Snapchat has 403 million active daily users worldwide, with teens making up the majority of these users. It is one of the most dominant apps for quick communication and connections. Its disappearing messages and filters make it appear harmless, but it can often become a toxic environment for teens. 

Snapchat is a toxic platform because it allows people to send harmful messages to their peers. Snaps and chats delete after being viewed which causes users to participate in casual toxicity. The disappearing nature of Snapchat promotes an atmosphere where hurtful exchanges are normalized. Messages disappear, so people are able to text over Snapchat things that they would not say in person, which contributes to a society of impersonal and harmful communication. These harmful comments and inappropriate content can be shared without consequences. The platform’s design encourages cyberbullying and toxicity.

The pressure for teens to create an idealized picture of themselves on Snapchat also creates a toxic environment. Teenagers who measure their worth against the carefully constructed content of their peers may be contributing to a culture of comparison with their desire to create aesthetically appealing images that are not attainable. This comparison makes self-worth dependent on online validation. Additionally, Snapchat messages may intensify the fear of missing out. Teenagers feel excluded when they see their friends’ Snaps and Stories. This can also result in an intensified sense of social competition. Anxiety and stress can be amplified by the social pressure of Snapchat.

Additionally, the environment of Snapchat promotes the development of toxic relationships and dynamics. The focus on visual communication on this platform leads to the development of unstable connections where appearances are more important than real connections. Constantly viewing carefully chosen content can reinforce a skewed perception of reality and create an environment where idealized representations are preferred over genuine self-expression. People do this for validation. Additionally, users are under more pressure to respond quickly due to the platform’s expectations, which has created an atmosphere where delayed responses are frequently taken as insults against the individual. Users may feel more emotionally exhausted due to feelings of rejection, inadequacy, or frustration brought on by the fear of being ignored or waiting for a delayed response. Because of this growing focus on response times, people are more likely to be on guard and become agitated or nervous when someone doesn’t answer right away. Snapchat unintentionally fosters a culture of instantaneous communication, which adds another level of toxicity to toxic relationships by fostering an environment where users’ emotional health is negatively impacted by delayed responses. 

Snapchat allows for cyberbullying, unhealthy comparison, stress, superficiality, and toxic relationship dynamics.