Snapchat has gained distinct popularity, especially among teens. According to one of the reports in the US, the youngsters between 15 and 25 years of age make up around 48% of users of this platform. Not only that, but 51% of teens use Snapchat daily to communicate with their peers. Its unique features, like lenses, a plethora of filters, a chain of streaks, and disappearing messages, make Snapchat very attractive for your kids. No doubt, this platform is great for fun, but parents often have a concern: Is Snapchat safe for kids?
Well, there is no straightforward answer to this. Although you will get Snapchat parental control, there are some loopholes when it comes to kids’ online safety. In this blog, we will discuss this topic in depth. Keep reading to learn about the dangers of Snapchat and other safer options for little ones.
What is the appeal of Snapchat to kids?
Snapchat is equipped with funny and interactive features like fun filters, interactive stickers, and creative tools that let kids engage. Kids are especially drawn to spaces that allow them to express themselves in unique ways. While these features have positive potential, parents should still be aware of the platform’s risks. Let us discuss in depth what makes Snapchat an appealing platform.
Fun filters and AR lenses
The first and most attractive feature is fun filters. These filters allow them to beautify their facial features, attach animal-like ears or eyes, and even achieve futuristic looks. New filters are added to the app quite often to maintain excitement among users.
Apart from this, AR lenses on Snapchat take the fun to the next level. These enable users to create 3-dimensional images and also change the voice. Not only this, but users can also interact with digital objects by using AR lenses.
Stories and Streaks
The stories and streaks options on Snapchat encourage users to stay connected with close friends. The Snapchat stories (pictures or videos) will automatically disappear after 24 hours.
Similarly, teens are keen to keep the streak with their buddies, which requires them to exchange Snaps (photos or videos, not chats) with each other on a daily basis. A “streak” signifies the consecutive number of days they keep in touch, indicated by a 🔥 emoji and a number in the chat.
Disappearing messages
The unique thing about Snapchat, in comparison to other social media platforms, is that texts disappear after being read. Because of this, they prefer Snapchat to keep their conversation private.
Bitmoji Avatars
The cartoon-like Avtar Bitmoji takes fun to the next level. The user can give a personal touch to their profile by creating a cartoon-like avatar on Snapchat. This avatar is pretty similar to the actual features and face cut of a user.
Creative tools for self-expression
When it comes to creatively expressing oneself, no other platform can beat Snapchat. It offers users an extensive collection of stock images, stickers, GIFs, and much more to express themselves in the most creative and interactive way.
Parenting in the digital age – Safety comes first, real-time protection with a reliable tool.
Is Snapchat safe for kids?
As it is said above, there is no simple answer to this. The safety of Snapchat for kids relies on a plethora of factors, the most important of which is parental control. It is vital for parents to monitor the activity of their kids on Snapchat and set certain limits for a positive user experience.
Age requirement: COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) has set an official minimum age of 13 for Snapchat users. Unfortunately, many kids under 13 make their accounts on Snapchat by entering fake details.
Privacy and safety features on Snapchat
For the online protection of children and teens, Snapchat also offers several tools that need to be activated manually.
- First is Ghost Mode. By enabling this, you can hide your current location from others on Snap Map.
- If you don’t want your teen to receive messages from strangers, enable the Friends-Only Messaging option.
- One can easily block as well as report fraud of inappropriate accounts on Snapchat.
However, these settings are not enough for the safety of teens. Monitoring kids on Snapchat becomes pretty difficult because all messages disappear after being read.
Snapchat parental controls: Family Center
Apart from the above features, Snapchat also offers parental controls – Family Center. It allows parents to keep an eye on the activity of their wards. You can check your child’s friend list, report any suspicious activity, and see who they are texting. But you cannot see the actual text with this feature.
Follow these basic steps to access it:
- Update to the latest version of Snapchat to access the Family Center effectively.
- Open your Snapchat account and press the settings icon in the top-right corner.
- Choose Privacy and then scroll down to find Family Center.
- From there, send an invite to your kid via Snapchat username or ID.
- Once they accept the invite, you will both connect through the Family Center.
- Now, you can monitor their account hassle-free.
10 bad things about Snapchat parents should know
Snapchat is indeed a very engaging and entertaining platform, but it has some risks. Here are 10 Snapchat dangers that every parent must be aware of:
Sexting and inappropriate content
Kids can easily access sexting and inappropriate content on Snapchat. Unfortunately, parents may have no idea if their kids are involved in adult conversations because the message disappears instantly after being read.
Peer pressure
The other thing that can put unnecessary stress on kids is peer pressure. The pressure to maintain streaks (continuous, daily exchanges) can cause kids to obsess over their activity on the app. Undoubtedly, this also increases screen time.
Cyberbullying
Snapchat is a relatively open platform for both adults and kids. Its anonymity and temporary nature make it a breeding ground for cyberbullying. Those bullies can send hurtful texts or comments. The problem is that these messages might vanish before you take any action against them.
Screen time addiction
As stated earlier, Snapchat is full of attractive features that may make your children addicted. Many children spend more time on smart devices than ever, which impacts their overall development.
Online predators
Online predators focus a lot of their attention on these underage users. The unknown individual can ask your kids about their location, school name, or any other personal information, which can compromise their security.
Negative impact on body image
Snapchat filters have created a lot of fancy sharing and have triggered unrealistic beauty standards, and many teens are starting to have body anxiety. This can affect their self-confidence, self-esteem, and even mental health.
Location sharing risks
Snapchat’s location-sharing features can reveal a child’s exact whereabouts to others.
Unwanted requests from strangers
The app makes it easy for strangers to send messages or friend requests, leading to potential exposure to unsafe content or people.
Limited parental controls
Although Snapchat has an inbuilt parent control system (Family Center), it is not very effective. You cannot see the actual conversations through it, and cannot monitor your ward’s activity efficiently.
Even with Snapchat parental controls, Snapchat still allows disappearing messages, making it difficult for parents to monitor their child’s activity fully.
5 alternatives to Snapchat for kids
If you are really concerned about Snapchat’s dangers for kids, it is best to choose some other option that is highly safe. There are a plethora of apps like Snapchat, but especially for kids that you can trust. Let us explore them:
1. Kudos (Ages 8+)
The first in the row is Kudos. This social media platform is appropriate for individuals above 8. This child-friendly app offers a safer, monitored environment for kids to share photos and videos with family and friends. This platform comes with robust parental control. You can keep a check on your child’s activity and set any boundaries if required.
2. Messenger Kids (Ages 6+)
Messenger Kids is developed by Meta and specially crafted for kids between 6 and 12 years old. Kids can share messages, videos, and pictures with their buddies on this app. Messenger Kids offers strict privacy settings, ensuring no unknown person comes in contact with your child. Also, parents have full control of managing their little one’s account.
3. PopJam (Ages 7+)
The age limit for using this app is 7 years and above. This social media app is developed for kids to share pics, send comments, and even play interactive puzzles, as well as draw beautiful paintings on this platform. PopJam allows your wards to become part of the supportive online community without compromising their security.
4. Grom Social (Ages 6-16)
This app is appropriate for children between 6 and 16. Unlike Snapchat, where anyone can send inappropriate messages to kids, this platform adheres to strict privacy policies. Parents get access to a separate parental control app through which they can monitor their children’s messages, comments, and other activities. You can also set privacy restrictions to foster the online safety of the child.
5. JusTalk Kids (Ages 6+)
Kids above 6 are eligible to use JusTalk Kids. It offers secure video-calling and texting. Like all the above apps, kids’ conversations and other activities can be easily monitored. There is no public chat room available, which takes the child’s safety to another level. Also, you will get access to funny filters, stickers, and drawing tools, which your kids will surely love.
What parents can do to protect kids on Snapchat
Although there are certain loopholes in Snapchat for kids’ use, with some key measures, you can have a safer Snapchat experience for them. Here are some Snapchat safety tips:
🔔Discuss online safety and social media use with kids
Open communication is key. Talk to your child about the potential dangers of social media apps like Snapchat and encourage them to come to you if they encounter any issues. Make sure they understand the importance of privacy and responsible online behavior.
🔔Set rules and boundaries
Set clear guidelines about how much time your child can spend on Snapchat each day and what details they can not share online. You can use built-in features in Snapchat or third-party apps to monitor screen time. Additionally, define boundaries for sharing content, such as no photos or videos in certain environments or situations.
🔔Monitor social media activity
Reliable extra assistance is necessary to understand better what your kids like and do online. FlashGet Kids is a powerful tool that allows parents to monitor their children’s Snapchat activity in real time. It allows you to set content filters, limit screen time, and receive alerts if inappropriate content is detected. With FlashGet Kids, parents can create a safer online environment by actively managing their child’s interactions on Snapchat.
Wrap Up
Snapchat is an amazing app with a lot of interactive features. Kids often get attracted to Snapchat as it allows them to express themselves in a creative manner with the help of stickers and filters. But Snapchat for kids has many risks too, like access to adult content, online predators, and peer pressure. So, it is imperative to keep an eye on your ward’s account with parental control apps like FlashGet Kids. Also, motivate them to use this app in a healthy way via open communication.
FAQs
Yes, minors above 13 can use Snapchat
You can monitor your child’s Snachap through its Family Center. But for high-level monitoring, you need to invest in a parental control app, such as FlashGet Kids.
No, Snapchat is not safe for individuals below 12. But there are certain other alternatives that are safe for small kids – Messenger Kids, PopJam, and Grom Social.
