Social media makes it incredibly easy to chat non-stop. There are several apps available to chat with, but teenagers choose more and more for Snapchat. What makes Snapchat so attractive? With Snapchat you send photos and short videos to your friends very easily. Additionally, you decide how long the person – whom you send the picture or the video – can see the image. After that time, the image will be automatically deleted. The timer button is located at the bottom left of the screen.

You can also edit photos and videos. Do you want to add a filter? Then swipe after taking the picture to the left.
Emoticons make your message even more fun. Click the square at the top right of the screen and choose from hundreds of different characters, ranging from hearts and smileys to hamburgers and balloons.

Finally add a funny text or drawing to your image. For text, click the Tt in the top right corner. To draw, click the pencil all the way in the right hand corner, then a color palette appears from which you can choose a color. The app also provides content content through Snapchat Discover and Snapchat Stories.

Snapchat Discover

When you swipe in the app , you come to Snapchat Discover. Here you can view articles from, for example, CNN and National Geographic. This feature is especially fun and educational for the older children. Every day, the content refreshes. You can also forward news to friends and friends; Do you have more topics to chat about?

Snapchat Stories

Another fun feature is Snapchat Stories. You can compose them with your friends and Snapchat also bundles messages with the same subject, such as a football match of the team or Justin Bieber’s concert. You can also follow snaps from famous people.

Who is using it?

Over 1.9 million Americans have installed Snapchat (June 2015, Telecompaper). Especially teenagers use the app: 71% of the 12 to 19 year olds have the app on their phone.

What are the Pitfalls?

Because a photo or movie is only a few seconds to be seen, many people think it’s safe to send exciting (bare) photos to each other with this app. But beware, because there are several tricks to bypass the timer function. The recipient can always make a screenshot when the image is visible and there are also apps that allow you to save the photos and videos. So be careful with what you send!

Discussion

• Tips Discuss with your child how he or she uses Snapchat. Some questions you can ask:
• What is the best picture you received / sent?
• Can you show how to edit a photo or video?
• Do you ever send a message to an unknown? What do you notice?
• Do you know tricks to bypass the timer function at Snapchat?

What alternatives to Snapchat do you know?

If you think your children are misusing their phones, then there are some apps available to track all their activities without them knowing. You can read cell phone spy software reviews online and read complete step-by-step guidelines to install spy apps in cell phones.