As you can tell by all of Twitter, the most recent Snapchat update has not been well received.
Here's why you should be mad at Evan Spiegel.
You're losing streaks.
There is nothing more upsetting than losing a 400–day streak with your best friend from home because you simply can't find his or her name on your phone. Not that streaks are worth anything, but you worked towards them, and Spiegel should at the very least give you the opportunity to get them back. Sue Park (C '21) says the new update "is the worst—it’s disorganized, sucks, and [she] can't really find people when [she] scrolls."
You can't find stories.
How else are you going to know what the person you talked to once during NSO who you added for no particular reason is doing on a Friday night? Did they end up at Smokes'? Are they doing homework? The world may never know! Since they're not on your recents, you won't get to see their drunk selfies and judge them. Eliza Halpin (C '20) said that she "hates [the update]. It makes it harder to watch people's stories that you actually want to watch."
People won't watch your stories.
The next time you snap a video of a puppy you met on Spruce, you would only hope your best friends, crushes, and strangers will all get to see it. Turns out, it's a two–way street. I can't see yours and you can't see mine.
Here's why Evan Spiegel does not give a shit.
The design was meant to separate private and public–facing communication.
Spiegel claims that even some complaints made about the new design reinforce its purpose: one person stated that the new update does not make it feel as if the famous people they have on Snapchat are their friends. To which he has to say: "Exactly. They're not your friend." The Snapchat team was aiming to separate your friends and the people you follow. As Spiegel sees it, they're not the same and shouldn't be treated as such. Eliza sees his point. "They maybe wanted it more streamlined into one spot on the app versus having the two parts."
People will get over it.
People didn't like the update last time either, and here we are now, still Snapchatting away every second of the day. Spiegel said that "it will take time for people to adjust," but soon enough, he believes people will start liking it. Sue also mentions that Snapchat was probably just looking for innovation, as "[the app] has been pretty constant for the past couple years." But she doesn't think you should change something that's not broken in the first place.
Regardless of what Spiegel says, though, the internet is still fighting to get rid of the new update. Some have posted ways to get rid of the update. In fact, a change.org petition has been made and signed by 1.2 million people to make Snapchat return to its old format. Nonetheless, it seems like we're stuck with the current version. Good luck keeping your streaks!
