Colchester County High School for Girls
Snapchat accounts to keep a streak going if they can't do it themselves (for example, if their phone gets
taken away for being online too much). This can lead to feelings of pressure, anxiety, and compulsion, so
it's good to know if your child has streaks going to get a window into why that selfie might feel really
important.
What's Snap Map?
Snap Map displays your location on a map in real time. Only your Snapchat friends can see where you are.
If your friends have opted into Snap Map, you can see their locations, too. (You can turn this off or use it in
Ghost Mode, which allows you to see the map but not be seen by others.) Snap Map also features news
and events from around the world -- for example, a political rally in Nicaragua, which displays as an icon on
a map of the world. The biggest risk with Snap Map is a teen having their location seen by all their friends --
since some of their Snapchat contacts may not be real friends. Unless there's a specific event and it makes
it easier for friends to know each other's location, it's best to leave Snap Maps off or use it in Ghost Mode.
What's a Snapchat story?
A story is a collection of moments in the form of pictures and videos that, taken together, create a
narrative. (After Snapchat popularized the format, other social media services, including Facebook and
Instagram, offered story-creation tools, too.) On Snapchat, stories appear as circles, and when you tap
them, they autoplay the pictures or videos the user collected. You can create personal stories that your
friends can view for a 24-hour period. Or, if you think your Snap is particularly interesting or newsworthy,
you can send it to Our Story. Our Stories are kind of like mini-documentaries of events, holidays, game
championships, or other things happening in the world on a particular day. Snaps are curated and compiled
by the company. While it's cool to have your story added to Our Story, it's also very public, so children
should think carefully before submitting one.
What's a Snapcode?
When you sign up, Snapchat gives you your own unique QR code. When you meet a fellow Snapchat user
and want to friend each other, you can just take a snap of the other person's code, and they're
automatically added to your friends list. Because it's so easy to find friends on Snapchat (depending on
your settings) or exchange codes, teens may end up with virtual strangers on their friends list. For a variety
of reasons, that can be risky, so it's best to talk to your teen about when it's safe to add people.
What's Discover?
Discover offers content created by celebrities, news and entertainment outlets, and other users. You can
subscribe to specific Discover sources to receive their feeds. While Discover offers some legitimate news
from publishers including the New York Times and Vice Media, the offerings can be promotional and are
frequently mature. But if your child has signed up with their correct birth date, they'll miss the alcohol ads
and other adult content that Snapchat filters out for underage users. Discover stories often feature promos
prompting children to "swipe up" to learn more (which usually leads to ads) or take a quiz (which is usually
a marketing tool). This section runs the gamut from harmless to shocking, so it's good to look around and
get a sense of what your children are seeing.
What are Snapchat's other features?
Snapchat is waaaay more than cute photos. The more you use the app, the more points you get and the
higher your Snapchat score goes. Snapchat awards high scorers with trophies and other perks. Here are a
few other Snapchat features: