Was Snapchat made originally for sexting? This controversial question has hovered over the app since it was started in a Stanford dorm room. While millions of people are using Snapchat for innocent communication today, initially, the “disappearing message” feature of the app became the subject of general concern for parents and media outlets. Thus, this article answers builds on what is allowed on Snapchat, and how to keep your kids safe on it.
The origins of Snapchat
The story of Snapchat goes back to Stanford University in 2011. The app did not start off as Snapchat, but was first launched as “Picaboo.” It was co-founded by three students: Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown.
The basic concept was through Reggie Brown. He is reported to have regretted sending a photo to someone and wished that it could go away. This gave rise to the idea of ephemeral messaging. The team realised that digital communication was fundamentally broken. On Facebook, nothing was temporary. Every photo was an archive. This caused pressure to the need of being perfect.
Brown, Spiegel, and Murphy wanted to bring the “casual” nature of face-to-face conversation to the digital world. In the real life, conversations fade away. You don’t do a word-for-word transcription of what you say to a friend. They thought photos should be able to work like this. They built Picaboo because they wanted users to share moments that were not made to last forever.
However, the first launch was a failure. The app, Picaboo, barely had 127 users by the end of that summer. It was buggy and crashed frequently. Additionally, the founders fell out. Brown was forced out from the company. Spiegel and Murphy rebranded the app as Snapchat in September 2011. They concentrated on bug fixing and adding the ability to caption images. This rebrand was the real start for the social giant of our time.
Was Snapchat originally made for sexting?
“Was Snapchat initially designed for use as sexting?” is a question that Evan Spiegel has answered numerous times. The short answer is no. The founders did not sit down and make a decision to construct a tool for illicit behavior. Their goal was very philosophical. They hoped to solve the “permanence” problem of social media.
However, the public came to a different conclusion immediately. When the app started spreading in high schools, however, the main response was suspicion. Why would anyone want a photo to get away unless they were doing something wrong? The media soon dubbed it a “sexting app.”
Evan Spiegel remembered early reactions during interviews. He said when he explained the app people would say, “Oh, for sexting.” He realized that they had a branding problem. The founders had to work hard to change this story. They argued that “disappearing” content was in fact more natural than “permanent” content.
Despite their intentions, the mechanism was ideal for sensitive stuff. Users were soon acting based on the principle, that if a photo disappeared, then there was less risk. This functionality was bound to attract those that wanted to share intimate images. While not the purpose, it became an inability to argue against use case. The “sexting” label stuck, because the utility was obvious to any teenager.
Was Snapchat designed for adults?
Snapchat was not explicitly designed for adults like a dating app would be. It is for college students, by college students. The first target demographic being their peers at Stanford. These were young adults, but not necessarily “adults” in a professional sense.
The design is somewhat difficult to use. The interface was confusing for the older generations. There were no instructions. You had to swipe in certain directions and that would find features. This was a feature, not a bug. This put a barrier to entry for parents. If they adults couldn’t get the hang of it, teens felt safer using it.
This “exclusive” design philosophy helped it to explode among teenagers. It was not only sexting but it was about privacy from prying eyes. Facebook had become a place where your mom and grandma were commenting on your photos. However, Snapchat was an adult-free digital locker room.
So, while not “for adults” as in in terms of mature content, it does exclude older adults. It has been developed for the mobile first generation. The founders knew that teenagers wanted a space of their own. This demographic focus made it grow rapidly in high schools in California and later the world.
Use parental controls to track your teens digital activities.
Is sexting allowed on Snapchat?
Snapchat has a very firm stance in its public policies. The company’s Community Guidelines outright forbid sexual abuse (exploitation) and non-consensual sexual content. They prohibit pornography and explicit nudity in public-facing places such as “Stories” and “Spotlight.”
However, the nature of private chats is subtle. Snapchat encrypts messages sent on the platform. The company claims that they don’t look at the content of private snaps. This privacy is essential to their product. Because of this, consensual sexting between adults will often go undetected.
In a technical sense, the Terms of Service forbid “sexually explicit content.” This allows Snapchat the right to ban accounts that are reported. If a user reports a snap for nudity, the trust and safety team will be taking a look. Snapchat can lock or permanently ban accounts that violate its rules.
The rules are much more severe for minors. Snapchat works with law enforcement in fighting child sexual exploitation. They use technology to identify known illegal images. Snapchat immediately reports any account involved in the sexual exploitation of a minor to authorities. The platform prioritizes teen safety through strict moderation and enforcement.
Signs someone is sexting on Snapchat
Parents often express concern at the way their teens use the app. Since messages are disappearing, it is not easy to find proof. However, there are some behavioral signs that may indicate that sexting is occurring.
Protective behavior with devices
Obviously, the most obvious indication is physical secrecy. Does your teen conceal his or her screen when you walk by? Do they turn their cell phone over right away? Fear of a parent seeing notifications may indicate that a child is hiding something specific.
”My eyes only” usage
Snapchat has a function called “My Eyes Only. This is a password-protected folder inside of the Memories section. Snapchat includes features designed to keep certain photos private. If your teen is using this folder a lot, ask him or her why they are using it. Users often use this feature to store intimate images outside their main camera roll.
Changes in sleep patterns
Sexting tends to occur late at night. If because of bedrest and/or shift times your child is waking up much later than usual, then be aware of this. Check to see whether they are on their phone under the covers. A sudden change in sleep habits is a red flag that is very common in secret online activity.
Multiple accounts
Some teens have a “clean” account that they say they want their parents to see. Then they open a second and secret account in order to engage in risky behavior. Look for duplicate apps or for suspicious activity on your login.
Defensiveness
If you are asking some innocent questions about who they are snapping, sense how they react. Extreme anger or defensiveness: A warning sign. A child who has nothing to hide will tend to give off a casual answer. If they are panicking, do a deeper investigation.
How to prevent your teens from sexting on Snapchat?
Know that preventing sexting involves a combination of communication and technology. Open Communication is your First Line of Defense. Family and friends Talk to your teen about the “permanency” of the internet. Parents should explain that others can still screenshot “disappearing” photos. Remind them that people can use another phone to take the picture of the screen.
Use Snapchat Family Center
Snapchat offers a tool called Family Center built in. This lets the parents connect their account to their teen’s account. You get to see who they are messaging. You do not see the content of the messages, but you can see the contacts. This transparency deters from having secret conversations with strangers.
Enable “Ghost Mode:”
Make sure the location of your teen is private. Enable “Ghost Mode” in the Snap Map settings. This is to prevent other individuals unknown to you from determining where your child is actually located physically.
Rely on parental control tools
To achieve more control, third-party tools are effective for parents. FlashGet Kids is a very powerful parental control app for this purpose. In terms of features, it has options that go beyond the native Snapchat options. With this tool you can set up:
- App time limits and screen time limits can help manage your child’s digital life. Parents can set limits on how long and when their child may use social media. These restrictions ensure your child doesn’t think about using Snapchat late at night for sexting.
- The notification tracker and keyword detection tool within FlashGet Kids further alerts parents if their children are being secretive. Whenever a child uses an inappropriate word (during sexting), you’ll get an alert on your phone right away. From there, you can intervene and talk to your child accordingly.
Conclusion
The question “was Snapchat created for sexting?” has a clear answer: No. The app is to encourage more natural and forgiving digital communication. Founders Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown wanted to recreate the impermanence of real-life conversations.
However, the design of the app unintentionally attracted users with the intention of sharing intimate content. The “disappearing” characteristic gave a false sense of security. This reputation for sexting has hounded the company for more than 10 years.
For parents, the intent of the founders is less important than what is actually happening with the app. Snapchat is a powerful tool that users can misuse. Parents must actively supervise its use. Tools such as Snapchat’s Family Center and FlashGet Kids are a must for modern parenting. They help bridge the gap between the desire for privacy of a teen and the responsibility to protect from the parent. It is by learning about where the app comes from and the risks associated with its use that you can ensure your kid is safe when using it.
