5 Golden Rules Of Snapchat So You Stay Interesting, Not Obnoxious

Social media is a minefield.

Keeping up with the demands of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn can feel like a full-time job in itself, and then, you've still got your actual job and your friends IRL to juggle.

So clearly, life was hard enough... and then, Snapchat came along.

Arguably one of the most addictive apps going around, it's seriously upped the social media ante (and strengthened our selfie game).

It's not hard to lose hours while trapped in a Snapchat filter frenzy or to find yourself elbow deep in a 100-day snap streak.

But before you throw your hands up and surrender to the sweet, siren call of Snapchat, there are a five commandments you need to school yourself on before you get sucked in too deep:

1. Thou shalt not overuse filters.

I get it; the puppy filter can take the plainest Jane from a two to a 10 quicker than you can say woof, and no amount of illuminator will ever leave your cheeks as immaculately contoured as the golden butterflies.

But there's truth to that old saying, "You can have too much of a good thing."

I'd be lying if I said I didn't check out the new filters on the reg, but save the banger flower-crown selfies to your camera roll and spare your followers the spam.

2. Thou shalt not send and post the same snap to your story.

Perhaps the most cardinal and detrimental sin you can commit on Snapchat. If I care about you enough to watch your story, you should care about me enough to send me a custom snap — end of discussion.

3. Thou shalt not drink and snap.

Forget the repercussions of drunk texting. Drunk Snapchatting is so much more damaging to relationships and even more detrimental to your reputation.

Waking up after a night of too much jiggle juice to discover the video you thought was sexy, but in the harsh light of sobriety is actually just slurry, is not cute; it's cringe-worthy. And what's worse? It's probably already gotten 50 views.

Always snap with a designated friend (who hopefully knows your passcode) to stop you from posting something you'll regret in the morning.

Don't worry; we've all been there. Wake up, clean your story, drink some coffee and move on with your life.

4. Thou shalt not overpost.

I'm about to drop a truth bomb: If the party is that good, you'd be out there enjoying it.

Hold on to your hats because I'm about to drop another one: If I wanted to go to the gig, I would have bought a ticket.

Think of Snapchat like a highlights reel and a platform you can use to create some serious FOMO by picking and posting only the very best and most memorable moments.

Believe it or not, the 12th Snapchat video you just sent isn't amazing; it's obnoxious and annoying. When in doubt, remember, if you wouldn't send it to your crush, don't put it on your story.

5. Thou shalt not screenshot.

If someone has reached the highest level of comfort known to anyone by snapping you a truly unforgiving picture (usually involving a triple chin) or even a sneaky nude, do not break the circle of trust by taking a screenshot.

You were the chosen one whom they completely trusted when in their most vulnerable state. If you breach this code of conduct, you don't even deserve a smartphone. Take this sign of trust as a compliment and settle for taking a mental picture.