Snapchat's signature has always been the fleeting nature of messages exchanged on the platform — which, honestly, can kind of mess with your anxiety a little bit. So even though Snapchat has introduced a Memories feature, I still need to know: Do Snapchat Memories disappear? I mean, the first time I showed my mom Snapchat, she was horrified — not because of the filters (which are, admittedly, jarring), or because I made the mistake of telling her how the app was frequently used in its early days (rhymes with "mexting"), but because the messages disappeared within a matter of seconds. So what about Snapchat Memories? Are they, too, ephemeral, like dreams? Because that's how my brain is conditioned now. To believe nothing good can stay. Not even that cute AF dog filter.
So, OK, if you have not heard about Snapchat Memories, or Snapchat at all, you're probably a little confused right now. Let's clear that up: For the uninitiated, Snapchat is a social media platform that allows users to send pictures and videos to friends. The catch: You set a timer, and after a maximum of 10 seconds, the image disappears. For-Ev-Er. (Unless you screenshot them, but that's a whole different story.)
But in a blog post last week, Snapchat announced a new feature that will undoubtedly change the Snapchat game: Snapchat Memories. Not seeing the Memories option on your own phone? Then you may need to make sure you have the latest Snapchat update. Yes, I know: Updates. They are a pain.
Once you do have the update, though (and have no fear — the Snapchat team will actually send you a chat to let you know when you do), all you have to do is swipe up from your main screen and you'll reach a "Memories 101" page, with all the FAQs a technology-challenged gal like myself could ever want. I'll let you take a look yourself. Me trying to explain it will only make things worse.
But here is maybe the best part: Snapchat Memories don't disappear. Not ever. Not unless you want them to. You can even import photos from your camera and older, saved Snaps into your Snapchat Memories. Did your phone break? Just log back into Snapchat and it's all. Right. There.
Do you know what this means? We're going to start seeing Snapchat slideshows at weddings. Scrapbooking is going to come back into fashion, only this time, it'll be ~digital.~ Our visual memory banks are going to be populated by the dog filter and the tiny mouth filter that makes everyone look like an Uggs-wearing high schooler named Tiffany and weird, bad geotags.
Relationships will be memorialized by "Our First Snap" and "Breakup Snap" and "I told you I loved you with a Snapchat sticker Snap," and like, wow, the more I think about it, the more I'm thinking this new Snapchat update is going to change the world. Because until the interwebs crash and we're thrown into a post-internet world (not out of the question, TBH), that time you saw a man riding one of those giant-wheeled, old-time-y bicycles through downtown Chicago traffic will never be forgotten. And that's a kind of solid predictability I can get behind.
Images: Giphy (2)
