Some people are REALLY not happy with the new Snapchat updates
If you’ve been checking on your Snapchats lately, you might have noticed some changes to the messaging app.
The biggest change is the introduction of Snapchat Discover, which is pretty awesome and pretty benign. It lets you scroll through content from websites like CNN, The Food Network, and ESPN. This means you can watch daily stories in the same way that you would access a message: you just hold down the channel to see a video. It’s a first attempt to monetize the site quickly, by including advertising on those platforms, and it could be a gamechanger for the way that media outlets reach out to readers and viewers. So yea, Snapchat Discover is a big deal! But it’s not the big deal that has users all kinds of worried.
What’s really pushed people over the edge is the elimination of the public “Best Friends” section in the menu. You know “Best Friends,” the category where you could see who you snapped the most, and, more importantly, who every other user snapped with most frequently. Best Friends was ESSENTIAL for efficient online stalking.
Now all your Best Friends are private. This could be good for you, mean nothing to you, or if you’ve been manically checking another human’s “Best Friends” it’s likely a devastating blow. Online stalking is a reality, and some Snapchatters (likely the stalking kind, i.e. us) are really NOT happy with the update because now that super important secret window into bae or your bffs life has been frosted over. Without a lineup of who they snap with, your imagination could run wild. Here are just a few of the Twitter reactions to give you a feel for the mayhem.
So yes, the new updates may severely cut down on stalking opportunities. But the more we think about it, that might be a good thing. Online stalking may be a normal habit but it’s clearly not a healthy one. If you don’t trust your boo on Snapchat then maybe they shouldn’t be your boo. Easier said than done, but just saying.
Stay strong, Snapchatters!
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