What Your Parents Don''t Know About Sexting On Snapchat
You may recently have heard the word "Snapchat" introduced into the language of your children or in the most recent news report. Snapchat is a mysterious app. It appears in your view only briefly, and disappears. The "snap", which is sent by users as an instant photo, text or video, self-destructs within 10 seconds.
Since its initial release in September of 2011, this Stanford startup has grown virally among mobile users of all ages across the United States. Snapchat''s friendly ghost mascot and bright colors, as well as its user-friendly design, have left parents wondering if this college generation is capable of anything.
The Dish Daily conducted an informal survey with more than 20 Stanford parents and other members of the more mature generation. The majority of respondents believe Snapchat is used to share "riskier photos," or "sexts," among friends. One parent of aStanford student in the class of 2015 expressed the general feeling this way: "Snapchat is a way for children to send provocative photos to friends without having the ability to permanently keep the incriminating evidence."
A Class of 2017 parent expressed some confusion over how the app is being used. "I don''t exactly know what Shapchat is but, based on what I''ve read online, ''sexting'' via Snapchat is a growing trend on campuses of colleges." Two parents have also stated that they are unable to find out what the app is however they know that their kids are "addicted."
Dish Daily interviewed Stanford students to discover the reasons Snapchat is so popular. Prepare for a shock, parents; "sexting" is not even among the top five uses. What exactly is it being used for?
#1 - To send funny and ugly faces to make people laugh.
"I know that the photo will be deleted and my friends with me have fun conversations about how to make the most ugly smile." (Madi Stanford 2016).
#2- To communicate logistics.
"I can physically show an individual where I am in a picture or video rather than writing it out." (Katherine, Stanford 2016)
#3- To show bizarre and funny things happening in real-time.
SEXTING
"If I notice something funny happening in front of my face, I can snap a picture and have a person or group of friends share the event with me immediately." (Connor, Stanford 2014)
#4- To draw from photographs
"With the paint feature I can draw absurd things on photographs I take." (Emily, Stanford 2015)
#5- To stay in contact with your friends.
"I snapchat more since I started college, and I think it''s because of the fact that I don''t see my friends faces every day" ( Mike, Stanford 2017).
Snapchat lets me send pictures to many people without actually having conversations. Although it may not be as personal as sending images to a mass mailing list I believe that I can communicate and "stay in touch" with a wider range of people. (Rachel Stanford 2013).
#6 (or #23 or #12 It''s hard to decide.) Sexting
Some students suggested that Snapchat is more comfortable than regular text messages for sending sexually explicit photos and that Snapchat is more popular due to that. But even they pointed that they are more likely to use Snapchat to send a joke photo to a person than another "dirty" reason.
Take a breath, parents. despite Snapchat''s "sexting tool" media buzz most students are using it to share their thoughts and enjoy time with their friends. Now that you know the facts about Snapchat''s popularity among children, can you get it for yourself?
