Social media is a great platform for kids but it can also pose some serious threats to their wellbeing. Among the popular social media apps, Snapchat is the one kids are most fond of. Most tweens and teens are found using this app these days.
Before your kid comes up to you and begs you for permission of downloading the app on their devices, make sure you have checked out the app yourself and seen how it works. It’s important for you, as a parent, to identify what dangers your kid could face on the app.
Besides having a discussion with kids about their online safety on the app, you can also consider deploying Android or iPhone monitoring solutions on their devices. Monitoring tools will provide an additional layer of security while your kids navigate through the app.
Common Snapchat Dangers for Your Kids
It would be neglectful on our part to not realize that the internet is not a safe place for our kids. Social media poses a threat to young kids with several dangers lurking everywhere on different social platforms. At a tender age, kids do not possess the maturity and thought process to navigate the apps safely.
They need proper guidance from parents to help them through it. However, with the ever-changing technology and the addition of new features on social media platforms, it becomes difficult for parents to keep up. But you do not need to feel disappointed. We have got you covered.
We already know kids are obsessed with Snapchat these days. Those who have not yet joined the app are being forced to join in, succumbing to peer pressure. They insist their parents allow them to download the app so they can use it along with their friends.
There is no harm letting your kids use Snapchat but we would recommend you to discuss with them the potential dangers lurking on the app. In this post, we will discuss four potential Snapchat dangers your kids need to be aware of. By having a discussion with them about these dangers, your kids can stay safe on the app.
Remember, Snapchat in itself is not a bad social media app. However, just like other leading social apps, it has some dangers unique to this platform. There is no need to be surprised if your kids are already aware of the following dangers. They may know about the dangers but they do not know why and how they can be dangerous for them. As a parent, it is your job to make them walk through the potential consequences.
A False Sense of Security
Photos and videos sent to recipients on Snapchat disappear after a certain period of time. Many kids have a misunderstanding that anything posted on the app will be disappeared after some time. Living with a false sense of security, they go on and post bold photos and videos of themselves blatantly.
Those who can view the photos can take a screenshot of it, but then the person who has posted the photo will be notified and know who did it. This feature discourages some people from taking the screenshots but some of them are smart.
They evade the notification by capturing a photo of the snap shared by the user using another cell phone. This way they can keep the photo with them permanently without the user knowing and do anything with it.
The Internet is Permanent
Kids should know that anything posted and shared on the internet remains permanent regardless of whether it disappears from the Snapchat app or not. If you read the terms of Snapchat, you will learn that any photo or video posted on the Snapchat platform officially belongs to the platform.
This means they can redistribute the content and sell if they want. Therefore, you need to teach your kids to be mindful before posting anything on Snapchat because it can stay on the app even after it disappears from it.
To remain aware of what your kid does on Snapchat all day long, you can consider setting up an Android or iPhone spy app on their device. This will help you know what your kid posts on the app and what not.
Cyberbullying and Exclusivity
There is no social media platform where cyberbullying has not taken place. It happens on every social media platform, including Snapchat. It’s quite easy for someone to capture a picture on Snapchat (as explained above) and then edit it using embarrassing, disparaging, or even graphic images.
Kids receive messages from others on the app that may contain abusive, hateful, and inappropriate texts, photos, and videos. Cyberbullying can cause them to feel threatened, depressed, and lonely, damaging their mental wellbeing.
Moreover, Snapchat allows kids to be exclusive. It offers a feature where a kid can block some users from seeing certain posts. This sort of behavior happens consistently on the platform, making some kids feel singled out and excluded.
Sexual Predators
Snapchat is also surrounded by online predators who try to connect with young kids and teens to become friends with them only to exploit or obtain sensitive information that can be used to extort them later on.
Kids receive requests from strangers on Snapchat all the time, demanding their constant attention. They should be aware of these predators and should never accept requests from them. It’s important that you have a conversation about predators with your kids and explain to them how dangerous they can be.
While having a discussion with your kids about Snapchat dangers is important, you should not forget to install parental controls on their devices to help protect your kids against those dangers.
