Snapchat’s Safety for Kids: Revealing the Dark Side of the Popular App
In today’s digital age, social integration online has become inevitable for kids. However, while there are numerous apps available for this purpose, one app that stands out is Snapchat. Despite being a product of Meta, it is often considered one of the most useless apps on the planet, enabling kids to mindlessly scroll and post snaps for their followers while also attracting shady friend requests from potential creeps.
According to an article titled 5 Reasons Why No Child Needs Snapchat, this app offers children a news outlet through its Discover section. By swiping left, kids can access snap stories that provide news. Unfortunately, the content found in Discover can range from topics such as How to get a gun where you live and Blow job Q & A to an endless source of celebrity gossip. With click-bait headlines and an endless feed of stories, children can easily find themselves exposed to mature content that they are not mentally equipped to handle. Surprisingly, Snapchat lacks parental controls or filters to alter the Discover feed.
Moreover, Snapchat’s excessive use can also lead to anxiety and depression, especially for kids who spend more than two hours per day on the app. Research has shown a strong association between social media use, such as Snapchat, and depression in adolescents. It’s a vicious cycle: the more depressed adolescents are, the more they use social media, and the more they use social media, the more depressed they become. The exact cause-and-effect relationship is unclear, but the correlation is evident.
Snapchat claims to prioritize the safety of its young users by allowing parents to confidentially report concerning accounts to their Trust and Safety Teams, who work round the clock to address such issues. However, the app’s biggest problem lies in its engineered addiction. When children start a streak by posting a picture every day, they gain popularity on the platform, receiving more likes and attention, which inevitably leads them to spend even more time on Snapchat.
Additionally, Snapchat’s disappearing images might falsely create an illusion of safety when it comes to sending or receiving inappropriate content. However, there are countless online tutorials that teach users how to take screenshots or save snaps indefinitely. If children want to bypass rules, they will find a way.
Another concerning feature is Snap Codes, which facilitates building an extensive network of friends who are essentially strangers. Moreover, Snap Maps allows users to see the geographic location of their friends and followers while using the app, potentially putting them in dangerous situations and compromising their safety.
It is important for parents to understand how the Snapchat app works and to take control of what their children are exposed to. Organizations like the NSPCC and Common Sense Media provide valuable resources to help parents navigate the platform’s safety concerns and educate their children about responsible usage.
In conclusion, while Snapchat claims to prioritize the safety of its young users, there are valid concerns about its content, potential for addiction, and lack of sufficient parental controls. Parents must actively engage with their children, educate them about responsible social media usage, and monitor their activity to ensure their safety in the digital world.
