By Frances Lopez
Over the past few years the use of Facebook in teenagers has gone down and teens have moved on to new social media platforms such as snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. While it may seem more complicated to post photos on Instagram, share moments on Snapchat, text on WhatsApp, or check Twitter, teens seem to like the variety of using these different forms of communicating. Facebook just isn’t enough anymore. The top two apps in 2017 used by teens are without a doubt Snapchat and Instagram.
Snapchat would definitely have to be the most popular app among teens. Snapchat is an app that allows you to communicate with friends or other social media influencers in real time. It has changed how people interact compared to other forms of social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
Snapchat is strictly a mobile app, users can “chat” with their friends directly or in groups by sending them photos and short videos up to 10 seconds long or just a normal text message. You can also send voice notes and have video/voice calls. Another important feature is posting stories. A story is a photo (which can be posted for up to 10 seconds) or a video that is posted on your account, a story can be viewed by any of your snapchat contacts for a period of 24 hours. This is the big attraction, unlike other social networks, snapchat doesn’t save what you post forever.
More than 400 million Snaps are sent every day and 8,796 photos are shared on Snapchat every second. The platform has also become a cornerstone of social media marketing towards teens and Millennials. With a 72% adoption rate, Snapchat is the most-used social media platform among 12 to 24-years-olds.
Instagram is a social networking app designed for sharing photos and videos. Like Facebook and Twitter, every person with an Instagram account has a news feed and a profile where your own photos are shown. A recently added feature are Instagram stories, exactly like Snapchat’s with a few difference in their features. On Instagram, like Facebook, you can like and comment on any one’s post. Finally, Instagram also has a direct messaging feature which allows you to chat with your followers. It is like a simplified, more straight-forward version of Facebook with an emphasis on photo sharing. Instagram was bought by Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion.
Instagram has more than 400 million monthly active users and more than 80 million photos are uploaded per day and 17% of teens say Instagram is the most important social media site (up from 12% in 2012).
Overall I think that social media is something that allows us to connect with others, whether it be friends, family, or celebrities. Although sometimes the use of it by teens is seen as a negative thing, it is something much bigger than what you realize.