Izzy Blansfield ’18

With a quick press of a screen, Snapchat users have immediate access to the whereabouts, and actions of others, thanks to the new Snapchat feature, Snap Map.

Snap Map allows users to share their current location with others and even provides additional detailed information such as exact addresses, and whether friends are driving, listening to music or playing tennis. But despite some of its benefits, some think the app could be dangerous.
“I don’t see the point of using Snap Map. It just seems creepy to stalk people and see where they are,” Alejandro Perez Elorza ’18 said.

Elorza is not alone in having this concern, but Snapchat does provide users the option of “Ghost Mode,” where the location of users will be kept private. Additionally, users may specifically select who they want to see their location.

Given these privacy provisions, some users feel safer.

“I do not think it is dangerous because if you do not like the idea of Snap Map, you are able to remove yourself and control who can see you,” Paige O’Brien ’18 said.

However, these privacy settings must be enabled — a feature that some criticize. Michael Simons ’18 believes this to be one of the major downsides to Snap Map. He thinks that when users initially join, they may not know that their location is automatically accessible to an unrestricted public and they may not know how to make their status private. As a solution, Simon said that the privacy setting should be set as default.

Nevertheless, some users find more good in Snap Map than bad.

“Snap Map allows me to see where my friends are and who’s free. This makes it easier to make plans,” O’Brien said. “Plus I think it’s fun to see what my friends from all over the country are up to.”

Snap Map also may hold potential benefits in locating missing persons. “It could be used as a positive if someone you know gets lost so that you are able to see their exact location,” Efe Elden ’18 said.

Another unique feature of Snap Map is its ability to act as a breaking news feed. According to CNBC.com, Snap Map enables users to “pan around the world to see what people are doing in real time. In addition to showing where friends are, the map shows hot spots, or red areas where crowds are gathering.”
Amanda Neckritz ’18 takes advantage of this feature. “It allows me to inform myself,” Neckritz said, “and get the news in a quick and convenient way.”