According to research conducted by the University of Michigan, using Snapchat might make you happier than other social media platforms.
The study “Sharing the small moments: ephemeral social interactions on Snapchat” found a direct correlation between Snapchat interactions, overall positivity and social enjoyment. According to the research the short and succinct images momentarily shared over the platform give you a greater level of enjoyment than interactions with other social media.
Interactions with alternate platforms such as Instagram and Facebook can often leave the user feeling underwhelmed with their own circumstances – as they scroll through images of others’ achievements, of things they don’t have, places they haven’t been or body images they aspire towards. This constant exposure to a skewed, manufactured reality may reinforce unrealistic expectations and enhance a dissatisfaction with one’s own life.
Snapchat, in contrast, shows only short snippets of reality for a brief period of time, making even the inconsequential meaningful. The interactions are generally humorous, spontaneous, fleeting and personalised giving them a unique significance, that is often lost through Facebook or Instagram posts directed at an unspecified audience of hundreds, if not thousands.
As social media platforms are increasingly used as a means of public display and personal broadcasting, Snapchat remains a distinct space for appreciating and sharing the less momentous, fleeting moments in life.
Snapchat = 🙂
