Something New
We know that kids want to use Snapchat – it can be fun! But is it safe? Here’s what parents need to know.
When your kids get older and start to have access to the internet and apps through their own devices, it becomes more important than ever to be mindful of what apps they’re using and how they’re being used. We’re not talking about checking in on what YouTube videos they happen to be obsessed with right now, although we definitely still keep tabs on those!
At some point, your tweens and teens are going to want to branch out into social media, with their own accounts if you allow it. And we get it! Social media these days is very appealing and can be a lot of fun. We’re nowhere near the target demographic for TikTok, but you wouldn’t believe how much time we can waste scrolling through those videos.
When you open up that can of worms, particularly with your kids, it’s so important to understand the apps they’ll be using and whether or not they’re safe. Snapchat is a super popular app, particularly among young folks, because of the filters and short shelf life of shared content. However, before you give into your kids’ request to download the app, do your due diligence to find out if it’s safe, and what precautions you and your kids should take while using it.
Snapchat is another in a long line of messaging apps. But what’s made it so popular is also what sets it apart from other apps. Unlike Instagram or TikTok, you don’t have a personal feed of all the pics, videos, and content you’ve shared, because everything you share on Snapchat is time-limited, meaning it disappears after it’s been viewed.
So you can take a cute selfie, throw a funny filter on it, send it to a friend, and after they open it, that snap is gone. Lees verder