I was on Snapchat for a good half-second.
The reason I joined in the first place was to do my due-diligence, research and test out a new, up-and-coming platform. I tried to keep an open mind and “like it,” but the only thought going through my mind is this is a waste of time.
It’s all about creating micro content – or “snaps” that disappear in a matter of seconds. The “fleeting nature” of the content might appeal to some folks. However, it also has the unintended consequence of giving people the illusion that they don’t have to think about what they publish before sending it. That’s some dangerous logic.
It’s not just Snapchat that encourages this. It’s also really prevalent on visual social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest. Admittedly, I have been a huge fan of Instagram since the get-go as one of their first 1 million users.
If I am really honest, this type of micro content has fleeting value or purpose, at best. Most of the content- which is like 95% Selfies on Instagram- is crappy content. It was posted from a phone in a split second. All it does is feed the need for more instant gratification. More likes, more followers, etc.
This can negatively affect a person if they start to intertwine how many “likes” their latest Selfie photo got with their own self worth. This may sound crazy to you or I, but I can guarantee this is a legit problem for many Instagram superusers. Tying your self worth to a vanity metric will always result in trouble.
We only have so much time in a given day- week- month- to create stuff. This is why I am really scaling back on the micro content that I create or curate on sites like Instagram and Pinterest. And, also why I deleted my Snapchat account altogether.
It’s about focusing more on quality not mass quantity. While there is not nearly as much instant gratification in blogging, putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard has a way of making you think more about what you are putting out there. It forces you to articulate your points clearly and <gasp> back up opinion with facts.
While I have never made a dime directly from this blog, the advantages of blogging for me far outweigh the short term instant gratification. Nonetheless being all the amazing people I’ve met through this.
