This article was published on July 5, 2016

Sorry teens, olds are slowly taking over Snapchat


Sorry teens, olds are slowly taking over Snapchat

Move over, teens. Your parents, aunts, and uncles are getting in on the Snapchat action.

According to the Wall Street Journal, 14 percent of US smartphone users aged 35 and above use Snapchat, up from 2 percent three years ago. The study also claims that 70 percent of all smartphone users today are on Snapchat. Even the First Lady has recently joined Snapchat.

The trend is unsurprising – when it first launched, Facebook was most popular among teens and college-aged users. Today, it’s where you go to catch up with your cousins’ baby photos and your grandmother’s summer garden progress.

The First Lady most recently joined Snapchat two weeks ago.
The First Lady most recently joined Snapchat two weeks ago.

Despite this, however, the WSJ says Snapchat is likely to continue being popular amongst teens due to the concept of self-destructing content – making privacy less of a hassle to adjust every so often. “[Snapchat doesn’t] have the public likes and comments that often make for awkward moments on traditional social media. It’s never been an issue,” a spokeswomen for Snapchat said.

As Snapchat continues to monetize, it will likely welcome the growing set of demographics with higher incomes (or any income). For teens, it may just mean bracing themselves for snaps of mom and her book club friends enjoying the flower crown filter.

And if you’re not into that, sorry. It’s probably our fault for covering it so much.

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