I don’t know what this says about the current generation, nor the impact that this could reflect in respect to behavioral and social norms.
But today, Snapchat has shared a pretty mind-blowing new stat:
“Every Snap is a moment for self-expression, connection with friends, or sharing something that matters. In 2024, that self-expression reached new heights: Snapchatters created well over one trillion selfie Snaps, a testament to how our global community of over 930 million use our camera to communicate, play, and feel closer together.”
Yes, “trillion,” with a “t”. Snapchatters created over a trillion selfies in the app in just one year. For context, Apple recently reported that iPhone users took over 500 billion selfies last year.
So Snapchat users took more than 2x the amount of selfies that all iPhone users did.
Maybe that’s an indicator that Android users are more vain, or at least, that a lot more Android users are using Snap.
The data underlines the enduring popularity of Snapchat, and the connective value that it provides for users.
Though at the same time, Snap has seemingly hit a growth roadblock in the U.S. and EU markets, with its daily user growth stalling in both regions.
That could also point to Snap’s failure to maintain its appeal with older audiences, with younger users eventually aging up, and migrating to other apps. Snapchat seems less likely to remain the key connective platform for people once they reach a certain age, though Snapchat is working on this, and is looking to add in more features to keep older users engaged.
Maybe that’ll bear out over time, but right now, Snapchat remains the domain of younger audiences. Who take a lot of selfies.
Like, a lot.
“From playful transformations to imaginative new ways of telling stories, our AI and AR-powered Lenses are at the heart of this creativity. Whether it’s our new Imagine Lens that quickly turns text prompts into creative visuals, or favorites like Dog Ears and Crying Face, Lenses help our community experiment, laugh, and express themselves in ways only possible on Snapchat.”
No mention of the rainbow vomit Lens. Remember that one?
As noted, the data underlines the key role that Snap plays in connecting younger users, who have come to use the Snap camera as a part of their digital vocabulary. And Snapchat is clearly important to this audience, but whether it can expand beyond this, in a significant way, is the next big question.
