By Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media apps among children and teens these days, for better or worse. This app allows users to share photos and videos just like any other platform. Therefore, children need to be careful of what they capture and send to others on the app.
Many parents and children believe Snapchat to be a safer social media app than the rest. The reason is, this app allows users to send photos and videos that disappear within seconds as soon as you open them. So, one easily thinks there is less amount of risk that a child may come across on the app. However, that’s not the case. Anyone can screenshot their photos/videos and do whatever they want with them.
Snapchat, just like any other social media platform, is polluted by evil entities such as online predators, cyber bullies, hackers, and what not. Parents are concerned about their child’s safety on the app because of the presence of several online dangers on it. They are constantly looking for ways to hack Snapchat password of their child’s account so they can gain entry into their account and see what they are doing.
Your child could be at risk of getting bullied by people they connect with on Snapchat. They could also be pressured by a sexual predator into taking personal photos and videos or be exposed to pornographic material at a young age. As per an article featured in New York Post (https://nypost.com/2017/03/06/bullying-game-on-snapchat-is-terrifying-parents/), bullying games on Snapchat is terrifying many parents.
Therefore, you, as a parent, can make sure your child is safe on Snapchat. We have sorted a list of some important safety tips for Instagram that every parent should know. By following these tips, you can ensure your child is using the app safely. Let’s take a look at them one at a time.
Restrict Your Kid’s Visibility on Snapchat
Parents can restrict their kid’s visibility on Snapchat by doing the following three things:
1. You can limit who can contact your child on Snapchat. To do that, go to the Settings menu within the app and find “Who Can Contact Me” and then select “My Friends.” This means only people your child has added on the app can send them a snap.
2. You can also restrict who can see your child’s story on the app. A story is a selection of snaps or videos from the last 24 hours that your child has added on their account. Anyone who is friends with your child can view their story. To specify exactly who gets to see your child’s story, you need to go to the Settings, tap “Who Can View My Story” and select “Custom” to block specific friends.
3. You need to turn off the Quick Add option as it lets your child add their friends quickly. Open Settings, tap “See Me in Quick Add” and then turn it off.
Disable Location Services
Snapchat allows your child to share their location with friends. This means there is a chance of your child connecting with strangers on the app and sharing location with them. Therefore, you need to turn off the location settings on your child’s Snapchat account.
Open Settings, tap “Who Can See My Location” and activate the “Ghost Mode.” When this setting is enabled, your child’s friends won’t be able to see their location.
Use the Block Feature
If you feel someone is trying to harass or upset your child on Snapchat, you can block them so they cannot contact them any longer. Open a chat with that particular person, tap the “Menu” and then tap “Block.” The good news is that the blocked person won’t be notified about this setting.
Turn off the Snap Map
Snapchat has recently introduced a new feature called “Snap Map” which allows users to view each other on a map and then interact with them through Snaps. The only problem with this feature is that it makes your location visible to others.
You wouldn’t want your child’s location to be visible to any person so make sure this feature is turned off. Open your child’s Snapchat profile to access Snap Maps. If the location setting is already disabled, the Snap Maps feature will also be turned off.
Report Inappropriate Content
If your child comes to you and tells you that they have encountered sexually-explicit or inappropriate content on Snapchat, you should immediately notify the Snapchat team by sending them an email so they can take it down.
Keep in mind that Snapchat does not release any copies of Snaps shared on the app as they are automatically deleted once they have been viewed or expired. On the other hand, unopened messages get deleted after 30 days.
Communicate with Your Child
Before you may want to consider performing a Snapchat hack of your child’s account and monitoring their online activity, it is better if you can talk to them first. You need to encourage them to think hard before sending any photos to their friends and discuss the consequences with them.
Use Parental Controls
Using parental controls should be the last resort when it comes to monitoring your child’s online activity and ensuring their online safety. These apps not only ensure your child’s safety on Snapchat but across the entire internet.
