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What do Wall Street Bankers have in common with 15-year-olds? A Snapchat obsession

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You’d be surprised what Wall Street guys are up to during their spare time. Apparently, a handful have picked up Snapchat, and they’ve gotten pretty addicted, says NYMag.

Generally speaking, social networks are monitored or blocked outright at the workplace in the banking industry. So Snapchat might be something of reprieve; a mobile substitute for a little social interaction. There’s no evidence left behind in case you’re caught, and a phone is a oft-used device you can easily get away with using in the workplace – even if it is to snap a quick selfie.

Of course it’s not the work week that’s so worrisome: It’s the extracurriculars. There’s a certain stigma attached to bankers and their hard partying antics – and sure, while an illicit Snapchat is only to get you in trouble if you send it to the wrong person … well, what if you send it to the wrong person? We’d wager a high power executive on Wall Street has more to lose from a scandalous Snap than a high school kid who lives with his mom, but that’s just us.  

In many instances the photos are harmless, a banker-turned-B-school student tells NYMag. “[Bankers will] snap a photo of ‘cubicles, laptops, airports, and other motifs of corporate life.’” In other cases, junior bankers are making pacts to approve photos before going up on social networks and Snapchatting “weird shit” so their bosses won’t find out.

Of course as we all know by now, Snapchat isn’t as safe as it seems. There are plenty of ways to snag photos, for example taking a screenshot without letting the sender know. You can even easily and quickly retrieve self-destructed Snapchat videos using the Android app, Dumpster, or use a mobile file browser like iFile to retrieve the temporary Snapchat files on iPhones.

If anything, the weird corporate world of Snapchat just speaks to its massive rise in popularity. Congrats, Snapchat – you’ve moved beyond your adolescent beginnings. 

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Francis Bea
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