You see, I like Snapchat. It's easy to use and helps me keep in touch with friends: both the friends I see every day and the friends I don't see often at all, whether it's because of college or work or whatever other aspects of life get in the way. Within the past year, though, I've had adults add me on Snapchat. No, not the ones who could potentially be trying to find me and kill me (although that's definitely another concern about the app); these are friends of my parents, well-meaning Gen-Xers who just want to keep up with what's going on. As well-meaning as they are, though, they do "ruin the party," to continue boyd's metaphor.
"So if they 'ruin the party,' why did you let them add you in the first place?"
Because I felt bad saying no. Boyd examines this concept too, in relation to accepting friends on MySpace; when applied to Snapchat and with older adults, the social guilt doesn't disappear just because of the age gap. It's not necessarily that I don't like them, it's more that I now have to censor myself even more than I was censoring myself before (although even before they came along, I didn't post on my story very much). They're part of the invisible audience boyd mentions: instead of just showing my life to my friends, I now have to show it through my "mature adult" filter. The collapsed context makes me have to deal with not only my friends, but also people who know my family and think of me a certain way ("good girl," straight, doesn't procrastinate, blah blah blah). Of course, when Snapchat introduced private stories, many people's similar problems were relieved, but I'm either too lazy to make a private story or too afraid - although of what, I'm not sure. The private story being discovered? The adults being offended? The world ending because I changed one small thing about how I present myself?
It's probably better in the long run. I guess if I didn't have to think through that filter, I might post some of the dumber things I do and put my chances of getting a good job in jeopardy (hello, searchability). I suppose I should be a little grateful, but there's one small thing: whenever I go somewhere with my mom, one of her friends always slides up and makes a comment on whatever picture I posted, and it always has the underlying tone of "why didn't you (or more accurately, your mom) bring me with you?" and usually ends up getting in touch with my mom and being upset with her. Of course, this plays into how social network sites foster jealousy - MySpace friend ranking, anyone?
P.S. Happy 21st birthday Google! I forgot you were older than me (art from google.com).
