I try to keep up on the most used social media platforms used by my youth. Though I use many different ones, I have yet to try Snapchat.
Snapchat is a service where you take a photo and send it to someone. The photo is only available for a short amount of time and then it dissapears.
There are two views of snap chat.
In his post “Snapchat: Good for Teenagers” Adam McClain lays out a series of concerns about the service and concludes:
It might be used innocently. But it’ll also lull you into to taking bigger and bigger risks until its too late. There’s just no upside to it. Cute and fun? I am not buying it.
On the Youth Worker circuit post “Snapchat – The New ‘It’ App” Gavin Richardson shares the need to be aware and cautious but finds this:
Upon my first hearing of this app I was concerned that this is a super easy way to share sexting type photos. Call me the alarmist on that one. Just being honest. I am not alone in that thinking though (read that linked article if you want more detailed security issues).
However, in talking to some of the youth I interact with. I sensed that their use for SnapChat was is far from that. They generally just see it as the next cool thing.
A Huffington Post Tech article, “How Young People are Really Using Snapchat” by Sunday Simon from last April says newspaper stories about sexting and snap chat may be based more in fear than fact.
But I want to know what you think about it?
How do your youth use snap chat?
Do you use snap chat to connect with your youth?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below.