Snapchat has become a dominant force in social media, especially among teens and young adults. Its unique features, like disappearing messages and creative filters, make it an engaging platform. However, as a parent, it’s crucial to understand Snapchat’s functionalities, potential risks, and how to ensure your child uses it safely. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of Snapchat, its features, and tips for responsible parental monitoring.
Understanding the Basics: What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a mobile messaging app where users can exchange photos and videos, known as “snaps,” that are designed to vanish after being viewed. Users can add filters, lenses, text, and drawings to personalize their snaps. While the core function is visual communication, Snapchat also offers features like stories, group chats, and a discover section. It’s free to download, with an optional premium subscription called Snapchat+.
How Does Snapchat Work? A Walkthrough
Signing up for Snapchat requires a name, email address or phone number, and date of birth. Users can add friends by uploading contacts, searching for usernames, or scanning a “Snapcode” – a unique QR code for each user.
Communication primarily revolves around sending snaps. The camera screen is central to the app, allowing users to capture photos or videos. A variety of editing tools and filters are available to enhance creations. Once customized, snaps can be sent to individual friends, added to a story (a 24-hour collection of snaps), or contributed to the Snap Map (displaying snaps on a map showing the user’s location).
Snapchat also features group chats for collaborative conversations. Users can delete their own text messages within these chats, though others will see that something was deleted.
Age Restrictions: How Old Do You Have to Be for Snapchat?
Snapchat’s terms of service require users to be at least 13 years old. While the app requires a birth date during signup, there’s no strict age verification, making it easy for younger children to create accounts. Common Sense Media recommends Snapchat for teens aged 16 and up, citing concerns about exposure to inappropriate content and data collection practices.
The Illusion of Disappearing Messages: Do Snaps Really Vanish?
While snaps are designed to disappear after a set time, recipients can easily take screenshots using their phones or third-party apps. Snapchat does notify the sender when a screenshot is taken using the app’s built-in function. However, third-party screen capture apps don’t trigger notifications.
It’s important to emphasize to teens that nothing shared online is truly temporary. Before sending a snap, they should understand that once it’s shared, it’s no longer fully under their control.
Snapstreaks: Understanding the Pressure
Snapstreaks represent the number of consecutive days two users have exchanged snaps. A streak is established when two users snap each other within a 24-hour period for three consecutive days. Emojis and statistics appear next to usernames to indicate the length of a streak.
Snapstreaks can create a sense of pressure and anxiety, as teens may feel obligated to maintain them. Some teens have even shared account access with friends to keep streaks alive. It’s crucial to discuss with your child the potential pressures associated with Snapstreaks and encourage them to prioritize real-life friendships.
Snap Map: Sharing Location Responsibly
Snap Map displays a user’s location on a map in real-time. Only Snapchat friends can see your location if you opt-in. Ghost Mode allows users to view the map without sharing their own location.
The main risk with Snap Map is that a teen’s location can be seen by all their Snapchat friends, some of whom may not be close acquaintances. Unless there’s a specific reason to share location, such as meeting up with friends, it’s best to keep Snap Map turned off or use Ghost Mode.
Snapchat Stories: Sharing Your Day
A story is a collection of snaps compiled into a slideshow. On Snapchat, stories are displayed as circles, and tapping them plays the collected snaps. Users can create personal stories visible to their friends for 24 hours. Snapchat+ subscribers can set stories to expire after a shorter or longer duration.
The Spotlight section showcases snaps curated for their entertainment value. While featuring a story in Spotlight can be exciting, it also makes it publicly visible, so teens should carefully consider the content before submitting.
Snapcodes: Quick Friend Connections
Snapchat assigns each user a unique QR code, known as a Snapcode. Scanning another user’s Snapcode automatically adds them to your friend list.
The ease of adding friends via Snapcodes can lead to teens connecting with strangers. It’s important to discuss with your teen the risks of adding people they don’t know well and establish guidelines for safe friend-adding practices.
Snapchat Discover: Navigating Content
The Discover section features content created by celebrities, news outlets, and other users. Users can subscribe to specific sources to receive their feeds.
While Discover includes legitimate news sources like the New York Times, much of the content is promotional or mature. Snapchat filters adult content for underage users who have entered their correct birth date. However, Discover stories often include promotions that lead to ads or quizzes that are marketing tools. It’s wise for parents to explore the Discover section to understand the types of content their children may encounter.
Additional Features of Snapchat
- Cameos: Animated GIFs featuring your selfie that can be used in chats.
- Face and World Lenses: Filters that add effects to your face or the environment.
- Geofilters: Location-specific filters that can only be unlocked at certain places.
- Memories: A way to save snaps for later viewing. My Eyes Only allows you to protect Memories behind a passcode.
- Snap Store: A marketplace for Snapchat-related merchandise.
- Scan: Identifies songs, dog breeds, and other information.
- Snap Games: Co-play games with voice/text chat.
- Sounds: A feature similar to TikTok, allowing users to add music to snaps.
- Spotlight: A feed of user-submitted snaps that are publicly visible.
Snapchat Safety: Risks and Precautions
While Snapchat can be a fun and engaging platform, there are potential risks:
- The Myth of Disappearing Messages: Teens should understand that snaps can be saved and shared, despite the app’s design.
- Time Distraction: The engaging nature of Snapchat, especially features like Snapstreaks, can be time-consuming and create pressure to constantly check in.
- Privacy and Safety: The ease of adding friends can lead to connections with strangers. Snapchat also collects data about user habits and shares it with third parties.
Monitoring Snapchat: Tips for Parents
Snapchat offers a Family Center feature that provides parents with limited visibility into their child’s usage. Parents can see who their child is communicating with but not the content of those communications.
In January 2024, Snapchat announced new Family Center features that allow parents to view their child’s privacy settings and restrict their access to the My AI chatbot.
Here are some general tips for monitoring Snapchat:
- Talk to your child about privacy settings: Review the app’s privacy options together and discuss how to use them responsibly.
- Discuss safe online behavior: Talk about the risks of sharing personal information with strangers and the importance of respecting others online.
- Check in regularly: Ask your child about their experiences on Snapchat and how they are feeling about using the app.
- Show interest in their online world: Ask to see some of their snaps and learn about the features they enjoy.
By understanding Snapchat’s features and potential risks, parents can help their children use the app safely and responsibly. Open communication and ongoing conversations are key to navigating the complexities of social media.
