We’ve talked about Snapchat and kids tons of times here.
It’s sort of a thing for me –I want my kids to enjoy social media, but I want them to do it safely. I know I can’t protect them from all of the things, but in an effort to protect them from some of the things, I am constantly hunting for more info, more safeguards, more ways to ensure that they get to enjoy the benefits of this technology without falling victim to its trappings.
And, because I am a chronic oversharer, I like to share all of my discoveries with all of you!
I am constantly shocked to discover the things parents don’t know about their children and their online behavior.
That’s not to judge, that’s just say I’m shocked.
And I want to encourage people to enlighten themselves because I truly believe that, when it comes to parents and social media technology, lack of information is not based on disinterest or general incompetency. I think it is more of a I-don’t-know-what-I-don’t-know situation.
It’s time to know, you guys!
This week we are going to dive into Snapchat a little and discuss some of the true things you need to know about the platform.
I’m working on a Snapchat tutorial so eventually we will go over how to use it, but let’s not run before we walk.
Snapchat Tutorial for Old People: 10 Truths Parents Need to Know
It’s hard to use.
Like, you need a Snapchat tutorial to make it work.
Especially if you’re old.
That’s one of the things that made young people love it –it was too hard for parents to figure out so they stayed away leaving them to chill together without old, judgy eyes on their shenanigans.
You can figure this out though. It’s not gonna be easy, it’s certainly not going to be intuitive, but it’s also not going to be impossible.
The snaps disappear.
Once you dismiss the message, it’s outtie –meaning you can’t look at it again.
Or do they?
Technically, nothing on the Internet is ever really gone and if someone smart enough really wanted to, they could see all of your Snaps and everything else you do with your hot little smartphone. Remind your teenagers of this scary reality and urge them to remember it before they send nudes to someone.
If you screenshot someone, they’re gonna know it.
So you can’t just take a photo from someone and share it around without the person knowing about it. People still do it, so it’s not like you’re safe, but I do think people do it less often so as not to seem super creepy. Note: If you really want to save someone’s image or video, you can easily get another device and take a photo or video of it. This is for really creepy, nefarious people of course so we all know you’re not going to do it.
The filters are bae.
They change all the time and they are fun to use. Personally, I use it just for that.
Streaks are important.
They are the back and forth convos kids have amongst each other. If you have a 200 day streak with someone, that person is basically your best friend. In Snapchat life. Meanwhile, in real life, you could see each other at the pool and not even make eye contact for an awkward hello.
There are secrets lurking within.
Like the My Eyes Only section where users can store stuff that no one else can see unless they know the passcode.
SnapMap is a stalker’s paradise.
Because you can know where your friends are just by looking at the map. It’s also a mom’s paradise. If your kid has it turned on, you can easily know if they are at the park like they said or hanging behind Johnny’s house like they aren’t supposed to be. Use Ghost Mode if you want to stay hidden.
It’s constantly changing.
They add filters, they change them, they allow for snap loops and different story sharing. Snapchat is constantly evolving, that’s one thing that keeps it so popular with young people. If you want to stay up on the changes as they make them, follow their news page –it’s super informative!
It’s not going anywhere.
Snapchat has been one of the top downloaded apps for years now. Daily, they receive over 166m users. You can side eye it all you want to, but they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Your best bet is to figure out how it works, how your kids are using it, and what you can do to keep them safe.
Need help getting yourself and your child social media ready? Start here: 10 Things Parents Must Do Before Allowing Their Children to Use Social Media.