Snapchat

Since my other two social media blogs were written on apps/sites that I wasn't very familiar with (or necessarily a fan of) I decided to write my last one on one of my favourite apps that I actually enjoy using everyday, snapchat!


Snapchat was created in 2011 by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, it is free to download and fairly easy to use. It is a mobile messaging app used to send photos, videos, and text to friends/other users. One of snapchats features that is most appealing is that after a maximum of 10 seconds the picture or video you sent vanishes! And if you friend was quick enough to screenshot the snap you sent, snapchat will send you a notification. Your story on snapchat is a little different however, as this can be viewed as many times as your friends wish within a 24 hour period.
Filters are another fun feature that snapchat provides. Filters allow you to transform a regular selfie into so many strange and cute faces (ex. barfing rainbows, and the one that every girl seems to love, the puppy dog filter).


10 Snapchat Statistics:

1. Snapchat's Daily Video Views Have Increased 400% Year-On-Year

2.Snapchat Ads Are Viewed Up To A Million Times Per Day

3.Snapchat's Video Views Are Now Greater Than Facebook's

4.Snapchat Is Now Worth $20 Billion

5.60% Of All Smartphone Users Are Now On Snapchat

6.Millennials Account For 7 Out Of 10 Snapchatters

7.Snapchat Now Has More Users Than Twitter

8. Snapchat Reaches 11% Of Americans

9. 60% Of Snapchat Users Are Between The Ages Of 18 and 34

10. It Would Take 158 Years To Watch Every Snapchat Story


Snapchat is a fun way to stay connected with friends by allowing you to send silly snaps that you know won't be seen again ( except for friends who screenshot ) , with its increasing popularity and ever-changing filters I think snapchat is here to stay!

Rest easy

Losing a pet is never easy. They are a huge part of your family (at least in my case) and its always so hard to say goodbye to a family member. This past week I had to do just that with my cat Gak.


Gak came into my life a little over five years ago, and I'm forever grateful for the day that happened. I'll never forget it, we were expecting to get the tail end of a hurricane that night and when my sister

and her boyfriend came across a small black kitten on the side of the road they knew they had to do something. Since Leighanne's (my sister) boyfriend is allergic to cats they thought the best thing to do for him would be to drop him off at my mothers for the night. ..yeah right, just for the night..
The moment I saw him sitting in my porch I knew right then and there that this was my cat, and so the begging process began. For a solid two days I begged my mom to let me keep this gorgeous little cat, saying the usual "I promise I'll feed him" "I'll clean up after him I swear" and "You won't even know he's here". Luckily for me my mom caved and Gak immediately became a part of our family.


He was my first real pet and the bond we formed is truly unforgettable. Gak had a huge personality to go along with his large ( 20+ pound ) frame. He always craved for all eyes to be on him and needed constant attention. One instance that sticks out in my mind when thinking of his attention-seeking ways was his reaction whenever I had the audacity to close my bedroom door. Since he was a kitten any time that my door was shut he would head butt it with all of his might and let out the sweetest but loudest meow, that everyone who heard would swear sounded just like mom, haha.


Not seeing him at the top of the stairs when I get home will take some serious getting used to, but I can take comfort in knowing that my family gave him the best life imaginable and that he will forever be in our hearts.

"What greater gift than the love of a cat"

-Charles Dickens

Not gone, but forgotten... Myspace

 

 

Myspace is a social networking website, offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos. It was founded on August 1, 2003 by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe. In July 2005, Rupert Murdoch's news corporation purchased Myspace for $580 million and sold again to Specific Media in June 2009 for a rumored $35 million dollars.

At the height of Myspace's popularity it was the #1 most used site in the United States. But of course their dominance did not last long as Facebook launched and quickly gained popularity and overtook Myspace in the number of users in 2009.

Now, Myspace manages to get around 50 million visits a month. While this may seem like a pretty impressive number at first it is actually pretty insignificant when compared to Facebook which has over 1 billion active users each month. Even at its peak of 75.9 million (December 2008) users Myspace does not come remotely close to Facebook.

 







While Myspace has many cool features and is pretty user-friendly I do not see myself continuing to use this site anymore. Facebook and Instagram are my favourite sites and I did not find anything while using Myspace that would make me want to use their site instead. 

FACT: Dogs are better than people..

After a seriously tough week, studying for and writing my first test in years and the biggest heartbreak I've felt in some time in losing a very close friend who although wasn't blood related was one of my favourite family members, it gave me such comfort to come home to my dog.

King, my 2 year old shepherd, doesn't care if I failed my test, or how much of a mess I look, he's genuinely happy every single time I walk through the door.

Although both his size and his bark would lead you to believe he is about to rip you in half he is one of the sweetest goofballs you could ever meet. King has the ability to completely and instantaneously change my mood and I cant help but feel grateful to have in my life, especially during such stressful times as these. I know that if more people had the heart and loyalty of a dog the world as a whole would greatly benefit.

What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a messaging app that allows users to text, chat, and share media, including voice messages and video, one on one or in groups. With this app you are able to stay connected with friends and family all around the world without getting charged SMS fees. One feature in particular I enjoyed using was WhatsApp Calling, which uses your phone's internet connection, instead of your cell plan's voice minutes, in turn allowing you to avoid costly charges. From my research I discovered that WhatsApp had 1 billion users in February 2016, up from 800 million users in April 2015. In learning this I believe WhatsApp has incredible staying power and will continue to grow in popularity. My personal experience in using this app went surprisingly well with how user-friendly it was and its ability to sync all of your chats to your computer so that you can use whatever device is most convenient for you. I definitely see myself continuing to use WhatsApp in the future.