New independent research from The Netherlands and Australia validates how we have designed Snapchat from the beginning – as an alternative to social media, where our community can connect with friends and family.
The University of Amsterdam 1 conducted research into adolescent use of large social media platforms and concluded that Snapchat is the only platform that positively impacts well-being. Findings from the study include that:
“We found a consistent negative impact on time spent on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube across all three mental health dimensions. Conversely, spending time on Snapchat positively affected friendship closeness and well-being but had no significant impact on self-esteem.
“The positive and null effects associated with Snapchat and WhatsApp indicate that we should avoid a blanket condemnation of all social media platforms.”
Three Australian mental health organizations recently jointly submitted research results as part of the Australian Parliament’s investigation into social media and Australian society. The findings, which are drawn from The Future Proofing Study, Australia’s largest longitudinal study into youth mental health, uncovered that:
“[In contrast to other platforms], a higher number of hours on Snapchat was not found to be significantly associated with any of the mental health symptoms examined.”
“The study found no evidence to indicate that using social media to facilitate social connections was associated with poorer mental health. Rather, it found that more frequently using social media to communicate with people teens knew in real life was associated with lower symptoms of depression and anxiety. This may explain why a higher number of hours using Snapchat was not associated with any of the mental health symptoms examined, because Snapchat is a messaging app that adolescents primarily use to communicate with their friends.”
While we have worked with reputable organizations including University of Chicago’s NORC and YouGov to commission our own research, we’re excited to see these independent studies reinforce that Snapchat is a platform that supports friendship and contributes to more happiness.