Snapchat’s Impact on Relationships
Let’s go back to high school | 2014
The “Best Friend List” function of Snapchat was introduced in its early stages as an exciting new tool that, unseen to us, would soon turn into a centre of intrigue and drama.
It was a ranking system for your closest Snapchat friends based on interaction. Surely innocent enough? We had no idea it would develop into what it became.
My friend made a tragic discovery on Snapchat that left her feeling terribly hurt and deceived. When she looked at the Best Friend List on both her boyfriend’s and our friend’s profiles, she made the realisation…
She was shocked to see that they were listed together on both lists, bringing to light a relationship she was unaware of.
The fact that she had thought of this person as a friend made the finding all the more devastating, making it seem more like a heartbreaking betrayal than a casual social media relationship.
She felt as though she had been betrayed, and our close-knit group’s trust was severely damaged.
Our close-knit group was left in the wake of this discovery by a considerable amount of time.
The foundation of our friendships, trust, had crumbled. The emotional toll was obvious, and whenever we all convened there was a general feeling of dread and anxiety.
Conversations became difficult, and the dynamics of the group were permanently changed. It was challenging for my friend, who was at the centre of all this, to confide in those she had previously regarded as her safe space.
The feeling of betrayal persisted, having an impact on all of us.
We were reminded of the significant impact that social media may have on our relationships as we navigated the challenging seas of high school life.
The intensity of the relationship between my friend’s boyfriend and her and our group of friends was like a two-edged blade.
On the one hand, he demonstrated his dedication and desire to play a significant role in her life, which at first seemed lovely.
It quickly became clear, though, that his engagement had gone too far, blurring the lines between right and wrong and unsettling the group.
Tensions started to simmer under the surface as a result of his persistent presence and attempts to blend himself into our social interactions, conversations, and even private chats.
This extreme connection ultimately caused both their relationship and the peace in our close-knit social circle to fall apart.
We all took away from this chaotic event a valuable lesson about the dangers of combining friendships and love relationships, especially among teenagers.
At the age of 16, we were still figuring out our emotions and relationships, and this served as a warning that (sometimes) combining these two worlds could have unexpected negative consequences.
It emphasised how crucial it is to preserve good boundaries and a feeling of individuality in relationships.
In the end, we discovered that while love and friendships are both important, they require a delicate balance to flourish without inflicting unnecessary tension or strain on the relationships we cherish.