Behind the Filters: The risks Snapchat poses to children
Since it burst onto the social media seen in 2011, messaging platform, Snapchat has found its way into the headlines, and not always for positive reasons. It is a favourite among teens, with features such as disappearing messages, playful filters, and vanishing stories. It makes messaging with friends and family fun. However, beneath its playful surface lies risks too. From privacy issues and bullying to grooming. We take a look at these concerns and find ways to keep children safe online.
Snapchat and teenagers
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a free messaging app that allows you to share photos, videos, text and drawings. The minimum age to use it is supposed to be 13, but there are very few checks in place currently to stop children younger getting on the platform.
Back in 2011 when it was first launched, it become hugely popular in a very short space of time, especially with teenagers, racking up over 300 million active users. Interest in the app started to dwindle in the coming years, but it has since made a return to form.
snapchat
The main big pull that makes it unique to other messaging apps is its disappearing message feature. Images vanish from the recipient’s phone after a few seconds. However, it should be noted that it is possible to screenshot these images. This fast paced, often comical way to communicate makes for a lot of fun and creativity for young people.
But it doesn’t come without its drawbacks. Some argue it encourages less healthy forms of communication, such as sexting and bullying. Also, the discovery tab has a lot of risks attached to it, which we will go into now.
Discovering dangers
The Discovery tab on Snapchat is a place for just that... discovery. It collects content from a much wider audience. It‘s here where young people are more likely to be exposed to adult content. In fact, Snapchat has previously been sued in the United States over children being exposed to sexually explicit content.
The company does have guidelines and restrictions that are supposed to prevent this, but it is anything but foolproof. Children can easily come across or be sent suggestive material, graphic violence, or even posts that promote unrealistic body image and toxic masculinity.
Strangers and grooming
Snapchat strangers
Snapchat allows its users to connect with others through username searches, Snapcodes, or even by location. As you can imagine, this ease of connection can increase the chances of children connecting with strangers. More often than not, this will be harmless and above board. But it also opens the door to more serious contact, such as grooming and sexual abuse.
A recent study by the NSPCC found that there has been an 82% rise in online grooming crimes against children in the last 5 years. And of those, 73% involved Snapchat or Meta. Perpetrators have been found to use the platform to initiate contact with impressionable children, leading to dangerous situations. The app’s lack of parental controls makes it difficult for parents to know who their children are interacting with and what kind of conversations they are having.
How TikTok affects children’s mental health
While on the surface it seems like a harmless app filled with dance, singing and life hacks, there has been a darkside brewing. In the past year we have seen growing concerns about the impact it has on children and young people's mental health and wellbeing.
Cleaning up their act
So, with all these risks in mind, is Snapchat doing anything to fix this? The answer is yes, but they could be doing a whole lot more. In June this year, they announced a suite of new security features. These include updates to expanded in-app warnings, enhanced friend protections, simplified location sharing, and blocking improvements.
These changes are said to be in response to recent reports of teen suicides and grooming in relation to the platform. While it is a positive first step, many have argued it is far too late. They have continued to face criticism for not taking more comprehensive steps to safeguard children.
Is Snapchat safe?
A lot like other social media apps, Snapchat on the whole, is an engaging and fun platform that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. However, it comes with its risks. Being aware of these can help parents make more informed decisions on how to tackle any issues that might arise when children are using it. The company are now clearly taking concerns seriously with new safety measure, so familiarising ourselves with how to use the security tools is important in protecting young minds.
Find out more about our online safety work.
Author: Edward Herbert
