Please explain the risks of Snapchat simply to me?

[Om83]

i’ve always said a blanket no to Snapchat as have heard it’s the worst app to have for bullying etc as the messages disappear… but don’t actually know….

My nearly 13 yr old daughter has been begging me for a while now as all her friends use it instead of WhatsApp now.

she says it would be safe as she can limit it only to her friends to be allowed to contact her (?), they are a fairly sensible group of friends so although falling outs can happen I do agree I can’t see how this would be different to bullying messages over WhatsApp? She says you can save messages rather than let them disappear, and she knows the risks of sending messages/photos that she wouldn’t want shared on.

what am I missing?? Can someone explain to me why it is worse than any other messaging platform like WhatsApp?

If I say no then what is a reasonable age to put her off until?

I know nothing about it. But can you be included so you can see what goes on. I think all of theses social media platforms can become dangerous, keep a good eye on all of them, I wouldn't assume any are safe.

@BadgernTheGardenyes, I don’t assume any are safe exactly, but the way my daughter explained it I’m finding it hard to work out why it is worse than anything else and keep to a hard no!! That’s a good idea about having me on it too so I can keep an eye if that’s possible!!

My DD begged for Snapchat and, thinking she’s pretty sensible and I have all the online controls I relented. She had it as locked down as is possible - she still age 13 ended up with unsolicited dick pics from some random. I have no idea how they got through the various filters etc - it was possibly a friend of a friend of a friend but tbh I didn’t leave it there long enough to find out. She brought it to me immediately - thankfully we have a very open relationship - but by that time the harm is done. No snapchat here I’m afraid, it’s just not possible to lock it down enough to be safe.

I don't know how it works, but as a secondary school teacher I can tell you it is known as 'Fucking Snapchat' by our safeguarding lead and that far too many of our Y8 students in particular have received unwanted dick pics, videos of middle aged men masturbating and similar stuff.

It's a dreadful app.

I wouldn't get Snapchat,id delete what's app,the inappropriate videos my son got sent when we started with friends only what's app made me delete it.i guess if Snapchat disappears then you can't check up on it.once seen they can't unsee remember.

Much more likely to have randoms messaging and it’s location based.

Also it’s just generally been the more mainstream app that the creeps use, because of the disappearing messages and the location based nature of it (they can see where you are). So creeps tend to be on there more than other things.

My dc not allowed it before 16. My argument is if it’s the same as WhatsApp with all the security features in place, why not use WhatsApp? The reason they want it is to get around all those things and it’s not hard to do. So it’s a hard no. They can use WhatsApp or they can FaceTime or they can just go actually see their friends. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I have older kids and in my experience it’s the worst app of the lot and there’s no way to make it safe.

Avoid like the plague.

Thanks everyone! I didn’t realise even with friends restricted (and location sharing off?) that creeps can still send unwanted pics through. We do have a good relationship so I know she would talk to me about anything but yes- agreed the damage would already be done.

I have said to her similar to PP that if it is the same as WhatsApp then just stay on that, but she says everyone uses Snapchat and she is soo left out.

hopefully her friends will step up and go back to WhatsApp messages so she doesn’t get left out (unless that was just a sob story to make me say yes which I wouldn’t put past her actually!!)

hard no until 16 years old from me!!

My 19 Yr old didn't have it until she was 16 and that will be the same for the 15 Yr old. The school and police advise against alowing children to use it as it is a playground for bullying, malicious messages and creeps.

Put it this way, when it started getting popular, I was talking about it with a teacher colleague and he said "well it's going to be wall to wall dick pics,isnt it?"

I am holding out here too. My DD is in year 10 and has lost touch with her group from primary now as they all use Snapchat and not WhatsApp ( which I also don’t like but genuinely found it impossible to say no as that’s where all her school class group chats were. ) interestingly few of her secondary school friends have it so that’s made it easier to stand firm. I consider every month I delay to be a win especially as once she has it the younger one will pile on the pressure !

A friend’s daughter (11) was in a class whatsapp group and a boy started messaging her. He then moved onto asking her for nudes.

So no, even whatsapp allows vulnerabilities.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cze3p1j710ko.amp

Ceop is a website set up by the national crime agency and provides information for parents about online safety.

https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/

A spin off from this was thinkyouknow and they produced a leaflet on Snapchat for parents that is helpful. You can find it at

https://dashwood.academies.aspirationsacademies.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/03/Snapchat.pdf

Watch sextirtion on Snapchat on Netflix. You will understand!! It's fucking dangerous, beware!! Tell your kids everyone that contacts them is a potential pedo and nevr send nudes. Kids commit suicide because of this app.

The reason there are issues on it is that it’s the one the majority of kids use. I find demonising particular apps quite an erratic way of parenting.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/04/cant-look-away-sextortion-children-grieving-parents-social-media-snapchat?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

It's known to be full of young girls and boys also offers secretive, discrete ways to send any kind of photo.

What more does a peado need?

OP maybe share this thread or snippets with her friends parents who are allowing it. It amazes me how many adults don’t check or under online risks and out thru kids in theses situations. But stand firm 16 minimum.

And I can tell you that the school will sympathise, be unsurprised by the screenshot of a middle aged man wanking, tell you that they will contact the police who will shrug and say there is nothing that they can do - it's absolutely untraceable.

It will be bad, believe me.

You can't really lock Snapchat down can you? It still comes up with friends suggestions and your friends contacts,

There's no way I'll be letting my DD have it. My friend let her DD have it and she was sent dick pictures by a random adult