Know Your Kids Apps #3
By Nick Leith | Posted: Wednesday March 30, 2016
Each newsletter we will investigate an app that students at Casebrook are being spotted with on their personal phones and devices.
As parents it's really hard to keep up with the info around all things new and exciting to 11-13 year old's in the 'app world'. Please take a couple of minutes to find out about the apps your kids are using and how they are using them...used correctly they can be really useful and enjoyable, but often 11-13 year old's are not equipped with the social skills to make choices that protect themselves and their peers from harm or future consequences. The articles posted each newsletter will be quoted from the Common Sense Media website.
Snapchat
Age - 16+
Parents need to know that Snapchat is a popular messaging app that allows teens to exchange user-generated photos, texts, videos, and calls -- both audio and video. The developer claims that "Snaps" can't be saved within the app and are only viewable for one to 10 seconds before disappearing from the recipient's device, noting that the app notifies the sender if the recipient takes a screenshot of an image.
The app has gained a reputation as a "sexting" app because outgoing (and incoming) pictures, videos, and texts are not stored on devices, but many teens use it simply to exchange fun, silly pictures.
Though Snapchat might have (at one time) sounded like a great way to control images, videos, and texts shared with friends, trusting the app with that information is not a wise bet. As soon as the app became a hit among users, third-party apps popped up to destroy the illusion of a fleeting thought that disappears once viewed. As with any media-sharing tool, users should be cautious and thoughtful about which images they send with Snapchat. The seemingly risk-free messaging might encourage users to share pictures containing sexual, violent, or illegal content.
Users can receive updates in Snapchat from anyone who knows their usernames, so teens using Snapchat will need to be careful not to share their usernames in public forums. Users also can chat with anyone who knows their usernames in real time, if the two are using the app at the same time.
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