Participants indicated that Snapchat could make existing
friendships “stronger” because the medium allows for “more talking
and interacting.” Participants stated that it was a way to
communicate and remain close with their most “important”
friends. For example, LauriAnn (19) disclosed that her best friend was attending a different university and they used Snapchat to
share their experience visually with each other. They sent snaps of
important sites in their town, people they spent time with, and
images of what they were doing. She concluded:
It's just cool to see what [my friend is] doing. Because it brings us
closer, you know? I learn more about people that way, which
sounds stupid with 10 second pictures, but I'm a big snapchatter
I guess you could say.
While some participants highlighted the fact that generational
differences between parents and young adults concerning Snapchat,
others spoke about how Snapchat enhanced interaction with
their parents, siblings, and extended families. The majority of participants
lived away from home and explained that Snapchat was
one way to remain connected with their families “back home.”
Emily (21) related:
I think it's kind of good that my parents have Snapchat because
then [my mom] will send me like these goofy ones sometimes. It
kind of makes you laugh a little bit and it's good that you still see
[your parents] when their far away.
Similarly, Clare (19) shared, “My little sister is at home and she'll
send me a picture of like the dog. Or her and my mom decorating
the Christmas tree. I use it to kind of know what my family is
doing.”
Participants also spoke about how Snapchat is another technological
tool that allows them to strengthen romantic relationships.
Participants highlighted the fact that most users do not begin
romantic relationships using Snapchat, but Snapchat is commonly
used as a way of “letting someone know that you like them'
romantically.” Other participants spoke about how couples will use
Snapchat to converse “back and forth” with more meaning than a
text. Justene (21) reported:
My fiance was out deer hunting this weekend. He sent me
random pictures of like the sunset or sunrise. Or like walking
across the field. We were at two different places, so it's kind of
nice to see what he would see.