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AIBU?

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To ban my 14yo DS from using snapchat

9 replies

Tryingfornormal2025 · 30/08/2026 12:02

My son has recently turned 14 and has been asking me if can use Snapchat. I have blocked this app on his phone as I was concerned about explicit content being shared as well as cyber bullying which I have seen can be a problem with snapchat amongst teens. After doing some research I found that snapchat controls are fairly weak for example even with a teen account they do not prevent his friends or him sending explicit content by direct messages. I am not necessarily worried about this with him right now but he has become increasingly secretive with his phone especially his Whatsapp. I have controls on his phone and electronics but he often tries to bypass this by accessing my phone and changing time limits or allowing unlimited access to certain apps on the parental control app on my phone. I often have to change my phone pin but him and his brother play this game where they try to work out my new password/pin and i have to change it every few months. His laptop had to be reset this year and instead of putting me as the administrator which would allows me to monitor what he is doing he has put himself as the administrator. I have told him that a condition of me allowing him snapchat is that he has to delete his account on the laptop and set it up again with me as administrator. He has resisted so far. He also periodically downloads vpns on his phone which means he can get around the restrictions I have put on his Google account anyway Honestly I am just fed up with the whole thing as I feel I am in a cyber war with someone who is better skilled then I am at navigating around restrictions.

He is overall doing very well at school and is polite and helpful at home. However, he has very antisocial behaviours with people in person. He covers his mouth when he speaks and mumbles very fast which makes it difficult to hear him. He also can be standoffish and rude when he meets new people. I put this down to him maybe struggling to make friends or being bullied both of which he has said is not happening (i.e. he has plenty of friends and isn't being bullied) however something is telling me he is holding something back. There are no obvious signs he is struggling socially with peers except that when I see him in photos or in person at school he tends to be quiet and keep to himself. He had a party recently and was also very resistant to inviting certain people to his party who he had been friends with in past years and also about inviting too many people. Anyway the point of all this is that I thought adding Snapchat might help him socially as more of his peers use it then whatsapp. I blocked him from downloading or playing fortnite until he was 13 and he claims that by the time I allowed him to use it no one was playing it anymore. When I have monitored his whatsapp messages particularly in group chats the boys do have a tendency to roast each other and take mugs (photos of the person when they dont expect it or extremely close ups of their face). I routinely have to get him to delete photos of his brother and cousins which he takes without consent as mugs and apparently this is funny.

I am just confused whether I am being fair to him to ban him from Snapchat. I was hoping to keep him off until it gets banned next year but I don't want him to suffer socially. He is going into year 10. Aibu?

OP posts:
Anothercake · 30/08/2026 13:14

He has not shown that he can be responsible, and is constantly undermining you. So no, he can't have Snapchat and he's clearly already sending dubious content via WhatsApp too.

Tryingfornormal2025 · 30/08/2026 15:48

Potentially that is a concern but in the past when I have checked his whatsapp the main thing that has stood out to me is that he spams alot and is a bit immature. The most problematic thing is the roasting and arguing with people online. He is in big whatsapp groups and again the main problem is arguments breaking out and sending offensive memes to each other that could be misconstrued. I dont really see behaviour that could suggest he is sending explicit photos and messages which to be honest is my main concern with snapchat. I just in general dont want him getting so distracted now he is about to go to year 10. I feel snapchat will be another digital distraction I am managing but with poor controls as he can change all the controls on his snapchat account anyway. I have kind of made up my mind already but would be interested in hearing other views especially peoples experiences positive or negative with snapchat and teens.

OP posts:
Ablondiebutagoody · 30/08/2026 16:25

Stop pussyfooting around. Take the devices from him until he follows your rules.

NoKnit · 30/08/2026 17:03

He's not mature enough for neither whatsapp nor snapchat. But the problem us you have now allowed them. I can't see any going back. My son is 13 and not allowed either whatsapp or Snapchat or any of them. He has friends so not suffering socially, what a load of nonsense

Rocketpants50 · 30/08/2026 17:12

He is 14, he isn't going to like it but you need to take back control. Old style phone only. You are admin on his computer, no whatsapp on there, if he doesn't like it remove the screen. You are the parent - be strong.

ifonlytheydlisten · 30/08/2026 17:17

Get him off big groups. They cause endless issues and risks.
snap is no worse than the rest IME

SunnyRedSnail · 30/08/2026 17:49

He is absolutely not mature enough as he cannot even stick to basic rules.

My almost 16 year old isn't allowed snapchat. His PC and phone lock at 10pm and he has to hand them over to me so he cannot use them at night!

I would tell your DS that his phone and laptop get handed over at 9.30pm10pm every night and if he doesn't follow your rules then he doesn't get them back.

But the boundaries in place and make it clear that if he is found breaking the rules then he loses his phone/laptop.

Level1469 · 30/08/2026 22:33

A group of 30 teenagers (12-14) just mass-assaulted another teenager in my town. Last week. Filming and Whatsapp was involved. It's insane. You know what you need to do.

Tryingfornormal2025 · 30/08/2026 23:38

Thank you for the replies. Yes I have realised the issue is not really the platforms its more of his inability to stick to the controls and his attempts to get around them. I have reset his laptop so I am now administrator. During term time I do tend to tightly control his electronics its weekends and holidays where I am a bit lax. WhatsApp is a big problem but now he is on it I dont want to remove him because he uses it to communicate with family as well and I think it would isolate him too much. But for now I will not be introducing anything new until I see an improvement in his respect and adherence to the rules around electronic use.

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