We're continuing our WWSD CyberSense Parenting campaign to help parents understand different social media platforms and help you grasp what your teens are experiencing online. 

This month, we're delving into Snapchat, which has over one billion monthly active users globally, and a huge portion of these users are teenagers and young adults.

What is Snapchat?

Snapchat lets users take pictures and videos, called snaps, that disappear after they're viewed. The app is free to download - all you need to sign up is your name, an email address or a phone number, and your birth date. To add friends, you can upload your contacts or search for people you know. You can also automatically add someone by taking a picture of their "Snapcode," a special QR code unique to each user.

Teens can share "snaps" or videos and images directly with another user or group or on their story (which friends can view for 24 hours) and add it to Snap Map (which shows your photo on a map of your location that anyone on Snapchat can view).

Stay tuned on our social media channels for some of the Snapchat red flags you need to be aware of over the next few days and weeks, or visit https://www.westwind.ab.ca/parents/social-media-for-parents for all the tips and to learn about other platforms.

Resource: Parents' Ultimate Guide to Snapchat