New Snapchat feature lets students try on and buy Halloween costumes
As some schools allow their students (and teachers!) to dress up for Halloween, the weeks leading up to the holiday are always an exciting time. However, it can also be stressful to find that perfect costume. This week Snapchat announced an update that is making shopping for Halloween costumes a whole lot simpler.
This year, students can use Snapchat’s new AR (augmented reality) tool to try on and buy Halloween costumes of characters from their favorite movies and TV shows, such as “Harry Potter,” “Stranger Things,” “Minecraft,” and “Hocus Pocus.”
How are students using Snapchat to find Halloween costumes?
In a partnership with Disguise, a costume company, Snapchatters can simply type “Disguise costumes” into the app’s search bar to see a whole list of costumes that are available. Students can also find popular costumes by searching for specific movies or TV shows through the Lens Explorer feature.
Then, the fun begins. In whatever they are wearing, users can take a few head-to-toe photos that the AR technology will apply the costume over, like a virtual try-on.
The best part? Students can save the picture of them “dressed-up” and send it to friends to get their opinions!
“Imagining what a costume will look like on you is a big part of Halloween shopping. Snapchat’s new AR try-on capabilities take the wonder out of your costume shopping experience,” said Stephen Berman, CEO of JAKKS Pacific, owner of Disguise Inc. “Disguise is excited to partner with Snapchat this year to bring these Lenses to life.
TSI’s take on shopping on Snapchat for Halloween costume
With Halloween right around the corner, this new Snapchat feature is a great opportunity for students to “try-on” costumes and get their friends’ opinions without having to drag their parents to the store.
It’s also a great opportunity for educators to remind students to carefully consider how their costumes might come across to others from different cultures or life experiences. As students get excited about their costumes, they sometimes become less mindful of social or cultural sensitivities. Here at The Social Institute, we encourage students to Play To Their Core by reflecting their values, character, and interests in their actions online.
Last Halloween, 60% of Gen Z said they buy Halloween-related items to post on social media. To help students avoid choosing a Halloween costume and posting it into immortality on social media that they might regret, we can remind students:
- A screenshot lasts forever, so be sure to choose a costume that they wouldn’t mind being made public
- To choose a costume that they love the most, not what will get them the most likes and/or comments
- If they choose to shop for costumes on social media, always remember to get their parent’s permission before purchasing anything!
In 2022, 9th-12th-grade students told us that 72% of them use Snapchat weekly. For more insights on the top apps and devices students are using, download our 22 Insights for 2022 About Social Media & Student Well-Being.
This new Snapchat update is just the latest way students are using the popular app. Contact us for more information on how to access our Playbooks that provide expert summaries of the apps students are using.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.