Parents of older teens, what age for Snapchat?

[Anonymous]

My kid received hard core porn pics and videos through Snapchat. This is from a nice girl with well-respected parents. Cheating is also used through Snapchat in these group chats.

I didn’t know how bad Snapchat was until I followed my kid’s account. My second kid will not have it. Texting is more than sufficient. No coach would object to having the team communicate via text.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid received hard core porn pics and videos through Snapchat. This is from a nice girl with well-respected parents. Cheating is also used through Snapchat in these group chats.

I didn’t know how bad Snapchat was until I followed my kid’s account. My second kid will not have it. Texting is more than sufficient. No coach would object to having the team communicate via text.

The coach has nothing to do with it—official team chats are via text. The kids make kid only Snapchat groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid received hard core porn pics and videos through Snapchat. This is from a nice girl with well-respected parents. Cheating is also used through Snapchat in these group chats.

I didn’t know how bad Snapchat was until I followed my kid’s account. My second kid will not have it. Texting is more than sufficient. No coach would object to having the team communicate via text.

The coach has nothing to do with it—official team chats are via text. The kids make kid only Snapchat groups.

Is Snapchat somehow worse than Whatsapp? My kids teams usually use that, both for the parent and the kid chat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid received hard core porn pics and videos through Snapchat. This is from a nice girl with well-respected parents. Cheating is also used through Snapchat in these group chats.

I didn’t know how bad Snapchat was until I followed my kid’s account. My second kid will not have it. Texting is more than sufficient. No coach would object to having the team communicate via text.

The coach has nothing to do with it—official team chats are via text. The kids make kid only Snapchat groups.

They are not “official” if the coach has nothing to do with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posters who are saying 18, your kids are driving at 16 but you won’t let them have Snapchat? Have you ever been on it? It’s basically just a way to text each other. Instead of banning things, teach them to set controls. You don’t want them getting these things when they first go to college. We all knew the kids who went wild. Our kids all have friends with strict parents who have secret accounts in HS. Don’t be that parent.

This sounds like a teen. One didn’t have Snapchat until in college and two deleted it within a month. It’s boring.

I’m not a teen. I’m almost 50 and have one who’s about to leave for college. I posted that.

[Anonymous]

But if don’t let him have, he won’t be able to be to see the school fight videos that get shared if doesn’t get on snap!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13 year old son is begging for Snapchat. Says that is how all the middle school kids chat now versus texting. I’m hesitant to allow this for a rising 8th grader, but admittedly don’t know a ton about this specific social media platform. Can more experienced parents share the good, bad and ugly about Snapchat? Age it’s appropriate to get it. Thank you!

It is what it is. Trends among the followers and herd types. Kids who don't follow trends have to be very secure and independent so they don't feel or allow themselves to be ostracized by the herd.

I could become a problem, but odds are it won't be and they will be off to the next hyped scam and trend soon enough.
Don't believe the line that is bolded though. It's a silly lie they repeat hoping the parents will believe it. What they want to do is exchange pics with slightly more anonymity and less phone company supervision, and you know what that leads to.

Warn them of the legal dangers of that, as even minors are subject to the laws in that regard and you don't want them winding up on a sex offender registry for the rest of their lives for snapchatting a nudie.

[Anonymous]

My 18 and 22 year olds never used it. I guess it just wasn't a thing among their friend groups.

If there is a format you prefer your kid to use, set that up and get your kid to have their friend join that one instead.

[Anonymous]

We did it 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

Never. Snapchat was terrible for my daughter and has been deleted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never. Snapchat was terrible for my daughter and has been deleted.

why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These responses are not typical IRL. My kids are 14 and 17. 14 yo uses Snapchat. 17 yo doesn’t by choice. My youngest got it a couple of years ago with restrictions with encouragement from my oldest after he showed me it’s just another form of texting and how you can turn off a lot of features parents are so scared about. I’ve always told my kids to keep their locations off and set setting to private or contacts only (or whatever it’s called on snap). It is truly how they communicate with others in middle school.

Yep this. I think it’s probably ok to have them wait til high school if you feel strongly about it but 18 is insane. They will just get a trap phone and get it without you knowing.

Or allow it in 8th grade with spot checks for location off and stranger chats and at least you get some input into it

[Anonymous]

I will also add - you can get away with waiting to allow Snapchat if your kid has an iPhone bc iMessage group texts are still a thing with close friends but if they have an android and no Snapchat that’s social suicide

[Anonymous]

Never. That’s where my kid bought weed and developed psychosis because of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will also add - you can get away with waiting to allow Snapchat if your kid has an iPhone bc iMessage group texts are still a thing with close friends but if they have an android and no Snapchat that’s social suicide

Best to avoid corporate minions with that mindset anyway.