The document discusses how Aristotle's rhetorical theory can be applied to analyzing the social media platform Snapchat. It outlines Snapchat's key features and argues they enable various artistic and inartistic proofs, like establishing ethos through sharing images that illustrate one's character. It also explains how Snapchat allows for pathos through sharing emotive photos between romantic partners. Finally, it analyzes how Aristotle's five canons of rhetoric around invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery can be applied to understand how Snapchat users craft their messages.

1. Josh Turner
Professor F
Rhetorical Theory
6 October 2016
Aristotle Would Have Loved Snapchat
Although comparatively younger than other forms of discourse throughout time, social media has
still achieved a variety of utilities in its lifetime. From enabling people to network via the internet and
communicate globally to entertaining the masses,social media has many definitions and purposes. With
all of its applications, social media creates extraordinary possibilities for ordinary people. Perhaps this
aspect is what makes social media so influential on our global society. Since its genesis, social media has
provided dynamic outlets of interaction across the world, enabled users with unique forms of self-
expression, and even created lifelong relationships. Whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vine, or
any of the other forms of it, social media’s impact is undeniable. However,I could write an entire
dissertation about the impact of social media’s many modes, so I’ll just pick one: Snapchat.
Over time, many have said, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” While the origin of this
phrase is difficult to confirm, its relevance transcends time. Before mankind could even communicate
with any verbal or written language, a picture- or, any visual image (for cavemens’ sakes)- could impart
ideas and beliefs effectively. While different mediums affect people differently, images have a profound
impact on us that can be very powerful. Simply, perceiving information visually has a special influence
on our brains that hearing or reading words cannot match. The phrase is fair though; I think a thousand
words could describe a concept as eloquently as a single image.
If one were to apply the phrase to Snapchat, then over 200 million people across the world are
sending dozens of thousand-words-worth images daily (Mazzei). Nevermind those numbers; the point is
that a lot of people are sending a lot of pictures (and videos) to each other through Snapchat. Created by
Evan Spiegel and Robert Murphy in 2011, Snapchat is simply defined as “a social networking application
that allows users to share photographs and videos through their mobile phones” (Mazzei). However,this

2. definition doesn’t encompass all of the application’s utilities. The app is essentially one of the latest
instant messaging commodities that has a chat feature in addition to sending pictures and videos. Users
can determine how long they want receivers of their images/videos (or “snaps”) to be able to view them
up to ten seconds, then the snaps disappear forever (unless screenshotted). This is arguably the feature
that distinguishes Snapchat from other social media and picture-messaging platforms where messages can
be saved for extended periods of time. Another unique feature is the story feature,which allows users to
compile multiple snaps into a sort of chronological narrative of their experiences. Snaps posted to the
story are visible to all of the users’ Snapchat friends for 24 hours (Mazzei). The last distinctive
characteristic of Snapchat is that users can add a caption or emoji(s) to their photos or videos as well as
draw on them. This aspect can make sending snaps seem like a form of artistry at times.
These aspects of Snapchat comprise its most basic services to us as a mode of discourse. The app
has a variety of different functions, but they go beyond the aforementioned technical ones. Additionally,
Snapchat’s merits include social and cultural benefits that these technical functions help provide.
Understanding each of Snapchat’s qualities requires an in-depth analysis of each aspect of the app. To
analyze all of the app’s virtues, it will be best to utilize Aristotle’s systematic approach: representing
Snapchat just as he would represent rhetoric.
Perhaps best remembered as the father of the scientific method, Aristotle was also involved in
many other fields, such as philosophy, biology, ethics, politics, rhetoric, and even zoology (Bizzell,
Herzberg 170). Eminent in all fields, Aristotle was a true orator. He even tutored Alexander the Great,
arguably the most powerful ruler that humanity has ever seen (169). Aristotle’s impact on Western society
as we know it is impossible to measure,as he helped pioneer Western philosophy through its critical
period. Aristotle had especially huge impacts on philosophy and rhetoric, as his hierarchical system of
analyzing the parts of a whole provided the basis for his analyses. For the purpose of applying Aristotle’s
procedure to Snapchat, I’ll discuss his inartistic proofs, artistic proofs, and five canons of rhetoric.
According to scholars, Aristotle’s distinction between his inartistic and artistic proofs provides
the starting point to his concept of rhetoric (Bizzell, Herzberg 171). The authors of Rhetorical Tradition

3. state that the purpose of Aristotle’s inartistic proofs is to interpret existing evidence (171). In terms of
Snapchat, inartistic proofs would be the established technical aspects (like the ones listed earlier) of
Snapchat that make it such an effective means of communication. Snapchat users can send photos and
videos to their friends. Snapchat users can post pictures and videos to their story features for all of their
friends to view for a whole day. Snapchat users can draw and place emojis on their pictures and videos.
Snapchat users can even just chat via text if they don’t want to take photos or record videos. These are
indisputable forms of previously existing evidence that support Snapchat as a sufficient means of
discourse. Therefore,Aristotle would refer to them as inartistic proofs.
On the other hand, artistic proofs are a bit more complex than their counterparts. They’re much
more subjective, defined as proofs through “which the rhetorician constructs the material” (Bizzell,
Herzberg 171). Modern scholars have divided Aristotle’s artistic proofs into his concepts of ethos,pathos,
and logos. In other words, Aristotle commonly bases his rhetorical views on ethical, pathetic, and logical
appeals that can help favor the rhetorician’s argument. Ethical appeals (ethos) are intended to enhance a
speaker’s character in the eyes of the audience, while pathetic appeals draw on the audience’s emotions in
order to strengthen the speaker’s argument. Simply, logical appeals demonstrate the speaker’s logic or
reasonableness of his or her argument.
As its own form of communication, Snapchat has its own appeals to ethos,pathos,and logos. For
instance, two Snapchat users may use the app to get to know each other better. The two users of the app
can exchange pictures and videos of their own interests, preferences,and generalaspects of daily life.
They can even add captions to accompany the pictures to further explain. I think this capability appeals to
ethos because of the following maxim: seeing is believing. Snapchat enables users to instantaneously
send images that can illustrate qualities of character more effectively than simply describing them with
words, which is great for kairos.If you see someone do something, won’t you believe that they did it
and/or understand it more than if they just told you about it?
Pathos can also apply to Snapchat in a number of ways. Suppose any two romantic partners are
using the app to communicate because they can’t meet face-to-face. Naturally, a conversation between

4. lovers could involve some form(s) of emotion at any point. Whether enamored or dissatisfied, emotions
and romantic relationships go hand-in-hand (pun intended). Exchanged snaps from one partner to another
can express feelings and emotions in a special and genuine manner that has a unique effect compared to
words or text. Although words may be best in explaining more complex emotions, snaps capture emotions
in an alternative manner that can supplement words nicely. Once again, the point is that seeing is
believing.Would you be able to better understand someone who displayed his/her emotions rather than
just told you about them?
Lastly, logos can apply to Snapchat as well. Consider Snapchat’s story feature. The posts on
users’ stories are visible to all of their friends for up to 24 hours, unlike any other message sent/received
over the app (Mazzei). Visually, this allows users to literally create a story-like narrative with images and
videos. Examples of Snapchat stories can range from special events to simple aspects of daily life:
whatever the user wishes to disclose. Ancient rhetoricians might have used Snapchat stories to either
promote future speechesor post brief synopses of current arguments,which would classify Snapchat as
both a deliberative and epideictic form of rhetoric respectively according to Aristotle (Giles). By nature,
many kinds of stories generally have some logic. Snapchat stories [can] visually empower users to apply
their own logic to their posts, making pathos relevant.
Remember, these are only a few of the examples in the ways that Aristotle’s rational appeals of
ethos,logos,and pathos apply to Snapchat. Snapchat’s features are what facilitate these appeals, but they
are all rooted in the following maxims: seeing is believing and a picture is worth a thousand words.
In addition to his ethical, logical, and pathetic appeals, Aristotle next divides rational appeals into
enthymemes, examples, and yes, maxims (Bizzell, Herzberg 171). Enthymemes are deductive syllogisms
based on probable knowledge, whereas examples are exactly what they sound like: based on precedent
(171, 172). Maxims in today’s terms are much like Aristotle’s versions. Basically, they are memorable
proverbs that can set a premise for an argument. The maxims “seeing is believing” and “a picture is worth
a thousand words” have helped drive my entire argument. My point is that these maxims demonstrate that

5. Snapchat’s powers as a mode of discourse are derived from the universal powers of images and the sense
of sight: a key theme of my own assertions.
With Snapchat, the pictures and videos exist as the actualmessages themselves. To further adapt
Aristotle’s systematic approach to Snaphat, I will apply his Five Canons of Rhetoric: invention,
arrangement, style, memory, and delivery (Bizzell, Herzberg 175). Invention plainly deals with the
subject or content of the snap. What’s the essence of what the user is trying to say? The canon of
arrangement refers to the placement of visual aspects within the snaps, which (again) represent the entire
messages themselves. Arrangement’s visual aspects can include emojis, captions, drawings, or even how
the picture/video was taken (focus, depth, rule-of-thirds, etc.). According to Andrew Cline, the purpose of
Aristotle’s canon of style is “to present the argument cogently and artistically.” Snapchat allows users to
display their own creative styles through their messages,whether artistic or not. This shapes the
audience’s perception of the user accordingly. Snapchat includes aspects of the memory canon, although
it doesn’t directly align with Aristotle’s. For Aristotle, memory pertains to the speaker’s familiarity with
the subject as well as his/her ability to recite an entire speech about it (Cline). For Snapchat, users should
definitely have a good memory because the app deletes the messages after they’re initially viewed. Being
able to remember information from previously sent and received snaps can have an impact on credibility.
Aristotle’s delivery has some similarities to style, but the final canon has distinctive characteristics in
reference to Snapchat. The app’s principal aspect of delivery is whether the user wants to send a picture,
video, or chat message. Snapchat users also determine how long their snaps will be, to which of their
friends they will send it, and whether they want snaps to be visible on their stories. How do users want
their messages to be received? Aristotle’s Five Canons of Rhetoric can be applied to Snapchat just as
adequately as his inartistic and artistic proofs.
Just as social media is young in comparison to discourse, Snapchat is young in comparison to
social media. However,the app has experienced tremendous growth in its lifetime, as it now sits within
the top 15 of social media platforms by users (Statista). Admittedly, my personal experience with
Snapchat greatly helps me in understanding it, and the app has many additional utilities that I didn’t

6. discuss. Yes,Snapchat and Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric are unlike in severalfashions. Perhaps the
biggest difference is that rhetoric is powered by words, whereas Snapchat is powered by images and
videos. Not to mention, Snapchat is only five years old as of 2016, while rhetoric has been practiced over
millennia. Though, they are alike in one crucial manner. Both are popular and effective means of
contemporary discourse that can feature inartistic and artistic proofs as well as Aristotle’s Five Canons of
Rhetoric, which are still commonly taught in some college courses today (again, personal experience).
Based off of my claim that images can have a more powerful effect than words on humans, I think
Aristotle would have loved Snapchat.
Works Cited
Bizzell, Patricia, and Bruce Herzberg. "Aristotle." Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical
Times to the Present. 2nd ed. Boston & New York: Bedford St. Martin’s, n.d. 169-78. Print.
Cline, Andrew. "Rhetorica: Canons of Rhetoric." Rhetorica: Canons of Rhetoric. Andrew Cline,
n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
Devender, George W. Van. "Aristotle." Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia (2015):
Research Starters. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Giles, Timothy D. "Aristotle Writing Science." Journal Of Technical Writing & Communication
46.1 (2016): 83-104. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 5 Oct. 2016.

7. "Global Social Media Ranking 2016 | Statistic." Statista. Statista: The Statistics Portal, Sept.
2016. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
Mazzei, Michael. "Snapchat." Salem Press Encyclopedia (2016): Research Starters. Web. 3 Oct.
2016.
Shekhtman, Lonnie. "Snapchat: the one app to rule them all?." The Christian Science Monitor
2016: General OneFile. Web. 5 Oct. 2016.