Everyday Snapchat is used as an interesting way to communicate with friends, family and even celebrities; but when you push send are you sure no one will ever see it again?

Snapchat is an application that was invented by Evan Spiegel, Reggie Brown and Bobby Murphey, in July 2011. What started as a couple of Harvard student’s class project has turned into a phenomenon, with The Wall Street Journal saying 100 million people use Snapchat daily. The app features a quick and easy way to share videos and photos with a character-limited caption.

Snapchat’s most unique and controversial trait is the apps ability to permanently erase any picture or video you send after the designated span of seconds. Snapchat is a hugely successful app, but many people question its reliability and potential to cause problems in the future for it’s 100+ million users.

“I think some people use snapchat for nudes”, said Kennedy Shields

71% of Snapchat’s users are under 25 years old, according to Time Magazine. The word “Snapchat” can illicit nervous giggles from even adults, so what are students Snapchatting that’s got everyone giggling?

“I use Snapchat to send pictures to my buddies of my dog and my face,” said Gigi Lee.

Many students would agree with that, but some use it for other reasons.

Greg Benson said, “I take shirtless pictures because it’s a nice way to meet women.”

Although Snapchat can be used just to send pointless pictures, some people use it to promote their interests.

Another Snapchat user Parker Harris said, “Sometimes I DJ and show people what I’ve been working on and share my Soundcloud with my friends.”

Students will Snapchat anything from something funny their classmate did, to a teacher making a weird face. Somewhere between petty humor and selfies comes the darker side of Snapchat. Snapchat has a reputation that it is solely used to send inappropriate pictures. School counselor Mrs. Burns discusses what she thinks about Snapchat.

“The conception of Snapchat was for people to send compromising photos that would self destruct. If you are in a place of ‘I’m not going to be pressured by anyone to compromise my morals. If you’re in a place of I know right from wrong, and I’m not going to send anything that I would be uncomfortable having to sit in Mrs. Burn’s office and look at with her,’ than I think you are as safe as you would be using Instagram or Twitter.”

Between screenshots, apps that save all Snapchats, and the vulnerability of social media in general, Snapchat is not the secure app it claims to be. When it comes to what to send, and what not to send; a good rule of thumb is: If you wouldn’t show your mom, then don’t send it.