Why Single People Need to Be On Snapchat

Snapchat’s popularity continues to grow. The app features the ability to take and send videos or Snapchats that last up to 10 seconds. Millennials have taken to Snapchat since we now fear sharing damaging pictures that might haunt our future.

Meeting someone at the bar or online once resulted in an exchange of phone numbers. We have now taken that to the next level by exchanging Snapchat usernames as well. The ability to peer into one another’s lives allows us to get a better glimpse of who they really are.

Single people need to be on Snapchat. It helps you vet potential dates before spending an unnecessary fortune on multiple dates only to find that it’s not a great fit. If you’re single and looking for a simpler way to see if your matches are compatible, here are five reasons Snapchat can help.

1. Snapchat Stories

Snapchat Stories are a collection Snaps, which are 1-10 second videos or pictures. Each Snap plays in sequence, effectively allowing you to make a daily show about your life. People create these throughout their day and each Story erases every 24 hours. You’re also able to see who has viewed yours.

From a dating perspective, this is great. Do they take constant selfies? Maybe they’re in need of attention or a little too obsessed with themselves. Do they take pictures of food? Now you know what they like to eat. Maybe they take videos or pictures of their adventures. This helps give you a glimpse of what kind of person they are—allowing you to know how to proceed.

It’s also exciting to know if they’ve been looking at your Story. Sure, some people just click on Stories to get rid of them from their Storyboard. However, if you’re like me, you look at those you care about. Does he or she care about you?

2. Timed Delete

Knowing our shared photos will be deleted is for those of us out there who take embarrassing pictures and realize too late that we didn’t want them forever attached to our name. The great news with Snapchat is that they automatically delete. If you set it for 10 seconds, it’s still a little risky. Do what I do—set it for six seconds. It’s the perfect amount of time that allows someone to see the picture, but not analyze it.

Timed photos also create excitement. Have you ever gotten a picture of your beautiful significant other and just wanted to stare at it all day? No? I’m just creepy? Well either way the time limit keeps that flame burning. It keeps you craving more.

3. Replay

There’s one way around the above section. Replay. However, you only get one replay per 24 hours, so use it wisely. When you get that amazing picture and you want to look at it for more than six seconds, you can look at it for another six.

When you Replay someone’s Snap, they get notified. Personally, if someone Replays my snap, I feel special. It shows that they care to see more of you. If they didn’t see the original Snap, they care to make sure they saw it fully. It’s the little things.

4. Chat

Okay, Chat on Snapchat is like text messaging with benefits. Same rules apply as any other Snap feature. The messages disappear after a few moments as well. You can enter a chat board with your special Snap friend and send pictures directly to them, live chat, call, or just simply send emojis/text.

This can be great for when you’re nervous about texting. When we text each other, those texts are visible forever. With Snapchat, if you drunkenly say something stupid—you’re covered.

5. Comfortable

When you add the previous four categories together, you can see that it creates a safe environment that allows for you to be comfortable with communication. Dating is intimidating. Using an app to dive into each other’s lives may sound slightly ridiculous, but it’s the 21st century.

Snapchat also allows you to create a foundation for conversation. If someone sends you a snap of what they’re doing, it allows you to respond, which can ignite a full blown conversation. It also helps when meeting up days later. You can talk about what you saw on their Snapchat Story and make it known that you’re interested in their life.

We’re millennials and this is the age of dating—embrace it.