Snap out of it: Student opinions on the new Snapchat update

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The Snapchat logo. Celebrities have joined the public in criticizing Snapchat’s latest update. Do students at the school agree?

One of the most popular social media apps among students is Snapchat, the image messaging app that allows account holders to send pictures or messages that disappear after ten seconds unless set to be viewed infinitely. However, the company has received intense criticism for their latest update, which was released earlier this year.

The Snapchat update under scrutiny features a total redesign of the app, which combines people’s stories in the same section as where users receive regular Snapchat messages.

“The new organization is really confusing, in my opinion, because the stories are mixed up with other Snaps that people send you,” senior and Snapchat user Lucas Otal said.

Otal is not the only person who is is negative about Snapchat’s update. Thousands are giving the update negative reviews on the App Store. Currently, the number of one-star reviews on Snapchat’s App Store page far outnumber the two, three, four and five star reviews combined.

Popular media websites such as Buzzfeed have published negative articles against the update. Even celebrities, including Kylie Jenner, have shared their unfavorable opinions regarding the app’s update.

Junior and Snapchat user Kelton Williams is also disappointed in the app’s update. He is particularly upset with how the update makes it more difficult to keep track of his “Snapstreaks” (his friends on Snapchat that he has been consistently Snapchatting for multiple days in a row) and how the update gives more opportunities for ads and other monetized media to pop up.

“It’s hard to keep track of streaks and who you are snapping,” Williams said. “Viewing stories is really difficult now because it’s not centralized on one page and it’s obvious they’re just trying to milk as much money as they can. The update definitely shows that the app is now appealing to a corporate audience instead of [to its] users.”

There have been attempts at boycotting and petitioning the app to revert back to its original design. One such petition can be found on Change.org. Titled “Remove the new Snapchat Update,” the grassroots campaign has 1,254,055 signatures and is still growing.

Despite the backlash there are some students who don’t mind the update. “It’s really not that bad,” junior and Snapchat user Drew Kellenberger said. “People overreacted about it, and the update doesn’t change the main function of the app, so it’s fine.”

Snapchat released a statement in response to the Change.org petition announcing that the app would receive some changes when its next update is released. However, some dissenters believe that the app will never change back to its original format.

“I think they’re going to keep [the update],” Otal said. “The way [the app] works now makes it a lot easier for Snapchat to show people ads, which makes them more money.”