Dubai: Don’t be surprised if you spot someone in the middle of a mall or park, hands raised high, talking animatedly into the front camera of a cellphone.
People taking selfie videos in their cars, discussing daily struggles, plans, or just the day has been, or singing along while a song plays in the background are becoming a common sight.
If you are wondering what compels such behaviour among residents, there’s a good chance it’s down to a photo-video messaging app called Snapchat, which is fast catching on.
The trendy app serves as a storytelling platform for users and includes various features that allow them to take photos or videos that vanish a few seconds after they are viewed.
Users, who get to decide whether their photo or video will show up for one or 10 seconds with their friends, are also able to document their day by adding different snaps to their story, which ends up creating a chronological narrative that can be viewed for an unlimited number of times over 24 hours before it vanishes.
Gulf News decided to speak to addicted Snapchat users in the UAE to understand what makes the app stand out for them. Users seemed to concur on one point: that it was the first app to allow users to share live moments with their friends in an informal way and in a matter of seconds.
Fatima Mohammad, a 21-year-old Emirati who makes sure every part of her day is shared with her network of 53 friends on Snapchat, said her addiction to the app began the moment it started trending among her friends.
“I believe sharing different moments of your day with your friends can actually get you closer to them, because they get to understand your tastes and lifestyle even more. The app has been trending a lot here simply because people are able to instantly send live content to others so easily,” she said.
Fatima said she enjoys sending 10-second tutorials on how to apply make-up, and also likes recommending places for her friends to visit through videos.
“I send 300 snaps a day, whether photos or videos, either dedicating the music I’m listening to or informing others about the places I’m visiting. It’s a wonderful way to entertain others,” she said.
Snapchat users have the option of making their account public, for everyone to see, or private, which makes it viewable by all their friends or the friends they select.
Elaf Patel, a university student from India, said she shares whatever she sees as amusing, unusual, or worth sharing.
“Since it’s temporary, and people can view it once, it’s fun to send crazy moments and stupid videos because you can simply get away with it. It just vanishes. It’s also addictive because it’s more personal and you can add captions and draw on your own selfies for example,” she said.
Photos and videos sent through the app cannot be saved by others unless receiving users choose to screen-capture photos or use a separate app to save them. However, users are notified if someone screen-captures their content.
Other users like Mohammad Rashid, 23, who is from Canada, said he is more addicted to checking what others may have sent on Snapchat than sending snaps. He said he specifically likes watching videos sent by famous personalities.
Many celebrities have created public Snapchat accounts to get closer to their fans by letting them in on the other side of their lives and responding to their fans’ questions through 10-second videos.
Rashid, who added around 10 celebrities to his list, believes Instagram and other apps have lost popularity since Snapchat began trending in the UAE.
He said that he recently added the famous Lebanese singer Najwa Karam to his list because he wanted to know what a normal day was like for her.
“It’s nice to get an idea on how these stars spend their day and how they live on normal days. I have another viner on my Snapchat list, who is now in Dubai and has been visiting different places here. I want to know what he thinks about the city, and I also want to find out where he is, so that I could maybe drive there and meet him.”
Marianne Hannoush, from Syria, said she too likes following up on viners through Snapchat “because they have plenty of things to share about their day.”
“I send a lot of video snaps daily, but they are mainly about my baby cousin. It’s a great way to share moments like these and know who actually clicked and viewed them. Among those who keep me entertained throughout the day is an Emirati viner, who I added to my list. He always sends videos discussing his day and his trips, and spends the whole day sending funny videos and connecting with others,” she said.
Other features in Snapchat include filters for images or videos, the option to share snaps through a crowd-contributed feed known as our story when there is a festival or live event being celebrated worldwide, and having one-on-one text chats with friends.
A “discover” feature launched recently allows users to explore stories from different editorial teams.
