It's a more intimate version of social media that is typically only used by smartphone-savvy people and it's perfect for this. I see nothing besides my friend's content and a few ads between viewing their stories, while instagram inserts ads and algorithmically sorts content in the feed. Once I go through every one of my friend's stories, there's nothing to keep me on the app and endlessly scrolling like instagram. To me and others, insta is intentionally addictive Posting permanent posts there about your life can sometimes come across as vain, while snapchat is more of a window to view your friend's world through and gives very open statistics like who has seen a story, if someone has opened a snap, etc.
I have my problems with snapchat, like poor android support, slow startup time, bloat, and sponsored stories on the right side are tabloid trash. But it's still very heavily used in America. Most friends outside of the US say that it declined in use in their European or african countries like a fad, but it's become a standard in the US. Those of you saying it's useless besides teenagers using it to sext or not knowing anyone above 18 that uses snapchat look out of touch or like you're pushing an agenda. It might be declining but it is still a large force and very used!
That sounds exhausting! Stereotypical “old person” here. I can’t imagine having my social life so completely moderated by and tied to web services. It sounds like a full time job just to manage it all.
To reply to another commenter here, I, too, am "old" and generally find any video content exhausting. I like text and pictures; the idea of an experience to which I am captive feels suffocating; I feel like I have no choice. Oh, it has sound, great, now I have to put my headphones on. Or I have to watch this youtube video eventually get to the point, or a gif of indeterminate length.
I feel the same way about Instagram stories and video, BUT I think generally these platforms (I'm sure Snap included) at least have a scrubber so you know when it will be over.
For whatever reason, starting "streaks" has become popular with my friends, where the same friends will snap me everyday and expect a snap in reply so that our counter of consecutive days increases over time. I hate to admit it, but I enjoy this gamification of the service, and it has resulted in me checking snapchat everyday for more than 650 consecutive days. I know it's been that long because that is my longest snap streak, but the truth is that I am rarely the one that breaks the streak so it has probably been much longer than that. There is also definitely a feeling of disappointment and relief when a large streak is broken.