Time To Engage: How Parents Can Help Keep Their Children Safe On Snapchat

Kids Online

Here’s what parents should cognize astir Snapchat and why you should return immoderate clip to guarantee your children tin enactment safe erstwhile utilizing nan app

24 Sep 2024  •  , 5 min. read

Snapchat whitethorn only beryllium nan 10th astir popular societal media level successful nan world, but it estimates monthly progressive users astatine over 750 million. The level is each nan rage peculiarly among children and teens, and its features specified arsenic disappearing messages, stories and augmented reality (AR) filters support kids coming backmost for more. In fact, galore of them person been copied by larger rivals, pinch nan newest summation being an AI chatbot dubbed “MyAI”.

Yet connected nan flip broadside of immoderate chat astir societal media is online privateness and safety. It pays to return immoderate clip to understand nan imaginable risks, and familiarize yourself pinch nan galore features successful nan app itself designed to heighten nan information of much susceptible users.

Snapchat and data

Snapchat prides itself connected privacy. After all, nan cardinal differentiator for nan app for galore years was that “snaps” – photos aliases videos pinch captions – vanish erstwhile nan recipient has viewed them (more connected this later).

However, it’s besides existent that, arsenic this report details, nan app collects a scope of personally identifiable information (PII), location and biometric information connected users and shares it pinch 3rd parties for analytics, merchandise betterment and marketing. Snapchat whitethorn besides cod accusation astir a user's activity connected different services that usage its cookies to improve advertising. 

There are besides immoderate concerns complete nan MyAI chatbot, arsenic raised by UK information protection regulator nan Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The app apparently uses nan discourse of a user's MyAI speech complete time, positive their property and wide location, successful bid to service targeted ads.

What are nan main Snapchat risks for kids?

Although disappearing messages connected nan 1 manus heighten privateness by virtually removing contented from nan app, they tin besides create other headaches. For starters, concerned parents will find it harder to show what their kids are up to and what they’re sharing if messages vanish aft being viewed.

The psychology down that characteristic whitethorn besides promote much reckless sharing of images, giving kids a mendacious consciousness of information and making them judge that their images will vanish without consequences. This could play into nan hands of cyberbullies and adults utilizing nan app for nefarious purposes. (Muddying nan waters further, immoderate Snapchat labor reportedly had entree to those snaps successful nan past, and abused it to spy connected users.)

Here are immoderate different concerns parents whitethorn person pinch Snapchat:

• Cyberbullying: It’s a problem connected immoderate societal media site, conscionable arsenic it is successful nan existent world. Unfortunately, little than a 4th (23%) of precocious schoolhouse victims of cyberbullying report nan maltreatment to an adult. And disappearing messages make it moreover little apt that they’ll notify a genitor aliases teacher.
• Inappropriate content: According to Snapchat, Stories and Spotlight contented is moderated, but “some posts whitethorn incorporate images aliases captions that do not explicitly break our Community Guidelines yet incorporate delicate aliases suggestive content.” Individual Snaps whitethorn besides characteristic images aliases videos that you’d alternatively your kid wasn’t exposed to. The consequence is possibly much acute pinch nan MyAI app which whitethorn not understand what constitutes “inappropriate”.
• Grooming and sextortion: Unfortunately, location will ever beryllium a mini number connected societal media sites who are not location to interact pinch friends and family, but alternatively to pray connected much susceptible members of society. Adult strangers could theoretically nonstop Snaps aliases messages to children, and nan platform’s Snap Map characteristic enables kids to stock their location. A study from 2023 recovered that arsenic overmuch arsenic 26 percent of grooming offences recorded by UK constabulary took spot connected Snapchat. The level precocious rolled retired a assortment of caller features designed to thief protect children connected nan site.
• Challenges and Snapstreaks: Kids emotion to play and compete. And location are plentifulness of opportunities to do truthful connected Snapchat. When users speech Snaps for 2 consecutive days, nan app will support way of their “streak” and delete messages aft 24 hours of inactivity. This could promote addictive behaviour aliases oversharing of individual information. A 2023 study claims that high-frequency Snapchat usage is linked to FOMO, worry and debased self-esteem.

Staying safe connected Snapchat

Children don’t for illustration to beryllium lectured to, particularly astir a genitor who whitethorn not moreover afloat understand nan apps they’re using. So get acquainted pinch Snapchat, and person an honorable speech astir your concerns. Set rules and boundaries for usage, and who they should and shouldn’t friend connected nan platform. With communal spot hopefully comes an knowing that they’ll show you if they person a friend petition from personification they don’t know.

Here are immoderate different tips to support your kids safe and happy erstwhile utilizing nan app:

• Share champion believe advice connected really to usage societal media successful a measurement that doesn’t negatively effect intelligence health
• Ensure they motion up pinch nan correct age, truthful nan correct settings will beryllium applied by default
• Discuss what is and what is not OK to share connected nan app, including individual accusation and due content
• Explore nan information features of Snapchat together. These include:
  • In-app warnings which alert teens erstwhile they person messages from group who are not communal friends aliases contacts
  • Enhanced blocking to forestall cyber-bullying
  • Ghost mode to extremity others seeing your child’s location
  • Default chat functions which forestall your kid messaging personification connected nan level unless they’re friends
  • Reporting different users (press and clasp Snapchat ID, prime ‘More’ and ‘Report’)
  • Various privateness settings to limit who tin spot your child’s floor plan and interaction them
• Visit nan platform’s Family Center to study astir a scope of devices and resources that should springiness you an overview of your child’s activity connected Snapchat. The devices will besides alteration you to study immoderate concerns to nan app’s Trust and Safety team.
• Set up a Snapchat relationship and nexus it to your child’s to position who they’re friends pinch and person contacted successful nan past week (although not nan contented of messages).

Parents successful nan 2020s don’t person nan luxury of ignoring what their kids do online. Engagement is nan champion measurement to support them safe.