How Safe is SnapChat For Kids?

What Is Snapchat?

Snapchat (SNAP) ranks as one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with millions of teens using it daily. What began as a simple photo-sharing app in 2011 has become a social media powerhouse that revolutionized social communication with its innovative disappearing messages. It has particularly captivated the younger generation, with more than half of its users aged 13-24.

As parents navigate the challenges of raising children in an increasingly online world, it is crucial to understand the risks young people face when using Snapchat.

Key Takeaways

• Snapchat ranks as one of the most popular social media and messaging apps.
• Some of Snapchat’s features, along with issues of social media usage among teens in general, have raised concerns among parents and mental health professionals.
• It is crucial to understand and reduce the risk of harm to teens and young adults using Snapchat.

Social Pressure and Mental Health

Snapchat’s core appeal lies in its ephemeral nature—messages and photos that disappear soon after viewing—along with creative filters and features that make the content more engaging. The platform’s design, however, can affect young users’ mental well-being.

According to research, young people ages 12-15 years who use social media more than three hours a day are twice as likely to suffer mental health problems, including symptoms of depression and anxiety. And Snapchat’s features can create an addictive cycle where teens feel compelled to check their phones multiple times daily to avoid breaking “streaks,” leading to increased screen time and potential sleep disruption.

Studies also suggest that the temporary nature of Snapchat content, combined with features like “Best Friends” lists and snap scores, can intensify social comparison and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Users might feel constant pressure to document their lives and respond quickly to others to maintain their social standing, leading to heightened anxiety and stress. The instant, visual nature of the communication can also make cyberbullying particularly impactful, as harmful content can spread quickly before disappearing.

Key Features and Risks of Snapchat

• Snapchat’s signature feature, disappearing messages, can create a false sense of security among young users. While messages vanish from the recipient’s view, they can still be captured through screenshots or recorded using external devices. This misconception about message impermanence might lead to risky sharing behavior among teens who believe their content will truly disappear forever.
• Snapstreaks—the continuous exchange of snaps between friends for consecutive days—can create powerful social pressure. Teens may feel anxious about maintaining these streaks, viewing them as a measure of friendship strength. This gamification of relationships can lead to unhealthy digital habits and stress.
• The Snap Map feature, which shows users’ locations in real time, raises significant privacy concerns. While the feature can be disabled, many young users leave it active without fully understanding the implications of sharing their location with their entire friends list, which likely includes people they don’t know well in real life.
• Snapchat’s Discover & Spotlight sections, featuring news and entertainment content, can expose young users to mature themes, sensationalized stories, disinformation, and potentially inappropriate material. While the platform implements some content filtering for younger users, the effectiveness varies, and inappropriate content can still slip through.

Content Exposure and Privacy Concerns

While Snapchat requires users to be at least 13 years old, enforcement primarily relies on self-reported birth dates during registration, making it easy for younger children to create accounts. As a result, it’s not uncommon for users younger than 13 to get on the platform.

Snapchat also collects substantial user data, including location information, usage patterns, and device details. This raises privacy concerns, including how this information might be used or whether it will be shared with third parties.

• Largest Age Group: Users aged 18 to 24 make up Snapchat’s largest user segment, accounting for 37% of all users as of 2024.
• Teenage Users: The 13-17 age group comprises 18% of Snapchat users.

Parental Controls and Safety Measures

Snapchat has introduced the Family Center, allowing parents to monitor their teens’ friends lists and communication patterns without accessing the actual content of messages. While this provides some oversight, the tools have limitations and don’t offer complete monitoring capabilities.

To enhance safety, parents should help their children:

• Enable Ghost Mode to hide their location
• Restrict story viewing to “Friends Only”
• Disable Quick Add to prevent strangers from easily finding their profile
• Understand that any shared content can become permanent through screenshots.

The Bottom Line

Snapchat offers innovative ways for teens to connect and express themselves, but like all social media platforms it presents risks to young people and warrants active parental involvement. The platform isn’t inherently dangerous, but its features can pose risks if used without proper understanding and precautions. Parents should weigh their child’s maturity and ability to handle social media responsibilities before allowing unsupervised Snapchat use.