Snapchat is a popular social media platform, with almost 24 million UK users in 2024.

When first released in 2011, Snapchat revolutionised social media by introducing the concept of temporary messages that could only be viewed for a short period of time.

The team from safeguarding training experts High Speed Training share guidance on the essential things all parents need to know to ensure their children are using Snapchat safely.

Whilst it’s most popular amongst 18 – 24 year olds, with them making up 37.4 percent of users, it is also incredibly popular amongst younger people with children aged 13 – 17 years old making up 18.3 percent of users in 2024.

However, despite its popularity, like all social media, Snapchat presents risks and dangers to young people when not used diligently and safely.

Dr Richard Anderson Head of Learning and Development at High Speed Training, said:“As with all social media platforms there are risks that come with using Snapchat.

“Given the picture focused format of the platform this can present unique dangers to young people and children.

“Though there is a minimum age requirement of 13 to use the app, this can be easily bypassed and isn’t necessarily enough to protect children from harm.”  

The potential risks of using Snapchat include:

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Sextortion – Snapchat’s temporary nature can embolden some people to send explicit messages or pictures as they know the images will disappear once they have been viewed. This leaves young people at risk of receiving unsolicited explicit images.

Young people may also be pressured into sending explicit photos of themselves. This can lead to sextortion in which victims are manipulated, either through blackmail or coercion, to send, or continue sending, explicit images of themselves. 

Cyberbullying – The risk of cyberbullying is present with many forms of digital communication, but the temporary nature of Snapchat can motivate some to send hurtful messages and offensive images which will disappear upon viewing. This can make it difficult to prove that bullying has occurred. 

Location Accessibility – Snapchat’s feature Snap Map can show the location of friends wherever they may be in the world. If not used properly, or with settings such as Ghost Mode which hides people’s location, strangers may be able to track a user’s location and monitor their whereabouts. 

Screentime – Social media can be addictive and platforms are intentionally designed to trigger dopamine when using them so that people keep using them. The release of this hormone with every swipe and share increases the chances of screentime addiction. 

Snapchat Dysmorphia – In 2018 news swept the headlines of a new phenomenon called ‘Snapchat Dysmorphia.’ The phrase was coined after plastic surgeons noticed an increase in the number of patients coming in who wanted surgery to look like their filtered selfies. 

Does Snapchat Have Parental Controls?

Using Snapchat’s Parental Controls, parents and guardians can see their child’s friends on the app, and see who they have messaged in the past seven days, but not the content of the messages.

They can also report accounts on their child’s friend list if they have concerns about the individual, restrict sensitive content from public stories or Spotlights and track their child’s location via Snap Map. 

You can read more about Snapchat’s policies to safeguard teens and young people here. 

Dr Anderson continues: “Snapchat’s Family Centre provides essential basics to keep your child safe. It’s important to remember that the intention when protecting your child isn’t to monitor their every move.

“Not being able to see what they send respects your child’s right to privacy and allows them to use the app for its intended purpose without fear they might be unjustly reprimanded.

“As the world becomes more and more digital, the issue of online safety can seem daunting. However, it also has many positives, allowing for new and exciting ways to stay connected and build relationships.

“Taking some basic and simple steps can go a long way to ensuring that your children are using the internet safely and sustainably.”

Top Snapchat safety tips

1. Talk to them – Talking to your child about general online safety is the best way to reduce risk. This advice can be applied to a myriad of social media platforms and can be more general, such as only interacting with known contacts and informing an adult immediately if anything makes them uncomfortable. The goal isn’t to scare your child into not using it, but to be realistic about potential dangers. 
2. Follow minimum age requirements – The minimum age to use the app is 13. Snapchat has a range of features intended to protect young people, however these features only appear as a default for certain ages. If their age is falsified, they will not have the age-related default security settings intended to keep them safe. 
3. Set rules – Before your child starts using the app, clearly set out your rules. These may include to who they can and can’t contact, how long they spend on the app, what they send images of or checking friend requests with you first. Try to avoid setting too many rules or your child is liable to feel suffocated and like they can’t enjoy the app for its intended purpose.
4. Monitor usage occasionally – It is important to respect your child’s right to privacy, however it is common for children to hide things from their parents and guardians. This could be innocent topics such as school crushes, but could be more serious. Occasional monitoring allows you to check in and ensure they are remaining safe.
5. Explain available safety features – Showing your child how to use certain features, such as blocking people or reporting upsetting or inappropriate content, emboldens them to continue using the app, safe in the knowledge that they know how to protect themselves.