Snapchat is Causing a Lot of Drama

Update your Snapchat and you’ll notice a new feature called Discover — a platform that shares “Stories” from the likes of CNN, Comedy Central, Cosmopolitan, ESPN, Food Network, Daily Mail UK, and more.

“Social media companies tell us what to read based on what’s most recent or most popular,” writes Snapchat. “We see it differently. We count on editors and artists, not clicks and shares, to determine what’s important.”

You know what else is important? Or was important?

The Best Friends feature that Snapchat got rid of in the very same update.

According to those in high school (shout out to reader Quinn Halman for tipping me off and our old intern Franny Keller for confirming; meanwhile my cousin, age 13, was unreachable for comment on behalf of the middle school set), Snapchat’s Best Friends feature acted as a scoreboard for your actual best friends. A visual ranking for all to see that I talk to Oprah more than you.

It was also used as tool for bae-watch: check the Best Friends list of the guy you like/are dating on Snapchat and you’re instantly privy to who he’s been snapping.

Example via @TBHjuststop:

“when u check bae’s snapchat friends”

Per my reporters on the scene in the hallways of their schools, this Best Friends list has been the cause of endless fights, jealousy and drama. “People catch their boyfriends or girlfriends cheating this way,” I was told.

Except, now that their most accessible form of proof is gone, the drama hasn’t stopped. It’s gotten worse. How are they supposed to know where they stand socially? Who’s to confirm that everyone is, in fact, hanging out without them? How are they supposed to catch their signifiant other acting shady?

Quickly search “Letter to Snapchat” on Twitter and peruse the various tweets that illustrate this millennial frustration. Here’s one screenshot that’s been making the Twitter-rounds:

At first I found the anger (over seemingly nothing) amusing, but after reading the tweets, I began to sympathize. Remember Myspace Top 8? That caused the Great Schism at my school. Or when a boy passed a note to someone who was not his girlfriend, but it was intercepted by her best friend? Full on war.

Instead of going on about how all generations are essentially the same and it’s merely the tools that change in our ability to alleviate or aggravate our neurosis, I’d rather leave everyone with this:

If you need an app to tell you who your best friends are, they probably aren’t your best friends.

If you suspect your significant other is doing something that warrants your snooping in the first place, consider why you’re even with this person. Or try talking to them.

And then guys, hello. When all else fails: don’t forget you can still see everyone’s activity on Instagram.