The Power Behind Snapchat

The Power Behind Snapchat

                                      

                                                     Image One: Snapchat Logo (Snapchat, 2017).
                                                     
Social networks are an integral part of today’s society and there are many forms that connect people on a daily basis, one of the most popular being snapchat. Most people will know the basic uses of this app; take a photo or video, add filters, and send the picture to your friends that disappears once it is opened, however after looking further into the app I have found specific forms of power that are gained in different ways.

                                          Image Two: Snapchat Stories (Carson, 2016).

As Allen states, ‘power is a relational effect of social interaction’ with six modalities that ‘make a difference to how we experience power’ (2003, pp.2). Power is accumulated throughout snapchat in several ways, particularly through ‘domination and seduction’ (Allen, 2003. pp.2.), and snapchat stories are the most common way to do this. Dominance is shown through the frequency of posts, as people who post more often gain a larger amount of power than those who do not. Seduction is seen through the content posted in stories as interesting and engaging posts attract more attention and therefore more power. A common example is the power celebrities have, as millions of people click onto their stories to see the interesting events occurring in their lives each day. Most people will automatically click on their favourite celebrity’s story to see the activities they are doing that day, without realising the power it is giving the celebrity.

Not only is individual power accumulated through snapchat, but the power to create social networks is also present. The app has the power to connect people from all different societies and locations through adding friends from anywhere in the world. By doing this, you are suddenly able to see what they are doing each day, making people feel connected to people from different locations. Allen states that ‘the diverse geographies of power…bring the far-off into people’s lives’ (2003. pp2.), and this is reflective of the networks snapchat creates. In order to create these networks, however, users need to gain power by using the modalities. ‘Power influences people’ (Kuttainen, 2017), therefore using dominance and seduction allows users to gain power. These are not only used by individuals, as companies have also taken advantage of the power of snapchat to promote their products and business. They do this through geofilters, stories, or live videos, which further assists in the creation of networks. This is because users of snapchat that view the promotions become connected to the company and remain informed about new products being released.

Snapchat is one of the most used social network of today’s society, and there are many forms of power within the app. Before analysing these forms of power, it is easy to use the app without realising how power is accumulated or who has the power. However, I have found that regularly posting interesting content allows people to gain a large amount of power in the app, as well as creates a large amount of networks between people from all different locations. 

References
Allen, J. (2003). Lost Geographies of Power. Melbourne: Blackwell Publishers.

Carson, B. (2016). Snapchat just made it a lot faster to catch up on your friends’ stories. Business Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/snapchat-changes-to-swiping-between-stories-2016-3?r=US&IR=T 

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives, and the making of place, lecture 2: Power. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Mesh, J. (2016). Snapchat: The Power of Stories. American Marketing Association. Retrieved from http://amaboston.org/blog/snapchat-the-power-of-stories-for-your-content-marketing-strategy/ 

Snapchat. (2017). Snapchat. Retrieved from https://www.snapchat.com/l/en-gb/

Jessica Bell