Most kids above the age of 13 either have heard or have used Instagram and or Snapchat. These two apps are some of the most popular social media apps available to the public. If you were to go around and ask students at a middle school, a high school, or, in my case, a college, then you’d see just how many people really do use these. While it was obvious most of the students I would talk to probably use Snapchat and Instagram, I was curious what these students used each app for. One Bucks student in particular, Hannah Cave, said, “I use Snapchat for more personal conversations, but Instagram for more public use. I like to express myself and show more of my life on Instagram, while on Snapchat I like to have personal connections with friends.” Another Bucks student, Amanda Hoff, has stated, “I like both Instagram and Snapchat, but I feel like I have more privacy using Snapchat. I don’t like to get that close with people on Instagram. Snapchat is a much better place for that because of how easy it is to have a one-on-one conversation.” It seems like people are tending to say the same thing: Snapchat is better for expressing personal business, while Instagram is better for more public content, like a picture of a place someone passed by one day or a picture of a friend.

Realizing I had only interviewed women so far, I decided to find out what a guy would use these two apps for. Paul Sawyer, another Bucks student, said, “I use both, just like almost everyone else. Snapchat is a better way to have a one-on-one conversation with someone, while Instagram is an easier way to indirectly introduce yourself to potential friends. If someone sees my pictures on Instagram and like them, then maybe they would want to talk to me personally and find out what I’m all about.”

Well there you have it. It seems that a decent amount of people have basically led me to the same conclusion: the conclusion that states most students use Snapchat to personally talk to people and Instagram to post more general things about what they’re into or who they are. Basically, Instagram is a portal into a possible personal relationship with someone.