People on tech forums are typically negative about social media apps and platforms. It's pretty interesting.
I have no problem with snapchat the app. I think it is dumb, and don't enjoy using it, but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't exist.
What I do have a problem with is Snapchat being put on a pedestal, and perpetuating the SV cash grab business model. Get a bunch of users with a trendy app, data mine the shit out of them, and serve them ads until the app folds. There is no lasting value, and it is just the kind of rampant speculation that collapsed our industry in the past.
FB acquired Instagram for its user base. Amazon acquired Twitch for its user base. Google acquired Youtube for its user base.
How many snapchat users do you think also use those apps? How much additional value is being extracted from them via snapchat?
That's one of the reasons they are so valuable - data. Data is so valuable to companies - it gives them insight into how consumers behave. Gett Taxi just raised $300M from Volkswagen and it's not because of their tech. It's because they have data on how urban residents move and travel. Google released TensorFlow and gave everyone access to easy to use and super advanced neural nets and they do this because it's not actually their algorithms that give them their competitive edge - it's their data. More data beats a clever algorithm every time.