Snapchat not just for kids anymore

If you have always wanted to see yourself with cat whiskers and pink bunny ears — and, let’s face it: who hasn’t? — Snapchat might be the app for you.
For those over 40, the social media app might be a bit of a mystery. Popular with under-25s, the app is number 45 on Mashable’s top 100 apps of all time. It is growing faster than Twitter.

Surprisingly, older folks are responsible for the Snapchat’s explosive new growth, even though most of its users are well under 25-years-old.

So what is Snapchat exactly?

It is a mobile social media network that allows users to send snapshots or videos to another user. You can also create a photo story for your followers. Snapchat’s allure among the young, comes from its impermanent content. Direct Snapchat messages disappear within seconds of being received whereas stories last only 24 hours. All content must be captured live on the platform which encourages more natural interaction between users who on a daily basis record and share more than 10 billion snaps of their unfiltered and unscripted lives. Snapchat also includes a chat function that allows you to type messages, and record video and audio notes.

Although the app doesn’t allow for touch-ups, it does have some fun face-altering features. There are selfie filters, which range from the very flattering to just plain fun and silly. The app allows you to don a crown of flowers in a selfie or transform your face into a dog using the lenses function. Like emojis, Snapchat’s features give expression to a wide number of emotions.

How to use the app
Snapchat is available for both iPhone and Android devices and the best way to get started is to download the app to your smartphone or tablet and follow a few people to get a sense of how to use it. There are no hard and fast rules and once you find your voice and your groove, you may find the whole experience quite addictive.

If at first you are daunted by the app’s very visual display, however, PC Advisor published a comprehensive guide in January, on how to use the latest version of the app, Snapchat