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Snapchat doesn't allow you to replay a video more than once.

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Snapchat doesn't allow you to replay a video more than once.

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I love amusing social media sites as much as the next Gen-Y. I have them all and use them daily. One day, I see someone's tweet about getting a Snapchat and how everyone should go follow them. Being the social media junkie that I am, I headed straight for the app store!
Downloader beware! This will increase your stress, frustration, and possible alcohol intake.
Here's my first issue: Snapchat asked for my phone number. Any app that immediately asks for my phone number, I'm going to be skeptical of. I get they need to verify that I'm an "actual person" but, there are so many other ways to prove that - ask me a math question, have me identify 6 random letters and numbers, send me an email... No other app asks for this. Unless they're planning to call and wish me happy birthday once a year, don't ask for my number. But nonetheless, I continued forward.

Now, I'm an educated, twenty something with a Bachelors degree from a respectable college and grew up with the boom of social media, but for the love of God I cannot figure this app out. Is Snapchat really that complicated or am I seriously getting older? I feel like one of those parents trying to figure Facebook out.

There's something like 200 million active users on Snapchat. There are articles all over the internet from Wall Street Journal to Forbes about how great this app is. It even surpassed Instagram and Tumblr as the fastest-growing social app. And every time I open it, I end up flustered and punching random symbols that I don't even know what they mean. Then I find I have a message from Snapchat! It's the valued instructions on how to use the app. But after I watch the small video, it disappears! It's like one of those secret agent messages that self destructs - just like in Inspector Gadget! Such important instructions on how to use the app appear and vanish right before your eyes. It literally sets you up for failure from the get-go.

Regardless of the fact that I can't navigate this damn thing, isn't the point of social media to post your hilarious pictures, crazy and inspiring group outings, and give updates on your personal life for the entire internet to see? If the picture disappears after a few seconds, I just don't see the value in that. If I like a picture, I'm going to want to see it again. So why are they deleting? Supposedly, there's a second app you can download to save the pictures. But that's valued MB space for my phone... I can't make that kind of commitment.

If this is the direction social media apps are headed in, I'm out. I'll keep posting pictures of my dog on Instagram and continue to live a happy and less complicated life thank you very much.

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I love amusing social media sites as much as the next Gen-Y. I have them all and use them daily. One day, I see someone's tweet about getting a Snapchat and how everyone should go follow them. Being the social media junkie that I am, I headed straight for the app store!

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Snapchat is facing an epic user revolt over its major app overhaul. The company, for now, is sticking to its guns - which seems to be the smart move.

Quick refresher: Snap unveiled the biggest Snapchat redesign in three years last fall and began rolling it out broadly this month. The goals were to make the app simpler to use and to more cleanly delineate "social" interactions from "media" consumption. "Your friends aren't content. They're relationships," Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said in a peppy marketing video last fall about the new app design.

But many Snapchatters are up in arms, complaining that it's harder to find messages and friends on the new "dynamic" friends page. More than 1 million people have signed a Change.org petition demanding that Snap scrap the new design. "The new layout is horrid," one user wrote in a one-star review on Google Play. "Consider the old layout or I may even delete the app. It's such trash now."

Spiegel, speaking Thursday at an investor conference, indicated Snap isn't going to change course. "Some of the complaints we are seeing are reinforcing our philosophy," he said. For instance, some Snapchat users complained that the celebrities they follow on the platform aren't in their friend list anymore, about which Spiegel commented: "They're not your friends."

Yes, the jury is still out on whether the Snap decision on the resdesign was a serious miscalculation. It's possible that millions of irritated users actually junk it. But if history is any guide, the brouhaha will fade.

The tech industry is rife with examples of design changes that prompted users to throw conniption fits, before the hubbub abated within a few months - and usage on each of the platforms continued to climb:

When Instagram changed its logo two years ago, many fans completely hated it: The New York Times dubbed it "The Great Instagram Logo Freakout of 2016." Earlier that year, Instagram switched users' feeds from chronological to algorithmically sorted presentation; that led to, yes, a Change.org petition to keep Instagram chronological signed by 343,000 people. Spoiler alert: Instagram didn't go back to the old design.

A staunch contingent of Twitter purists fought against its move to expand from 140 to 280 characters, which went into effect for all users in November. The result? Twitter reported that average daily active users grew 12% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Back in 2012, an eternity in internet time, Facebook (horrors!) switched from "Walls" to the now-established Timeline format. "It was basically the end of the world for a few weeks," per a CNN report, citing a poll at the time that found less than 10% of Facebook users liked the change.

Let's not forget one of the most disruptive changes in recent memory: Netflix's decision in 2011 to split DVD rentals from its streaming service, which some believed was a monumental error. True, Netflix made some mistakes (remember Qwikster?) and saw heavy churn from what effectively was a price hike. But ripping off that Band-Aid was the right thing to do - and now Reed Hastings and crew are riding high, with a booming streaming business and DVD-by-mail sidecar that still throws off cash.

The list of tech product-design changes that have angered people could go on and on. Less than a year ago, Netflix eliminated the five-star content rating system, moving instead to thumbs up/thumbs down ratings. Many customers hated it. But the world has kept turning. Netflix has continued to grow.

Snapchat itself has been through hand-wringing over prior app tweaks.

In 2014, after it added the ability to send text and video chats, "Not only were teenagers saying they didn't like the update; they also didn't understand how it worked," Business Insider wrote at the time. And two years ago, Snapchat merely changed its font - leading to a "meltdown online," according to a Digiday story, citing an analysis of 3,000 internet comments that found 74% indicated negative sentiment.

And it's worth pointing out that Spiegel and the rest of the Snapchat team fully anticipated a backlash over the latest redesign.

"There is a strong likelihood that the redesign of our application will be disruptive to our business in the short term, and we don't yet know how the behavior of our community will change when they begin to use our updated application," the CEO said in prepared remarks on the company's Q3 2017 earnings call. But, he added, "We're willing to take that risk for what we believe are substantial long-term benefits to our business."

What benefits, exactly? Snapchat believes the new app puts it in a better position to monetize media content. Among the changes, the company says Snapchat Discover will become "uniquely personalized" for each user. And the company has said that it will bring top creators into the revenue-sharing pool - an incentive for influencers to produce more content for the right-hand (media) side of the app.

"This redesign, if it delivers on its promise to serve quality content in a targeted way, could be just what Snapchat needs to increase eyeball time on the app," Yuval Ben-Itzhak, CEO of social-analytics firm Socialbakers, commented after Snap showed off the new look last November.

In any event, chances are good that the current fuss over the Snapchat redesign will evaporate pretty soon - and no one will remember what the big deal was about.

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Snapchat, Ignore the Haters: History Shows Freak-Outs Over Redesigns Subside

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Snapchat is facing an epic user revolt over its major app overhaul. The company, for now, is sticking to its guns - which seems to be the smart move. Quick refresher: Snap unveiled the biggest Snapchat redesign in three years last fall and began rolling it out broadly this month.

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Snapchat's making it harder and more complicated.

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Snapchat's making it harder and more complicated.

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Snapchat rolled out a new update full of new designs and features this week, but users didn't seem to be too thrilled about the changes.

Stories are no longer ordered chronologically. Instead they are ranked based on your most recent interactions. It also takes a few more steps to rewatch a story. The option to rewatch a post isn't available right after viewing. You now have to go to the user's profile to get a second peak.

Furthermore, the friends section now contains snaps, direct messages and group chats all on one page as opposed to separate ones as before. And to manage your own stories, you now have to tap the Snapchat logo to access the camera and to see your story views and deleted snaps.

As the alterations appeared, many took to social media to express their displeasure. Several said they hated it, reacting with GIFs and emojis.

*new Snapchat update*

Snapchat: "YAHH SOMETHING NEW!"

the world: pic.twitter.com/wQWLelfDLd
- Gabe Erwin (@gabe) February 7, 2018

who was in charge at Snapchat headquarters for this new design? Who's responsible? I just wanna talk.... pic.twitter.com/HYatW9mIvZ
- queen (@TheQueenBLife) February 7, 2018

uh @Snapchat this update is AWFUL 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼
- meg🌱 (@edgemegann) February 7, 2018

Others said they couldn't figure how to locate all of the new features and were confused about how to find different sections of the app.

I hate this new @Snapchat @snapchatsupport. I dont know how it works. It's more difficult than assembling anything I order from ikea
- Virgil Henderson (@Coach_Rev) February 7, 2018

A few were so upset that they were urging their friends not to update the social media platform. They wrote, "Do not update...RT to save a life."

PSA DONT DOWNLOAD THE NEW SNAPCHAT

RT TO SAVE A LIFE or you'll regret it
- melissa♕ (@melissamehlhaff) February 7, 2018

Do not update snapchat! It is a horrible design. Stories are mixed in with your snaps. pic.twitter.com/iabgXi7k1i
- Skylar North (@BigDaddySkylar) February 7, 2018

I don't tweet ever. But this #snapchatupdate is horrible. @Snapchat please change it back! I'm begging you. I didn't want this update, just woke up to it. PEOPLE, DO NOT UPDATE. I REPEAT, DO NOT UPDATE!
- Leneh98 (@LeneHermans) January 30, 2018

Users even demanded that the company switch the design back to the original one.

Dear Snapchat,
Everyone hates the update so change it back
Thanks
- Macey James (@macey_james7) February 7, 2018

@Snapchat how do I change my snap back to the way it was? This new update is disgusting.
- Brie (@PureAphrodisiac) February 6, 2018

Could you please change back to the way it was @Snapchat

Sincerely, Everyone.
- Gunnar Royer (@GRoy40) February 7, 2018

And some were confused about the hoopla as they had yet to receive the update.

My Snapchat didn't update so I'm chillin... pic.twitter.com/fdAL2JmS7l
- Skai Jackson ♡ (@skaijackson) February 7, 2018

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'Change it back': Snapchat users not happy about latest update

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Snapchat rolled out a new update full of new designs and features this week, but users didn't seem to be too thrilled about the changes. Stories are no longer ordered chronologically. Instead they are ranked based on your most recent interactions. It also takes a few more steps to rewatch a story.

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Are new updates for snapchat are the reson people left?

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Are new updates for snapchat are the reson people left?

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Snapchat released its recent redesign to tons of new users this weekend and many are not happy about it.

Nearly 600,000 people have signed a Change.org petition asking parent company Snap to revert to the old version, and users are complaining on other social media. A fake tweet purporting to be from Snap said it would change back if it got 50,000 retweets -- it now has over 1.3 million:

Fake tweet:

The new layout debuted in November for a limited audience, but Snap has been rolling it out gradually to more people. It's a drastic departure from previous designs and was supposed to make the app simpler to use. Unfortunately, a lot of people found it to be a confusing mess.

Here's why everyone is so upset with the update.

(Pictures are blurred to protect the identities of the writer's Snapchat contacts.)

Stories and incoming Snapchats are on the same page

The new redesign condenses Stories (photos and videos that are visible to your friends and disappear after 24 hours) and incoming Snapchats (real-time conversations with friends) on one "Friends" page.

Incoming Snapchats have priority at the top of the page, but the Stories and conversations look nearly identical and are no longer in chronological order. Instead, Snapchat uses an algorithm to show you Stories from friends it thinks you care about most.

Sending a Snapchat is more confusing

The new layout is too busy and makes it harder to find friends, instead of the simple list format that the app has had for years.

Rewatching Stories is difficult

Previously watched Stories used to be available on the "Stories" page to rewatch until they expired, but they seemingly disappear after one watch now.

In order to rewatch a Story, users have to swipe up and search a specific friend's name to rewatch their Story.

The Discover page has been replaced with featured and sponsored content

You used to be able to swipe left to find Stories. Now the page is full of sponsored content and featured celebrity stories.

This change is part of Snapchat's move to be more advertiser-friendly and bring in more revenue. Instead, it has the opposite effect: it makes the ads easier to avoid -- you can just stay away from that page altogether.

Will Snap listen?

So far, Snap shows no indication that they're going to reverse the changes. In fact, the company has discouraged fans from using workarounds to revert to the old version, warning it could lock them out of their old Memories:

link

Meanwhile, the company is coming off its strongest quarter yet since going public. It beat Wall Street's revenue, earnings and user growth estimates in Q4, and the stock is up more than 30 percent since it reported earnings last week.

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Here's why Snapchat users are so upset about its recent redesign

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Snapchat released its recent redesign to tons of new users this weekend and many are not happy about it. Nearly 600,000 people have signed a Change.org petition asking parent company Snap to revert to the old version, and users are complaining on other social media.

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Snapchat takes your battery off your phone.

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Snapchat takes your battery off your phone.

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I love Snapchat! But there are some things about it, approximately 15, that I really love not so much! So here they are. Am I being whingy? Probably.

Battery (and Life) Consumption

How. How does my iPhone go from 100% to 11% after catching up on a feed of stories. Slight exaggeration but really not that far off. And when I'm snapping throughout an event it's even worse. Thank GOD for portable chargers! I also lose way too many hours of my life just catching up with my favs and replying!

Not enough Filters

WHY ARE THERE ONLY 3 FILTERS. Like really, a couple more wouldn't hurt! In saying that, the Black and White filter has in fact saved me from frightening my followers from time to time. But sometimes real life needs a little filter or two and a bit of Instagram's Nashville, Walden or Earlybird wouldn't go astray!

4139 second Snapchat Stories

What. How does anyone have the time and effort to Snap all day every day! Personally, I'd rather 400 interesting / relevant seconds than 1000 of pure crap! I skip these snaps because I don't wanna see 600 seconds of your dog running around the garden, that concert full of noise you're at or your sausages sizzling in the pan. Of course a little amount is fine, but not all day everyday. I don't want to miss the good stuff because I'm skipping through!

Everybody is on a Diet

Complaining that you're fat, posting a picture of a pizza you've just ordered, starting again on Monday, devouring a packet of biscuits on Tuesday. Complaining that you're fat. What. Can you not.

Stop dieting it's no craic.

Or at least stop telling me about it!

Display Names

If all the bloggers could change their Display Names and add the name of their blog in there too that would be great! Especially if you just have your first name displayed - I can't figure out who is who half the time. And I don't want to miss my favs! Some people actually use the display name 'Me' - yes that helps differentiate alright. Also, I wish I could change my actual username - lots of people are adding 'AJmakeup' and I'm AJFItzsimons on there! First World Problems.

Never meet add your Heroes

Ok heroes is a sentiment too far, but you get my jist! I've been so disappointed by some people's snapchat, especially those that represent a brand, blog or magazine etc. If it's your personal one that's fine, then disassociate it from your brand's Social Media accounts. I don't want to add a clothing company I follow on Instagram only to find snaps of their boyfriend and cat, with not a dress or shoe in sight!

Also, you can sometimes find out some people you had previously admired are actually not so great after all, and extremely rude in what they post to their story, what's that about? Snapchat is possibly ruining that rep you spent so long building on Instagram and Twitter. Delete. I've seen lots of others complain about this too actually!

Oh and celebrities? Most of them are shite.

Life Story

I don't need to know. Cheers.

Bits of life only please!

And in 10secs or less - not a full on 3mins to explain in detail every single aspect of every single occurrence. Summarise! You can speak quicker than you think. And it's called Snapchat for a reason!

My OCD

I hate not opening a story. I have crazy OCD when it comes to Snapchat because I know I have a time limit to view them all. And I get the serious fear of missing out! This applies to most social networks - I don't want to miss any important or interesting stuff! I also like knowing what my favs are up to, & what they're buying!

People not on Snapchat

Although it feels like everyone and their mother is on there, it's not true. I want all the cool people and bloggers to join! Although then my battery will probably completely give up and I'll lose even more hours of my life but I'm willing to risk it! So come join - you probably won't regret it. Providing you don't mind losing a bit of privacy!

Deleting Snaps

Why commit to posting them to your story if you don't want to leave them there for the full 24 hours! That's just mean. Oh and stop posting drunk snaps only to delete them the next morning, because we've probably seen them already! It's the internet like, it's turned on all of the time. And screenshots are permanent too!

Getting Cut Off

It's only ever going to be at max 10 seconds long, so why let it cut you off mid sentence & proceed to post it anyways! You can easily re record the video again just talking slightly faster the next time! Rather than spending the first 5 seconds on the next snapchat explaining how you got cut off in the first one. Ain't no one got time for that!

Negativity

The odd rant grand. I enjoy those! But the constant stories of negativity, disgruntlement, whinging, or being rude. Just no. And it's the same people all the time, I just don't view their stories anymore! I like it to be a relatively happy place with some personal insight. Not listening to first world problems all day every day.

Expectations

The pressure for some people to keep their Snapchat story buzzing throughout the day is crazy! I hate that some people have to apologise for not posting all day, it's unfair! We all have our off days, we all have boring days with nothing to talk about, we all have the need for some time out with ourselves or loved ones, let it be!

Glitches & Limitations

Trying to read some peoples Snaps they've sent to you and they all 'open' at once even though you haven't had a chance to click in and view! Annoying. And sometimes I can't find who to reply to once I do get to open one & choose to reply later, because I can't go in and re-read. I also find annoying how I can only ever see the last 100 users that view or screenshot my snaps. I'm nosy I want to know who is screenshot-ing what!

Screenshots

Screenshot away on product recommendations, outfit posts, bargain buys & tips etc - I love Snapchat for this! I like seeing the amount of screenshots those snaps I post are getting. However. When people screenshot videos mid chat when stupid faces are being made, that's a no no! Many bloggers have been mentioning this point a lot recently and are blocking repeat offenders for doing it, so be warned!

People on Holidays

JUST KIDDING, I'm just jeal! I love these!

For none (or very little) of the above, you can find me on Snapchat at username 'AJFitzsimons' I'm possibly doing a lot of other things wrong though so feel free to snap me and let me know!

Am I alone in any of these? Or is there anything else to add to this list?

What I love about Snapchat

Irish Bloggers

Product Recommendations

Honesty

Chatting with Followers

Bargain Buys & Tips

Personal Insight

On the Go updates

Meal Ideas

No Editing

Outfit Posts

Unboxings

Event Insights

View Count

No constant posting of Memes/Quotes like Instagram

If you're interested in who I love to follow, let me know and I'll happily do another post!

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15 Things I Hate about Snapchat - AJ Makeup

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I love Snapchat! But there are some things about it, approximately 15, that I really love not so much! So here they are. Am I being whingy? Probably. Battery (and Life) Consumption How. How does my iPhone go from 100% to 11% after catching up on a feed of stories.

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Instagram tells you when there is violence in the videos.

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Instagram tells you when there is violence in the videos.

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Instagram has always been all or nothing when it comes to boundary-pushing photos and videos: either they made it through the company's censors, or they got removed from the service. But that's about to change.

Starting soon, the app will begin blurring out photos and videos that contain "sensitive" content. If someone reports a post and Instagram's moderation team agrees that it's "sensitive," the image will appear blurred out and with a warning on top of it reading: "This photo contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing." You'll have to tap a button before seeing the post.

But what counts as "sensitive?"

Instagram provided some clarity on what qualifies as "sensitive" in emails to The Verge. The company said that, at first, it'll primarily be focused on posts that depict violence. "Examples include animal rights groups that share content to expose animal testing conditions or animal abuse, or content that raises awareness of humanitarian crises around the world (famine, impact of war on local communities)," the company wrote.

But the addition of post blurring won't change what Instagram allows users to post - everything that was banned before is still banned now; it's just that some content will be subject to a warning screen.

As for whether this could expand to sexually explicit posts in the future, Instagram didn't rule it out. "Over time we will explore expanding the application of screens into other areas," the company wrote. It said the goal of blurring posts is to "build a safe environment" for users.

Instagram said the sensitive content warnings will start showing up immediately.
Update March 23rd, 2:18PM ET: This story has been updated to include new details from Instagram on what qualifies as "sensitive" content.

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Instagram will begin blurring 'sensitive' posts before you can view them

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Instagram has always been all or nothing when it comes to boundary-pushing photos and videos: either they made it through the company's censors, or they got removed from the service. But that's about to change. Starting soon, the app will begin blurring out photos and videos that contain "sensitive" content.

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When you exit a story Snapchat makes you start all over, Instagram doesn't.

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When you exit a story Snapchat makes you start all over, Instagram doesn't.

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SnapChat launched a new update to its app some weeks ago and we just can't overcome how horrible it is.

The company lost over 1.3 billion dollars of its stock since the update was released and even led to a petition being started on Twitter to force the company to revoke the update

Here are 5 reasons we hate the update so much.

1. We are unable to find our local stories

The Snapchat of before enabled us to view snaps of events that are happening locally and even add our own stories to these events so that we are updated on whatever is happening. In Snapchat new update, that great feature is missing and they rather prefer to show us a bunch of celebrity snaps we are not really interested in.

2. The new push notification

With the new Snapchat update, you tend to receive notifications from all your friends even though you don't really message some of them or even view their snaps. So if you have 600 friends, then that's 600 notifications for you.

3. Everything is now disorganized

It is now difficult to know if you have view someone's snap already as has now been cluttered in a disorganized way on the friend's section of the app.

4. The new horrible discovery section

The once specialized discovery section where you could choose to watch snaps from news outlets and magazines like CNN and People magazine has been replaced with randoms snaps that you probably won't be interested in.

5. When you close the app you have to watch all the stories from the beginning.

With the new Snapchat Update, whenever you close the app after watching a friends snap, you have to rewatch it from the beginning once you open his\her snap again and no one has time for that!

We know a lot of you are addicted to snapchat and the new update will not deter you from using the app.

.. and since you need faster and reliable internet to vibe on snapchat, allow us to introduce to you the various DATA PLANS on SURFLINE.

Enjoy UNLIMITED on Ghana's fastest 4G LTE network

Don't ever run out of data in the middle of important work. Enjoy unlimited access to the internet all day, all night, all month.

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5 Reasons Why We Totally Hate Snapchat New Update

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The company lost over 1.3 billion dollars of its stock since the update was released and even led to a petition being started on Twitter to force the company to revoke the update Here are 5 reasons we hate the update so much.

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Is Snapchat bad for kids eyes? Instagram asks parents to help that to not happen.

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Is Snapchat bad for kids eyes? Instagram asks parents to help that to not happen.

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Snapchat vs. Instagram

In the battle of teen social media heavyweights, Snapchat vs. Instagram, which poses greater risks to kids?

According to a Common Sense Media survey in 2015, teens spend an average of 1 hour 11 minutes on social media every day, like Snapchat, Instagram, Musical.ly and others. This is how they relate and interact. Just this week, I was relating to a co-worker that the days of going to the mall to hang out seem to be giving way to other types of social interaction, thanks to technology.

For the first time in three years, there is a new king of the teen social media world. In the spring 2016 edition of the annual Piper Jaffray social media survey, 6,500 teens ages 14-19 were asked to name the "most important social network." 28% of them said Snapchat and 27% said Instagram ( Twitter and Facebook were third and fourth with 18% and 17%, respectively).

The one percent different might seem insignificant, but it represents a massive shift in perception. Just last fall, Instagram was first with 33%, with Snapchat a distant second with 19% (again, followed by Twitter and Facebook).

For years, Snapchat struggled under the negative label of being that "sexting app," only used by "bad kids" for sending nudes. Compare that to where they are today, firmly established as a top-tier media platform, valued at over $16 billion with over 100 million users. The app's 8 billion daily video views put it on par with King Facebook. According to Snapchat's own data, on any given day, Snapchat reaches 41% of all American 18-34-year-olds in a single day. Stop and read that again, because it's a staggering figure.

But, Instagram is far from dead. With a dazzling array of beautiful picture filters that can turn any amateur into an expert photographer, Instagram boasts over 400 million users with over 75% of its user base living outside of the U.S., Instagram is a key strategic cog in the Facebook social media empire, so it has the funding and global reach to compete with anyone.

But, which app is best for kids? Let's compare.

Which app provides the easiest access to pornographic material?

Because Instagram's 400 million users share over Instagram could easily be classified as an unfiltered internet search engine. Do you want to find a picture of #cutecamels? Hey, I just found 121 pictures with that hashtag from all over the world. But, these same snappy hashtags also serve as a sorting mechanism for photos, making it very easy to find just about anything. If you know where to look, it is not difficult to find straight-up sex in a 15-second looping video. 70 million photos daily, And, since there are no parental controls, and search history is easily erased in the settings, the risk of inappropriate use is high for certain types of kids.

BUT, Snapchat is adding more and more pop culture fodder through its "Discover" section. Here you can click on articles from People Magazine, the Daily Mail (British), Food Network, and others. It's only a matter of time until Snapchat adds a search engine feature, like Google, within the app. Search engine functionality would significantly increase the app's risk. For now, Instagram wins this category.

Which app has the greatest negative Impact on self-esteem?

Here's what I wrote in a recent blog post for Protect Young Minds:

"Anyone can create a gorgeous image with the "X-Pro" filter and a bit of hue. But, for young teenage girls, the pressure to produce the perfect selfie, complete with skinny arm and up/off to the right (for the perfect angle)....that's the goal. Such a photo maximizes likes (because I'm constantly comparing my likes to everyone else) and revs my popularity engine in front of my peers. But, it creates a damaging exchange. With each photo, I'm exchanging real beauty for manufactured beauty. And, I've attached my heart and overall self-worth to the hearts I do (or don't) receive from my followers."

Popularity was an issue when I was a kid, but it was somewhat subjective. Today, things are different. In the words of pastor and author, Craig Groeschel, "Now empirical data can tell you with absolute precision where you rank: 'Let's see...If I have seventy-three followers, and my BFF has 423, that means she's almost six times more popular than I am.'"

There are pages of rules for taking selfies. Go ahead. Google it! The pressures felt by some kids to be perfect and to achieve a certain level of quantified popularity within a social network is having a tremendous impact on the overall contentment of tweens and teens. They are seeing the lives of their peers in real-time, constantly comparing, and constantly longing for the greener grass. And, what they discover is that no matter how amazing and satisfying their own life might be, it can't compare to what others appear to have.

Pastor Andy Stanley says, "There is no win in comparisons."

Instagram is a comparison monster, taking no prisoners.

Which app creates the greatest temptation to be stupid?

Snapchat might have shaken the "sexting app" label, but the premise that pictures disappear is automatically going to increase a teen's risk tolerance and cause them to take riskier photos (even though Snapchat has admitted the pictures don't really disappear). Certain kids will have a blast with the app, because honestly, it's a ton of fun. But, other kids will find it way too easy to send inappropriate photos, risking their future. Remember, when minors take nude photos of themselves, it's typically considered child pornography by the legal system.

**July 6, 2016 update - with the most recent feature update, the "risk of stupid" has increased pretty dramatically for Snapchat. Snaps no longer disappear ("Memories") and the addition of a passcode protected private photo vault is concerning. Read more here!

Instagram isn't perfect here. There isn't a way for parents to know if their son or daughter has created a fake account for inappropriate photos or for masking bullying activity. Fake Instagram accounts are called "Finstas" and are quite common. Not all Finstas are nefarious - some kids use them to hold more personal pictures or more embarrassing shots they only share with a certain core group of friends.

Which app is harder for parents to monitor?

This one was really a toss-up. Neither app has parental controls, and none of the parental controls on iOS or Android devices have any impact on Instagram or Snapchat, as I explain in our "App Risk" pages.

Now that snaps are kept in "Memories," maybe there's a house rule that no snaps are deleted. It's impossible to know if the rules are being adhered to, but it's a start.

With Instagram, although kids can easily clear their search history, at least the search history can be captured. Maybe the house rule is that search history isn't deleted.

With both apps, the real "parental control" Imagine the power of a conversation like this between a dad and his son, happens through open, honest conversation. "The truth is, you could hide a search for inappropriate things, and I would never know. But, I love you a ton, and I know that looking at those pictures can really mess with the way God has wired us as men. I want you to know that you can be honest if you ever bump into these kinds of things. It's every guy's battle, and I'm in this with you." This creates an open dialogue, and everything that we keep in the light is easier to deal with.

I started by asking a question, "which app is best for kids?"

My answer? Well, it depends.

Kids who have a history of stumbling into pornography will struggle with staying pure on Instagram. On the other hand, a kid who might be in a risky relationship might struggle to stay pure on Snapchat.

My daughter won't have either of them until she's at least 13. This decision is based on what we know about our daughter and the risk attached to each app.

It comes down to knowing your kid, knowing each app's risks, and then making an informed, loving decision. Protect Young Eyes was created to equip parents and their kids with the right information. Do you feel informed? If so, let me know with a comment below!

Peace, Chris

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Living life to the full! That's why He died and how I try to live. I have an eclectic list of professional experience...CPA, business advisor, youth pastor, development director, now educational resource manager for Covenant Eyes. God shares wild ideas with me about life while I run. I want to show parents how to protect their kids from online dangers, which led to the creation of Protect Young Eyes. We recently created Virtue in Media, the first digital citizenship curriculum based on Scripture (www.virtueinmedia.com).

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Snapchat vs. Instagram Comparison - Protect Young Eyes Blog

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In the battle of teen social media heavyweights, Snapchat vs. Instagram, which poses greater risks to kids? According to a Common Sense Media survey in 2015, teens spend an average of 1 hour 11 minutes on social media every day, like Snapchat, Instagram, Musical.ly and others. This is how they relate and interact.

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Instagram lets you share links and Snapchat doesn't.

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Instagram lets you share links and Snapchat doesn't.

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Both Instagram and Snapchat offer digital marketers the same proposition: a platform for photo and video sharing with a captive audience of content-hungry individuals that can be engaged, nurtured and converted. This is even more the case now that Instagram launched "Instagram Stories" (an unashamed Snapchat clone) eight months ago.

However, the devil is in the detail. And it's these details which should make Instagram a better choice for both B2B and B2C digital marketers:
1. Instagram makes it easier to find your target audience
The strength of any social media community lies in the ability to find your target customer quickly and easily.

From the outset, Snapchat comes a cropper. There is no clear "Discovery" function on the app - an issue which, according to Wired, means it is missing out on millions. You have to type in exact usernames to find people as there is no 'account suggestion' functionality. Consequently, brands and power users are forced to increase their following by promoting their Snap profile on channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and - yes - Instagram.

By contrast, Instagram is at pains to enable you to discover other users and feeds with similar interests. From the 'Explore' page that features curated photos based on similar feeds that you're already following to a dedicated Search bar at the top that allows you to find users by geography, username, hashtag use, and more.
2. Instagram has a larger addressable audience
This leads neatly onto the second point: the size of the addressable audience that is on each platform.

It's here that the disparity between the two platforms is most apparent. At the time of writing, there are over 700 million monthly active Instagram users, compared with 'just' 300 million for Snapchat. Instagram's growth shows no signs of slowing down; with reports expecting that one-half of all social media users will use Instagram in 2017.

Snapchat evangelists make much about it being the platform du jour for those that want a captive audience of young people. Indeed, the company said in its S-1 last year that 85% of Snapchat's 158 million daily users are between the ages of 18 and 34. Whilst this undoubtedly makes it the preserve of the young - it is nevertheless a somewhat limiting demographic, particularly for marketers that are targeting an older customer (of which there are much more).
3. Instagram lets you share links and tag people
The ability to link out from your social profile is integral to driving traffic to your key sites. Snapchat does provide link capabilities for 'pay to play' advertisers, but not for regular users - so if you're marketing for a local business don't expect to be using the platform to drive sales anytime soon. The February release of "Snapcodes" (a type of QR code that takes you to a website if you take a photo) is a long way away from the simple URL that Instagram lets you carry in your bio.

Likewise, the ability to 'tag' other users in your social network is a surefire way to get their attention, show up in their activity feed, and thereby increase exposure and engagement with a piece of content. You can tag up to 10 people in an Instagram story and up to 20 on a photo. And, Snapchat? 0.
4. Instagram Stories supports higher video quality
For a platform whose raison d'etre is visual posts, it's notable that Snapchat that comes a clear second to Instagram Stories when it comes to quality of videos.

It's not surprising - Snapchat requires you to record live video by holding the record button and then automatically publishing whatever you've captured once you release your finger. You're a hostage to fortune with regards to how steady your hand is and how good the natural light is - there is no opportunity to sharpen the footage or to add filters to give it that lustre and aesthetic sheen we've come to associate with Instagram. Furthermore, on Instagram you can add high-quality videos that you have recorded beforehand on other devices - allowing you to upload even HD videos (if you know how to bypass Instagram's re-encoding function which compresses uploaded videos).
5. Instagram provides better analytics
Finally, when it comes to measurement and tracking marketing metrics, Instagram really is the platform for grownup marketers and brands that want to calculate ROI.

Snapchat provides unique views, how many stories viewed, and number of screenshots, but serious digital marketers need much more. By contrast, Instagram provides just about everything - followers, website clicks, impressions, reach, engagement, demographics, etc.

As such, Instagram should be the go-to platform for digital marketers that wish to deliver superior visual marketing experiences to an audience that can be well-parsed and targeted, with measurable and trackable outcomes.

By Jonny Rose, founder of Gram To Grands

GDPR Summit Series is a global series of GDPR events which will help marketers to prepare to meet the requirements of the GDPR ahead of May 2018 and beyond. Further information and conference details are available at http://www.gdprsummit.london/

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5 Reasons Instagram is Better Than Snapchat for Marketers

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Both Instagram and Snapchat offer digital marketers the same proposition: a platform for photo and video sharing with a captive audience of content-hungry individuals that can be engaged, nurtured and converted. This is even more the case now that Instagram launched "Instagram Stories" (an unashamed Snapchat clone) eight months ago.

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Instagram Stories now has double the number of daily active users as competitor Snapchat, according to Instagram.

The Stories feature, which allows users to share ephemeral photos with their followers, is up to 400 million daily users, Instagram said on Thursday. Snapchat pioneered the photo stories model and reported 191 million daily active users for the first quarter of 2018, according to Snap's most recent quarterly report.

Instagram has been building up its Stories product with new features and functions in an effort to drive engagement with younger social media users. Last week, the Facebook-owned company introduced IGTV, a long-form video feature designed to keep users in the app longer, and announced its broader platform has surpassed one billion monthly active accounts.

The newest update will let users add background music to their Stories.

The Soundtrack feature, previously reported by TechCrunch, will roll out first to iOS users in the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Sweden. Instagram said a global roll-out would follow "in the future."

Users can snap a photo in the app, tap the new music sticker in the folder of editing add-ons and search for a song to play in the background. Friends who tap into the story will hear the song from the exact point the poster cued up.

Instagram will offer a library of "thousands of songs," the company said, likely bolstered by Facebook's recent licensing deals with music labels.

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Instagram Stories has twice as many daily users as Snapchat - and it now has background music

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Instagram Stories now has double the number of daily active users as competitor Snapchat, according to Instagram. The Stories feature, which allows users to share ephemeral photos with their followers, is up to 400 million daily users, Instagram said on Thursday.