- Outcomes
-
- help parents and carers to gain an understanding of Snapchat’s uses
- provide guidance on how to set up parental controls using Snapchat’s family center
- Service Description
-
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a messaging app with an age rating of:
- 13 and over with parental consent
- 18 and over otherwise
On this app, users can:
- message
- voice call and video call
- share photos and videos using filters
- play mini games
- potentially view each other’s location on the Snap map
This app is free to download on Apple and Android devices. Our research tells us this is the most used social media app amongst 11 to 16 year olds in Lincolnshire.
The risks of Snapchat
The potential risks for young Snapchat users include:
- pressure to send child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or nudes
- grooming
- coercion
- exposure to harmful content
- fake news
- blackmail
- scams
- cyberbullying
Most social media apps will carry an element of risk due to their nature. It is important to discuss with your young person:
- the potential dangers
- how they may deal with them, so they are prepared
Here are some of our tips:
- discuss your household rules and expectations of how your young person will behave online. For example:
- being kind to other users
- not posting abusive comments
- set limits on screentime and try to keep tech outside of bedrooms. Charge mobiles downstairs. This is safer in terms of minimising fire risk in the home. It also ensures your young person has no distractions when it is time to sleep
- set up privacy features and make use of Snapchat’s family center parental controls. This will help to minimise the risks for your young person
- advise your teen to only add people they know. Remind them that what they post online can easily be saved and reshared by others without their knowledge. Many young people think their messages will not be copied unless they are notified. Disappearing messages and encryption in Snapchat can increase the risk of:
- CSAM
- exploitation
- grooming
Other users have found ways to screenshot images without the other user being aware
- discuss the potential dangers of sharing location on the Snap map. This includes:
- stalking
- cyberbullying
Geolocation can be disabled or limited to select contacts in personal privacy settings
- talk to your young person about fake news so they understand not everything they hear and see online is true. Teach them to fact check using reliable sources and, or talking to you. This will help them decipher what is factual and what is not
- many young people are big fans of social media. Whilst it is important to discuss the potential risks of such apps, it is also worth taking some time to recognise the positive aspects of them too
Snapchat family center (parental controls)
You can set up parental controls using Snapchat’s family center. To do this, you will first need to set up your own Snapchat account. This is explained step-by-step in the YouTube video linked below.
Using family center, you can oversee your teens usage of app by:
- limiting their exposure to harmful content
- viewing their friends list and recently added profiles
- reporting concerning profiles to Snapchat
- seeing who they have recently interacted with
- choosing whether have access to the AI chatbot
Visit YouTube to see how parental controls can be set up through Snapchat’s family center.
Snapchat - parent’s guide to Snapchat
For more information, view the parent’s guide to Snapchat. This guide:
- answers commonly asked questions
- explains how the app works
- outlines safety features for teens
- provides information about Snapchat’s family center