Snapchat is modifying a feature that ranks friends amid reports of it causing anxiety among teenagers. The messaging app is retracting a feature that allowed paying users to assess their closeness with friends within social circles following concerns that it was leading teens feeling anxious and insecure about their relationships.
The premium feature, known as the "Solar System," accessible to Snapchat+ users, reveals your position in a friend's "orbit" based on communication frequency. Essentially, the closer you are to their "sun," the stronger the friendship.
"We understand that even though it can feel good to know you are close to someone, it can also feel bad to know that you aren't as close to a friend as you'd like to be," the company said in a statement. “We’re going to turn the Solar System feature off by default so that Snapchat+ subscribers who want more friendship insights can proactively turn it on, and those who don’t will never have to see it,” Snapchat added.
Changes in the ‘Solar System’
On Monday, Snapchat announced that it would disable the feature by default, allowing users of the platform's $4-per-month service tier to opt-in to activate it.
"We hope this strikes the right balance by providing a feature desired by many while avoiding upsetting those who don't want to use it," Snapchat said. "We'll also assess the feature further to explore ways to enhance it for our community."
Snapchat explained that the Solar System feature offers "additional awareness and context" to online relationships, which often lack the nuances of in-person interactions.
However, some teenagers have reported that the feature exacerbated their stress and insecurity about interpersonal relationships.
Impact on teenagers
A 15-year-old girl shared with The Wall Street Journal that the feature strained her relationship with her boyfriend after he discovered he was only positioned as Neptune in her solar system while another male friend held the position of Mercury.
"Many kids my age struggle to distinguish best friends on Snapchat from real-life best friends," she added.
Snapchat clarified that the feature only displays the user's position in their friends' Solar Systems, and individual positions are not visible to others.
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