Column: Senior Moments, "One Snap at a Time"

Snap! The phone camera clicked as an image immediately appeared on my screen below. I stared in amazement as I looked upon my first interaction with social media, on the app Snapchat, where users send pictures and videos as a form of communication. It was some- thing so foreign to me, and I felt like a child experiencing curiosity for the first time. The world of social media felt full of endless possibility, but that feeling didn’t last for long.

I grew up in what many would consider a relatively strict household. My parents didn’t allow many things, including social media. My parents saw social media as something that creates nothing but drama in the lives of teenagers. I had always wanted to be like other kids and have social media, but I decided it was best to listen to my parents.

When I turned 18 a few weeks ago, my parents sat me down. They told me since it is my senior year and I am legally an adult, they feel I am old enough to download social media.

I had dreamed of the day I could download apps such as TikTok and Snapchat. I didn’t really have much need for them but still wanted them. When I could finally get them, I asked my best friend to come over and help teach me how to use them.

The exact moment I opened Snapchat for the first time and created my account, I felt like a lost puppy and had no idea what to expect. I created my account and eventually got to the point where I could add people to interact with on the app. I slowly selected the people I wanted to be friends with and waited for them to add me back.

My best friend was the first one to send me a snap, which is what sending pictures and videos through Snapchat is called. I made sure to open up the camera and snap a picture of me making a silly face. I sent it to her and waited for her response. We repeated this process for a while, and eventually, my best friend added me to group chats and did the same. I began to see a big change in how I would now communicate with others.

It felt great, of course; at least, until I thought I messed up. See, on Snapchat, your friends’ names appear in the order you last snapped them. I had texted something in a group chat, then proceeded to record a silly video to send to my friend. I sent it, but immediately realized I sent it to the wrong people.

It wasn’t inappropriate, but it was rather embarrassing, because I didn’t want those people seeing me acting silly. I immediately flocked to the group chat and discovered there was a delete button. Nobody saw it, thankfully, but it gave me quite the reality check. Social media isn’t all fun and games; users need to be careful of what they do, or they could be put into difficult situations.

After the fleeting moment of sending those first few snaps, the novelty faded away. I was reminded that despite the seemingly endless opportunities social media offers, it can’t compete with the authentic connections that happen in everyday life. I think that is what my parents have wanted me to realize all along, but I guess it took me 18 years of waiting to realize what was right in front of me. While I will continue exploring social media, I will prioritize nurturing genuine connections in my life by setting aside platforms like Snapchat.

Lilly Johnson is a senior at Charleston High School in Charleston, Mo. She has lived in Southeast Missouri most of her life and loves to travel with her youth group, jam to musicals and BTS, and paint during the late hours of the night.