, it can be used as a way to track someone’s activity on the app. For example, if you’re attempting to surreptitiously ignore one of your failed situationships, they can tell you’re simply being insincere.
A more recent development has added another layer to Snapchat relationships: Snapchat Plus. This $3.99/month subscription was first introduced in 2022, and includes a wide variety of perks. Some of the most notable perks include “Peek a Peek,” which tells you if someone takes a peek at your conversation (also known as “half-swiping”), “Friend Solar System,” which tells you where you fall on someone’s best friends list, and “Best Friends Forever,” which allows you to pin anyone as your number one best friend.
“For me, I overthink a lot. So if left on “Delivered“ or left on “Opened“ then I just start thinking way too much,“ said Shady.
While all of these features allow you to get more insight into your sitationship’s activity, are any of them actually leading to a deeper connection? The simple answer is no.
In most relationships, it’s expected that you’re going to make mistakes. Whether that be telling a bad joke or stumbling over your words, it’s human nature to not be perfect. However, with Snapchat relationships, being able to tailor your every response doesn’t give much insight into who someone truly is. It’s normal to want to appear as someone more “desirable“ online, but oftentimes, it leads to insincere, hollow relationships.
Most teens would agree if you’re looking for a casual relationship, Snapchat is the way to go. However, if you’re looking for a more long-term connection, texting, calling, or simply talking in-person allows for more authentic conversations.
To be human is to be imperfect. Embrace your mistakes, and be yourself!
