Deep rooted needs …
The way Snapchat grew is opposite to the way other social media platforms attracted users. They decided that a defining feature of their app is to let the content disappear after 24 hours.
A surprising move when you consider that one of the key value propositions of Facebook, Instagram and other platforms is to keep your photos and organise them as albums.
And they hit home with this in a number of ways.
First and foremost, it resembles real-life and communication: moments are temporary and they go by. All they leave behind may be a trace in our memories that will fade later or – in most cases – sooner.
And this attracted not those vulgar moments that many predicted it would. MySpace, who had more daily traffic than Google in their early days went under due to the negative effects of frivolous content, harassment and other forms of negative interactions. A similar fate was predicted for Snapchat.
But it never happened!
The disappearing feature, in fact, emphasised spontaneity and “living in the moment”. It further negated the need to “keeping up with the Joneses” ….
