If your teen uses Snapchat, make sure they know how to stay safe by learning about the available safety features and potential risks.
Snapchat is a popular social media messaging app that allows you to send and receive pictures and videos (called Snaps) to users. Snap Inc is the developer of the app and also creates other products such as Snapchat Spectacles.
It is available for both Android and iOS users and is free to download. However, there is a premium subscription to the app also available for purchase called Snapchat+.
Credit: TechCrunch
It was initially a private photo-sharing app. However, Snapchat features now include short videos, video chat, messaging, photo storage, generative AI and more.
Each Snap shared with your followers is temporary and is available for 24 hours unless you delete it or set a different limit. You can also add different filters, lenses, emojis and text to your Snap. Additionally, you can create a group chat to talk with friends or message individual friends.
As well as the above, Snapchat has a ‘Discovery’ and ‘Spotlight’ area.
To register, users must download the social media app to their device. Then they must enter their date of birth and create and username and password. Users are then asked to enter their mobile phone number. This is an optional step to help if you get locked out of your account. However, you can use email instead if you prefer.
With the popularity of artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, Snapchat has added their own version called My AI. It appears in users’ contact lists automatically. Unlike other contacts, My AI cannot be deleted unless you have Snapchat+, Snapchat’s premium subscription option.
My AI works like any other chatbot, allowing users to have conversations with AI. Like ChatGPT, it can also provide more detailed answers like the solution to a Maths problem. With any AI tool, it’s important that children understand appropriate and inappropriate ways to use it to support skill-building.
Like ChatGPT, My AI collects data from conversations users have with it. If location is enabled, My AI can use that to help answer questions users ask it. If you share content like written messages or snaps, My AI keeps that data as well.
According to the Snapchat Help Centre, users should avoid sharing confidential or sensitive information with My AI. Additionally, it is against the rules to ask My AI to generate harmful content such as that which promotes violence, self-harm, human trafficking or any content that goes against the Community Guidelines.
If your teen regularly uses My AI, it’s a good idea to get in the habit of routinely deleting their data. You can do this by going to their account Privacy Controls in their Settings, selecting ‘Clear Data’ and then choosing ‘Clear My AI Data.’ Additionally, make sure you talk to your teen about what is and is not okay to share with artificial intelligence like My AI.
Dreams is an AI tool available through Snapchat’s Memories. It uses images that you supply to create AI generated ones.
To access the feature, swipe up on the home camera screen to open Memories and select Dreams at the top. You must agree to the terms presented, which states that the tool will use provided images to generate or improve Snaps. Additionally, “information about your face may also be used to develop machine learning models throughout this service.”
When uploading your image, you also must agree to let others, including Snap, use your likeness to create new Dreams. You can customise your settings for this and delete your images at any time.
Like many other social networks, the minimum age to use Snapchat is 13 years old. However, research shows that children under 13 do use the service.
If your child is interested in using social media but does not meet the age requirements, they face additional online risks. Until they reach the age minimum, consider these alternatives suitable for under-13s.
If your teen uses Snapchat, it’s important to understand both the potential risks and benefits. However, these might not apply to all young people, so it’s important to consider your individual child’s maturity, online experience and critical thinking skills.
Similar to other social media platforms, common risks on Snapchat include:
Snapchat has its own Community Guidelines to help users stay safe. Inappropriate content, bullying and more are not allowed on the platform. However, if your child does see something upsetting, they should report it in-app.
See other ways to stay safe on Snapchat with our step-by-step guide.
Social media is a large part of teens’ lives, and apps like Snapchat can help support important aspects. Some benefits include:
Snapchat has a range of privacy and safety features to help keep users under 18 safe. These include standard reporting and blocking features as well as the ability to turn off location. However, Snapchat additional features as well to support its users.
Here For You is a mental health feature that provides proactive in-app support to Snapchatters. It supports those potentially experiencing mental health or emotional crises as well as those curious to learn more about these issues and supporting friends dealing with them.
Learn more about Here For You.
Safety Snapshot is a digital literacy programme by Snapchat aimed at educating users about data, privacy, security and online safety issues.
Learn more about Safety Snapshot.
Teens use Snapchat to stay in touch with friends via images and text. To encourage safe interactions with people they know, Snapchat uses:
Snapchat’s Community Guidelines prohibit illegal and harmful content. Additionally, they have a zero-tolerance policy for users committing these harms.
Snapchat uses a Strike System to immediately remove inappropriate content that they detect or receive reports on. Repeat offenders will receive an account ban.
Take a look at our Snapchat privacy parental controls for info on how to enable certain settings.
Snapchat Family Centre is an in-app feature to help parents engage with their teens’ digital world. The feature helps lead the way for important online safety conversations. According to Snap, this will “reflect the way that parents engage with their teens in the real world.” Just like offline, parents can know who their teens’ online friends are.
Family Centre on Snapchat allows a direct link between parent and teen.
Teens who have opted-in to Family Center can also see what their parents see, with a mirrored view of features. Teens can also notify parents when they report an account or a piece of content on the platform.
If you’d like to learn more about the Snapchat and other similar apps, here are some places you can visit:
Parent’s guide to Snapchat
Snapchat Safety Center
Snapchat Community Guidelines
