Common Sense Media rates Snapchat OK for teens 16 and up, mainly because of the exposure to age-inappropriate content and the marketing ploys, such as quizzes, that collect data.
Parents should consider whether children are mature enough to navigate explicit content and whether they know how to think about the potential impact of what they post. That said, when used responsibly, Snapchat can be a positive outlet for older kids to explore their creativity and connect with friends.
The platform is rated 13+. How does Snapchat work? The platform mainly operates as a messaging app where users can communicate with each other using videos and images. However, there are also other features available including private chat, games, and voice notes.
Parents have a tough time monitoring Snapchat because all the content disappears quickly. In which case, it's hard to know whether your child is: Engaging in inappropriate behavior. Being bullied.
Remind your kids to be careful about sharing any personally identifiable information. Financial and medical information should never be shared. Phone numbers and home addresses should only be shared, as necessary, with friends or family who you trust with that information. Saving Snaps.
Have good reasons why you want to have Snapchat. Explain to them how it will help you socialize and be included in friend groups. Talk about how you will use it to get closer to friends and make new connections at school.
Snapchat is restricted to users over the age of 13.
In the United States, the most popular age group on Snapchat is those ages 15-25, as they make up 48% of users. Those ages 26-35 make up 30% of users, ages 36-45 are 18%, ages 46-55 are 11%, and those 56 and older make up just 5% of the platform.
Parents and children must also be mutual friends on Snapchat for Family Center to work. Then, teens must accept their parent's request for monitoring on their end in the app.
Snaps and Chats, including Voice and Video Chats, between you and your friends are private — we don't scan their content to create profiles or show you ads. This means we typically don't know what you're saying or Snapping unless you ask us to (for example, if you opt-in to Voice Chat transcripts).
Open the Screen Time parental app. Select the child that you want to block Snapchat for, then tap on the Blocked Apps section. Turn on the App blocker by tapping ON. Scroll through the app list to find Snapchat, and tap on the button next to that app.
The Family Center is a new addition to other features Snapchat has for its teen users. Currently, teen users must be mutual friends with someone before they can communicate with them on the app, and they do not have public profiles.
Is Instagram or Snapchat safer for children? Although both Instagram and Snapchat have some robust parental control features, we chose Instagram as the better option for online safety. Here's why: Instagram has parental control features where you can supervise your child's account, including who follows your child.
SNAPCHAT AUDIENCE STATS
Snapchat reports that 575.7 million people can be reached with their ads. Snapchat can reach 9.2% of the population who are aged 13 years or more. 51.1% of users on Snapchat are female. 47.8% of users on Snapchat are male.
Many people have the impression that Snapchat is not popular anymore or that the trend is over. But 39% of Snapchat's audience is between 18 and 24 according to Hootsuite, so if you are part of an older demographic, you may not know as many people that frequently use the app.
Snapchat reaches over 75% of the millennial and Gen Z population in the US. On average, 5 billion Snaps are created every day.
AirDroid Parental Control is an app that many parents use to monitor their children's activities on Android devices, especially Snapchat. It has user-friendly features for protecting safety and helping children build healthy digital habits.
The Bottom Line: Every Parent Needs Snapchat Monitoring. Not only can you monitor your child's Snapchat, but you should. There's a lot of controversial stuff happening in chat. From pics they shouldn't be sharing to dangerous conversations they shouldn't be having, it's dangerous on Snapchat.
HoverWatch – Snapchat Spy App for Android
Monitor their social media posts. You can get alerted as soon as they post something on any social media platform, which includes Snapchat. You can see what their activity is regarding apps. This is useful to see when and for how long, Snapchat is being used.
" said Farahnik. "But you won't be sitting there at the mall with them listening to their conversations." Similarly, parents cannot see the content that their teen is sending or receiving on Snapchat. They can only view whom their child has communicated with in the past seven days.
You can hide Stories and Shows that you don't like. Press and hold on the tile and tap 'Hide. ' Not all Stories content can be hidden, and you can't completely disable a certain topic, theme, or the Discover section.