In social media, teenagers often live a parallel life—chatting with friends, making new acquaintances, following influencers, and keeping up with trends. Some parents might be somewhat familiar with Snapchat and its use by their kids. Here’s a deeper dive into its features—Streaks, emojis, filters—and the potential risks it presents.
What Is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a highly popular social network among teens aged 13 and up (the minimum age to use the app). What makes it different is its ephemeral nature—photos disappear after being viewed, messages vanish unless deliberately saved in chat, and there's no public archive of posts. Teens love sending "Snaps"—photos or videos capturing the moment—which invoke a sense of “you had to be there,” often triggering FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
What Is FOMO?
FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out—is a psychological anxiety where one feels they’re missing something important or enjoyable happening elsewhere, often intensified by social media.
Snap Map
Snapchat includes a location-sharing feature known as Snap Map, which shows your friends’ current locations—only if they've granted permission. If your teen has unfamiliar people among their friends, those people could also see their location. Snapchat+ users may even view a friend’s location history, which raises further safety concerns.
Snapchat+
Snapchat+ is a paid subscription service with over 7 million subscribers. It provides features like prioritized Story placement, the ability to rewatch who viewed your Story, custom icons, and an enhanced Snap Map.
Camera Filters
Snapchat offers numerous playful filters, from floral crowns and animal ears to monochrome effects. The app may subtly alter facial features even without a selected filter, though this isn’t officially confirmed. Critics argue some filters promote European beauty standards—lighter skin, thinner faces, bigger eyes—potentially affecting self-image.
Snapchat Dysmorphia
This term refers to growing discomfort when users view their unfiltered faces, expecting to look like their filtered versions. This trend has led to a rise in cosmetic procedures aimed at resembling filtered appearances.
Key Snapchat Functions
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Adding Friends via unique Scan‑codes (Snapcodes)—teens should be cautious where they share these codes to avoid connection by strangers.
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Chat: Users can set how long Snaps or messages remain visible. Texts can be saved deliberately, and profile icons indicate when someone views the chat.
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Streaks: Snaps exchanged for consecutive days build a “streak.” Teens often feel compelled to keep streaks going, strengthening engagement—sometimes addictively.
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Privacy Warning: Disappearing content can still be captured via screenshots or external photos. Snapchat notifies users of screenshots, but privacy is never guaranteed.
Meaning of Snapchat Emojis
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👶 Baby Face: Recently added as a friend.
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✨ Sparkles: That friend replied to your Snap within 24 hours.
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💛 Yellow Heart: You’re “Best Friends” (most snaps exchanged).
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❤️ Red Heart: Best Friends for two weeks.
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💕 Two Hearts: Best Friends for two months.
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😊 Smiley Face: Close friends.
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😬 Grimace Face: You share a Best Friend.
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😎 Smiley with Sunglasses: You share a close friend.
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🔥 Fire: Snapstreak, with the day count.
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⌛️ Hourglass: Streak is about to end.
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🎂 Birthday Cake: It’s their birthday.
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💯 Hundred Points: A 100-day streak.
Summary
Snapchat is a fun and creative way for teens to stay connected. But it’s important they don’t lose connection with themselves. Parents should guide them to share responsibly and stay mindful of their digital footprint—even in an app where messages disappear.