If it had not been for my 19 year old daughter I only would have first heard about Snapchat today via a TechCrunch article – Snapchat is a photo sharing application in which photo messages are snapped, sent via MMS and then evaporate ‘forever’ within a designated amount of time. Launched in May of 2011 Snapchat has an unreported amount of users but more than 50 million Snapchats are occurring daily. The article cites that Facebook is ready to offer its own self-destructing app to compete with Snapchat.

I wonder about the ‘forever’ aspect, it may be lost to the sender or viewer forever but is Snapchat expunging all those files? Those files would take up massive space so it’s conceivable if not unheard of.

From the Snapchat site –

‘Snapchat is the fastest way to share a moment with friends. You control how long your friends can view your message – simply set the timer up to ten seconds and send. They’ll have that long to view your message and then it disappears forever. We’ll let you know if they take a screenshot!

Build relationships, collect points, and view your best friends. Snapchat is instantly fun and insanely playful. Show your friends how clever you can be and enjoy the lightness of being!

We believe in sharing authentic moments with friends. It’s not all about fancy vacations, sushi dinners, or beautiful sunsets. Sometimes it’s an inside joke, a silly face, or greetings from a pet fish.  Sharing those moments should be fun. Communication is more entertaining when it’s with the people who know us best. And we know that no one is better at making us laugh than our friends.  There is value in the ephemeral. Great conversations are magical.  That’s because they are shared, enjoyed, but not saved.’

A Forbes magazine article from Monday December 17th outlines why Facebook needs to pay attention to this particular fast-growing photo messaging service.

I find the logo a bit odd but I like the way the four-person Snapchat team explains it –
“What’s the deal with the ghost? He’s our mascot, Ghostface Chillah.”

Apparently college students are finding Snapchat to be a way to allow their parents a look in at their lives without leaving an indelible imprint. (I did not know they were sending to parents, I personally have not received any as yet). Here’s hoping parents stay away from using Snapchat so we don’t ruin it (apparently the way we ruined FB), I’m sure if I tried to Snapchat with my daughter I would only serve to make myself even more uncool. If that could even be possible.

Have you had personal experience with Snapchat and if so do you love it and why?