Snapchat, the social network that is very popular among teenagers, cultivates its image as a joyful and beneficial application, to stand out from Instagram, TikTok and other platforms criticized for their impact on the mental health of young people. Without convincing everyone.
“When we started Snapchat, we wanted something different. We didn’t like social media [existants] “, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said Tuesday.
At the group’s annual conference in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, he recalled how his company launched vertical videos, or, in 2013, stories which disappear in 24 hours, widely copied since.
“No likes or comments, you share your perspective,” he insisted. “And it works. More than 850 million people use Snapchat [tous les mois] and we continue to grow.”
But even though the app has become the main means of communication for many teenagers, it is still not profitable and remains in the shadow of the giants Meta, Google and TikTok.
A position that has its advantages: Snapchat often comes across as the good student in the eyes of authorities, associations and parents worried about the harmful consequences of social networks on young people.
“We found that time spent on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube has a negative impact on […] mental health. Conversely, time spent on Snapchat had a positive effect on friendships and well-being, but had no significant impact on self-esteem,” concluded researchers from the University of Amsterdam in a study recently cited by Evan Spiegel.
“More freedom”
“It’s the least harmful app,” says Adriana Vecchioli, a content creator who attended the conference.
She discusses the pressure young women in particular feel “to look pretty, rather than to be themselves” and appreciates that, on Snapchat, selfies “disappear”: “It gives more freedom.”
For Matthew Bergman, who founded an organization that defends “social media victims” in court, the lack of message storage actually facilitates criminal activities, such as the exchange of child pornography or the sale of drugs.
“Imagine you have a video game room and you know that traffickers are using a room in the back to sell illicit substances to children. You would be responsible. You could not turn a blind eye to dangerous activities promoted by your platform,” the lawyer considers.
His organization represents “180 parents whose children died from fentanyl poisoning [opiacé] because of contaminated drugs purchased on Snapchat.”
In more than 25 countries, three-quarters of young people aged 13 to 34 use Snapchat.
Lily, 14, only texts her family or “very close” friends. For everyone else, she uses the social network, “because it’s not always necessary to talk,” she explains to AFP. “You can also just send photos, it’s less pressure.”
“Weird people”
She also enjoys augmented reality filters and games, and brushes off the issue of malicious actors.
“It’s true that there are some weird people who try to add you to their contacts, talk to you and other things, but I systematically block them,” she explains.
His parents haven’t given him permission to go on Instagram yet.
For Matthew Bergman, the ghost app is no different from the others. “All these platforms have the same business model, which is to capture the attention of users as much as possible, to the detriment of their security,” he accuses.
“They all use the same methods to make children dependent on their service.”
“At the end of the day, Snap, like Meta, is a business,” said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at Emarketer. “It has to strike a delicate balance between protecting its users and generating revenue.”
The annual conference thus oscillates between new products to seduce content creators (who feed Spotlight, a feed of entertaining videos copied from TikTok) and reassuring messages.
Evan Spiegel opened his speech with a new program to inform parents about digital dangers.
“We know we have a great responsibility to our community,” he said, “and we are determined to make a positive impact.”