Snap Chat?

[Anonymous]

My 7th grade DD's close knit group of friends all recently gained access to Snap Chat. Is Snap Chat akin to other social media? I need to do my research but thought I'd get some perspective here as well. They are just turned 13yo. I hate for my kid being the only one without it but I have always said no to social media until older -- if that's what this is?

[Anonymous]

I said a hard no to snap chat. The messages disappear.
My 13yo just got Instagram teen and has regular texting.
She has WhatsApp too buf only uses for one group of specific friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 7th grade DD's close knit group of friends all recently gained access to Snap Chat. Is Snap Chat akin to other social media? I need to do my research but thought I'd get some perspective here as well. They are just turned 13yo. I hate for my kid being the only one without it but I have always said no to social media until older -- if that's what this is?

It's basically a picture sharing website, where they can take naughty selfies, and the app is supposed to make it difficult for other users to save the pictures before they "disappear", but of course all pictures are saved in the corporate databases, NSA, etc.

Snapchat is used mostly for child-porn and drug dealing (plus underage alcohol buying).

[Anonymous]

This is the worst app possible. Say no to snapchat. Follow Jonathan Haidt and Scrolling2Death. Teens use snapchat to send inappropriate texts and photos, cyberbully, and get exposed to drugs, alcohol, sex, dangerous content and more. There are lawsuits against this company for so many issues that seriously affect teen mental health and safety. Hard no to snapchat.

[Anonymous]

It’s fine. So much fear mongering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine. So much fear mongering.

- you have ZERO basis to say that because your child’s Snaps disappear, as they are designed to do.

[Anonymous]

Snap is the worst of the worst as far as social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine. So much fear mongering.

Sure, sure

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cze3p1j710ko

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, Snapchat is social media. We broke down and allowed it in 8th grade for our oldest. It was with much reservation but we thought it was time since that was the place that all messaging took place. We did have very clear rules though. Phones went into night mode at 9 and stayed downstairs at bedtime. We had to have the passwords to everything. We created profiles on snap so that we understood how it worked and the kids had to follow us. More app specific, they were not allowed to follow anyone they don’t know in real life. Any concerning messages were to be brought to one of us immediately. And no sharing location.
We were very hesitant and would have been happy to keep them off social media until 16 but the reality was that was beginning to create social isolation and after covid et all we decided to give it a try.
They are now 17 and we’ve had zero issues and our planning to take the same route when the youngest turns 13 in a couple of weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, Snapchat is social media. We broke down and allowed it in 8th grade for our oldest. It was with much reservation but we thought it was time since that was the place that all messaging took place. We did have very clear rules though. Phones went into night mode at 9 and stayed downstairs at bedtime. We had to have the passwords to everything. We created profiles on snap so that we understood how it worked and the kids had to follow us. More app specific, they were not allowed to follow anyone they don’t know in real life. Any concerning messages were to be brought to one of us immediately. And no sharing location.
We were very hesitant and would have been happy to keep them off social media until 16 but the reality was that was beginning to create social isolation and after covid et all we decided to give it a try.
They are now 17 and we’ve had zero issues and our planning to take the same route when the youngest turns 13 in a couple of weeks.

You looking at their phones does nothing when the messages disappear. You can allow SM without allowing Snapchat.

[Anonymous]

Which SM would you recommend then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which SM would you recommend then?

Regular texting

[Anonymous]

is Instagram teen a thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the worst app possible. Say no to snapchat. Follow Jonathan Haidt and Scrolling2Death. Teens use snapchat to send inappropriate texts and photos, cyberbully, and get exposed to drugs, alcohol, sex, dangerous content and more. There are lawsuits against this company for so many issues that seriously affect teen mental health and safety. Hard no to snapchat.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which SM would you recommend then?

My kid uses Locket, AirBuds, and regular texting. Some Pinterest, but it’s rare.

I have all logins and access to email, computer, and phone.