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Snapchat Update: Yay or Nay?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

As many of you Collegiettes may have seen or heard, Snapchat has been updated. Although the application has had various updates throughout the years, this one has been the most significant in a long time.

Due to the mixed reactions on the update, I’m going to breakdown the new features on the app and let you know why they’re not as bad as you all may think.

The Cons:

Well, not cons, just con. There is one change on Snapchat that has possibly ruined the lives of many of you nosy Collegiettes. Brace yourselves for the reminder of why your Snapchat experience will never be the same again. Here it goes.

The Snapchat Best Friends List has been removed from the app. Yes, Collegiettes, you may now proceed to punching the wall, fuming, and even smashing your phone (if you really were that passionate about stalking your friends and/or significant other).

The Snapchat Best Friends List feature was added on the app two years ago and while it was the only public information available on the app besides your name, it has since become a successful and key component of Snapchat.

The List displayed the people you most trusted with your hideous selfies and/or with your very intimate pictures. And while your list didn’t matter that much, it was interesting to see others’ lists. To see who trusted whom most and what kind of relationships people were getting into.

But fear not Collegiettes; don’t go slamming your phones down just yet. The CEO of Snapchat himself has taken to twitter to relieve you of your worries.

There you have it, the BF list will be back before you know it and you will be able to continue your stalking habits.

The Pros:

Sometimes people’s usernames on the app will be so complicated and will get lost in translation due to thunderous music or loud people around you. And it’s not like you can look up their name and it will pop up. No, you have to spell their username correctly, and if not, they’ll never be added to your list.

Snapchat’s solution to this issue has been adding the ghost icon on the top-middle of the camera. When you click on that icon, the Snapchat ghost appears with black dots around it. Those random dots function as a sort of QR code.

So next time you meet someone you want to add on Snapchat just focus your camera on the icon and their username will automatically be added to your app.

On top of that, Snapchat has facilitated the way we get our daily information by adding the Discover feature which incorporates social media with news outlets, magazines, blogs, even TV channels. It’s a new way to be up-to-date on the latest news and trends.

With links to articles and videos from channels such as CNN, Yahoo! News, People Magazine, National Geographic, Cosmopolitan, The Food Network, and ESPN, anyone using Snapchat is just a click away from discovering anything and everything they are interested in.

Now instead of using multiple apps or conducting various Google searches that we’re all too lazy to really do, Snapchat has given us the solution. Most of the information we need is sitting right there on our phone, on an app we so frequently use.  

So whether you love it or hate it, Snapchat has efficiently provided a way for its users to remain up-to-date, either with a serious news channel letting us know the latest information on global happenings, or a fashion channel informing us on the up and coming trends.

All in all, you should embrace the update, Collegiettes. Snapchat will bring back the BF list and now you can easily Snap your friends about current life-altering information or just send them the typical selfie that will never be seen again.

Unless they screenshot it, of course…

Her Campus at Florida State University.