It's essential to have a thorough discussion with young users about the importance of using Snapchat and its fun features in the safest way possible.

Many things about Snapchat make it one of the most popular messaging apps among kids. However, unless they are users of the social platform, parents of teens and young children may not know how to ensure their offspring's safety and privacy while enjoying the fun features of the app. Instead of forbidding Snapchat use, discussing the potential dangers of using an anonymous messaging app carelessly may be more effective.

Snapchat has undoubtedly grown into a multi-faceted communication platform over the years and still causes users to favor it over other messaging apps. However, it has a few features that may be risky for younger users to enable and use without proper supervision. For example, the ability to see a friend's map location, though convenient in certain situations, may not always be a safe option to have. In addition, Snapchat's 'Discover' page may not always have age-appropriate content. Finally, even the possibility of creating public profiles may have risk factors, especially for children who don't necessarily understand what it means to be public on the internet.

Snapchat's terms of service require users to be at least 13 years old to use the app, and those under 18 (or the legal age of the country the user resides in) may only use it with prior consent from a parent or legal guardian. However, those below the age limit still manage to get on the app, often through sheer trickery. For example, it's relatively easy for tech-savvy children to get through the sign-up process that requires a person to input a birth date since there's no real age verification in place.

What Kids Need To Be Careful Of When Using Snapchat

To ensure that using Snapchat is a safer experience for young users, be sure to exhaustively go through scenarios in which the app may be dangerous when used without careful consideration. First, though Snapchat gained its popularity for introducing the concept of disappearing messages into the internet zeitgeist, nowadays, there are many ways to capture and re-share content that wasn't meant to be immortalized online. Second, the ease of adding contacts on the app may increase the risk of kids adding people they don't know well. Tie that in with Snapchat's Snap Map function that lets users display their location in real-time, and the possibility of inadvertently sharing their whereabouts to strangers can become a reality. Third, like most social media platforms, Snapchat is in partnership with various third parties that may have access to user data, which can be hacked and be accessed by users who abuse the app for nefarious reasons. Lastly, while it's perfectly fine for older users who can self-regulate to engage in a Snapstreak—a back-and-forth snap exchange within a 24-hour timeframe—younger kids may have a hard time concentrating on anything else, may feel pressure and anxiety over keeping up the streak, and may wrongfully use the feature as a means to measure a friendship's value.

Of course, scaring kids with these possibilities isn't the only way to ensure the safe use of Snapchat. Going through the app's privacy settings with them is highly beneficial. One option worth considering is to keep Ghost Mode enabled for contacts that aren't family or close-knit pals, allowing users to see the map without sharing their location. Make sure all privacy settings under 'Who Can' are set to 'My Friends' only. For kids below 13 who are technically not allowed to create an account but would like to experience the joys of Snapchat, consider doing a joint user account that can only be accessed through the parent's phone and only give access when a responsible adult is present while they use the app.

Let the child know that a regular check-in on their app use is required and may include seeing some of the snaps they share. To lessen awkwardness, ask them to share what they like about the app and demonstrate how it works. Parental controls for Snapchat are currently being developed, but until those features are officially launched, all parents can do is maximize parental involvement, the most crucial ingredient in the recipe for Snapchat safety for kids.

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Source: Snapchat 1, 2, 3, 4, Vox