Social media is everywhere, and new apps are being released all the time. This can be overwhelming, especially if you want to protect your children as best you can from online dangers. So, is Snapchat appropriate for children? This article will teach you about the app's most commonly used features as well as its potential risks. You'll also receive advice on how to keep your children safe while using Snapchat, such as: B. Using an all-encompassing cybersecurity app.
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a popular messaging app that allows you to send “snaps” (short text, photo, or video messages) that disappear after a few seconds. Snapchat's ephemeral nature adds to its appeal among teens, allowing for casual conversations that don't last forever.
Snapchat has been redesigned several times to compete with other social apps. Short Snapchat TV series (Snap Originals), for example, and new features like “Our Story,” where multiple people can create a shared story, were developed. We hope that this updated Snapchat parent's guide will assist you in keeping up with all the changes.
Is Snapchat suitable for children?
Parents may be concerned about certain Snapchat features, such as: B. the Snap Map, which allows you to share your current location. Because Snapchat is considered ephemeral, children may feel comfortable posting private information. They fail to recognize that Snapchat images and other content can be screenshotted and publicly shared on social media.
Another point of contention is the absence of age verification when creating an account. This means that children under the age of 13 can simply pretend to be older when signing up for the app. Parents should use Snapchat on mobile very carefully so that kids can't easily log in to their Snapchat account Snapchat for Kids, a separate service for children under the age of 13, has been discontinued. However, if parents are concerned about their family's online safety or how much screen time is appropriate for children, Snapchat safety is only one issue to consider.
Snapchat advantages and dangers
Snapchat is constantly developing its product and releasing new features. While many of these features are fun and harmless, the potential dangers should not be overlooked. This is how Snapchat hacking can be avoided.
Snap Map
On the Snap Map, users can indicate their location so that others can find them. This is handy for meeting with friends, but the location information here is very accurate—right down to the building you're in.
Since this location can be shared as a story, it can be seen not only by friends, but also by all other (strange) Snapchat users, for whose eyes this information is not intended.
So, parents should not only use parental control apps and customize Snapchat user settings, but also talk to their kids about Snap Map and tell them that they should be very careful about sharing their location.
Discover
The Discover view provides insights into today's pop culture, so users are always up-to-date with celebrity, entertainment and other news. There are three types of Discover content:
Our story
Snapchat's users attending an event can post their Snaps under Our Story. These snaps are reviewed and curated by the Snapchat team, and then made available to the world, giving you a different perspective of the event. The story format was such a good idea that (by their account) Instagram copied it.
Editor Stories
Publisher Stories allow brands and websites to advertise on Snapchat, e.g., B. introduce a new product, forward users to articles, publish news and establish direct communication with users.
Snap originals
Snap Originals are professional, multi-episode, multi-season series produced exclusively for Snapchat . Each episode is about five minutes long and has an image format adapted to the normal (vertical) orientation of smartphones.
The series span multiple genres, and some even feature celebrity actors like Kevin Hart, Will Smith, and Ryan Reynolds.
Spotlight
The Spotlight feature is Snapchat's answer to TikTok . Users can post vertical video content with audio, use Snapchat features like filters, and attach themed hashtags. The post stays visible for 24 hours, and the more interactions it gets, the more people see it.
Global content sharing may sound disconcerting, but the author's name will not be displayed if he or she is under 18 (if they signed up with the correct date of birth).
Stories
Snapchat Stories allows users to create in- depth posts that tell a story using photos, text, and videos. These stories can be made public or shared only with friends on Snapchat. They can be viewed multiple times and disappear again 24 hours later.
Snap streaks
The snap streak reflects the number of days in a row that you have exchanged snaps with one person. Once you start a Snap streak, the conversation gets a flame emoji and a number representing the number of days the streak lasted (only visible to people in the conversation).
Snap streaks have contributed to the gamification of conversations on Snapchat : this form of social engineering binds users to the app. Snap streaks have been mentioned in an academic study on addiction . The researchers found that users even give their credentials to others, so they can keep the streak going on their behalf (in case they're offline for a long time).
Chat (messaging) Snapchat's chat feature allows people to chat directly with each other, just like they do with Facebook Messenger and other messaging apps. But it's not just about texting, there are other features too: video chatting, sharing Snaps, playing games, taking photos, Bitmoji—customizable avatars—or even sending money.
Filters and lenses
If you've heard of Snapchat, you've probably heard of its giant array of filters and lenses.
A Snapchat filter is a layer that can be used to superimpose different colors, text, and graphics (sunglasses, hats, horns) over a photo. There's a wide range of filters to choose from, and you can even create your own. The filter is applied after you create the snap.
Or you can activate a Snapchat lens before the snap. It uses augmented reality (AR) to add backgrounds or objects to your image or video, and sometimes even change the subject. The most popular Snapchat lenses are those that age the user, turn them into an animal, and more.
With the help of a Snapchat lens, they can turn into a cow. These features in particular have greatly contributed to the fact that Snapchat has become so popular. Lenses and Snapchat filters for kids, like Fun Cam Kids, create a safe environment in which to experiment with AR selfies.
Snap Tokens
Snap Tokens are a type of in-app currency used for microtransactions in Snapchat games . You can buy these tokens on Snapchat and spend them on certain Snapchat games, another Snapchat monetization opportunity.
Games
Snapchat offers both single player and multiplayer games. Your kids can play all sorts of games with their friends, from Scrabble-like puzzle games to shooters like Fortnite. Other popular games on Snapchat include: B. tennis, golf, and zombies. The multiplayer games can be started directly from chats, so players can start at any time without having to arrange a meeting.
Cameos
Cameos are a new feature in Snapchat that puts your face into a short video clip. Snapchat offers many clips for this and is continuously expanding the range. This video can then be used in a Snap—and cameos with multiple friends are also possible.
How old do you have to be to use Snapchat?
The minimum age to sign up for Snapchat is 13 years old. This age requirement for Snapchat is lower than the minimum age for apps like Instagram, which require users to be at least 16 years old. Snapchat has a higher age limit of 18 to use certain features, such as payments or posting your name on a global Spotlight video.
Unfortunately, it's quite easy for children to provide an incorrect age when creating a profile since there is no age verification when creating a Snapchat account . Does this mean Snapchat is suitable for 13 year olds? Not necessarily. It just means that under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule in the US, companies are not allowed to collect any data from them.
Whether Snapchat is right for your child ultimately comes down to your opinion and judgment.
How does Can parent Monitor Snapchat Usage?
Even parents who trust their kids completely are concerned about their safety and are looking for the safest smartphone for their kids and the best privacy and security app to protect the kids from the dangers of social media.
For parents who want their kids to use Snapchat under parental supervision, there are some parental controls in Snapchat's privacy settings. You can influence your child's Snapchat activities by setting the following options .
Prevent strangers from contacting your child To make sure no one but friends can contact your child:
Open Settings (denoted by the gear icon).
Under the Who Can… settings, you can choose who can contact or be contacted by your child. Under Contact Me and My Story, select My Friends instead of Everyone.
Make sure your child is not “recommended” as a contact
Suggestions are used to recommend potential contacts to Snapchat users. To make sure no other user sees your child as a recommended contact:
Open Settings.
Tap Find me under Suggestions.
Turn off the setting.
Set whether other contacts can find you on Snapchat.
Hide location Here's how to make sure no one (not even friends) can see your child's location:
Open Settings.
Tap View my location.
Activate ghost mode.
Enable ghost mode if you don't want location sharing via Snapchat. Protect your child's phone number.
To make sure, no one can find your child by phone number:
Open Settings.
Tap Mobile Number.
Disable Invite others to find me by my mobile number.
Under “Mobile number” you can set whether other Snapchat users can find your child by their number. You can also influence what your kids are allowed to do beyond Snapchat. Refer to our guides on how to configure your child's devices to be safer:
How to set up parental controls on an Android device
How to set up parental controls on an iPhone
How to set up parental controls on a Mac
While these parental controls are a good first step, for more powerful protection, consider specialized cybersecurity software that offers more features.
Avast One is a comprehensive protection solution. With Avast One, your devices are not only protected from all kinds of malware, data leaks, and threats like browser hijacking, but you also get multiple privacy features, including a built-in VPN.
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So, should I allow my child to use Snapchat?
Communicate with your child respectfully and openly about safety on the internet. Tell your child what concerns you have about Snapchat, but also what concerns you have about social media and the internet in general.
Discuss the security measures to follow-on Snapchat and why they are so important. Explain which things, from your perspective, should not be shared, viewed and told about in the app.
Social media will not go away again. Many younger (and older) people use it to keep in touch with friends. That's why it's significant that your child know how to use social media safely.
Snapchat is an app that is fun to use when used properly. You could even use them as a new, fun way to communicate with your child. Just make sure your child handles it responsibly.
Protect your kids online with Avast
Dedicated cybersecurity apps provide better protection than the predefined settings of individual apps. A dedicated cybersecurity app can help minimize the risks associated with Snapchat and other online activities.
Avast One offers comprehensive security and privacy features and a variety of configurable controls. Get Avast One today to keep your kids safe as they explore the online world.