“Snapchat is more personal”: An exploratory study on Snapchat behaviors and young adult interpersonal relationships

Snapchat is a social media platform that allows users to send images, videos, and text with a specified amount of time for the receiver(s) to view the content before it becomes permanently inaccessible to the receiver. Using focus group methodology and in-depth interviews, the current study sought to understand young adult (18-23 years old; n = 34) perceptions of how Snapchat behaviors influenced their interpersonal relationships (family, friends, and romantic). Young adults indicated that Snapchat served as a double-edged sword-a communication modality that could lead to relational challenges, but also facilitate more congruent communication within young adult interpersonal relationships.