SnapChat is very popular among the teenagers, as it gives them another easy way to communicate. In general, it is a cell phone app, which allows users to send photos to each other. The photos are designed to delete automatically within 10 seconds max. However, as the Snapchat app is that popular among the teenagers for deleting the pictures taken within a very short period of time, often it is used for sexting and bulling. Naturally, this can lead to problems and parents are thinking of ways to avoid that and to set the app in a safe mood.
Snapchat: How to Stay Safe in 3 Simple Steps
May be you are already addicted to the fun Snapchat app, as it offers you the chance to be in good connection with your friends. The videos and pictures you send through this app can be viewed just once, so you can easily become careless. Thus, which are the things that you have to do in order to be safe on Snapchat and have a wonderful time using this app?
Step 1
Take only photos that are appropriate. Do not forget that your friends can take screen shots of the snaps you send them, then save them to their camera. You should also remember that your friend might be with another person when he opens the Snapchat, so avoid sending information that is private.
Step 2
Snapchat only with people that you know in person.
Step 3
Organize your privacy settings, in a way that you can receive snaps only by people you know.
It is easy, just follow these instructions:
- Open the Snapchat app.
- Press the square button on the lower left and click on the gear button on the page that will open.
- Tap “Receive Snaps from…” and select the option “My Friends”.
Snapchat: False Sense of Security
All teens that use Snapchat app get a false sense of security and keep on sending photos – often these are sexting and cyber bullying pictures. They think that there is nothing wrong in sending a naked picture for example or something nasty to a person object of their bully behavior, as they believe that the picture will be gone seconds after being seen by the recipient. However, they are all wrong.
Snapchat: Deleted or Not?
Teenagers get this false sense of security as they think that the photos they have taken will be automatically deleted. However, the users have found out how to make screen shots on their phones and save the photo from being deleted. These screen shots can be easily shared on the social media websites. In addition, there are also programs that allow users to recover the files that have been deleted on their cell phones. These programs are similar to the tools that the PC experts use to recover data that has been deleted from their computer.
Snapchat: Only to Your Friends
The pictures taken and send through Snapchat should reach only friends and people one can trust. Otherwise, if you are a teenager and you are sending photos to strangers as well as receiving photos from strangers, you are immediately putting yourself at risk. You can soon see your photos all over the net or you can get in trouble receiving unappropriated photos. With Snapchat, there is one rule that is always valid – keep it only to your closest friends.
Snapchat: Be Careful What you Send
Send only photos that you can afford to see on the Internet later. It might be tempting to try and seduce someone you like or to act as bully for someone that you do not like, but remember that your photo can easily come back to you.
Snapchat: Thing Change, Think About What’s Ahead
May be you are a teen now and you do not think a lot of what is ahead of you. However, in the future there might be employers who will look for information for you online. So, do not allow embarrassing Snapchat photos you took years ago to prevent you from getting the job you want. In other words, protect your future by keeping your online presence clean and your pictures – normal.
Snapchat: The Illegal Content has to be Reported
Snapchat is designed to delete the photos from their servers. However, the company behind the app can work with the law authorities in cases of illegal content and distribution of photos with sexual content of picturing minors. Both teenagers and their parents should report such cases to the app administrators. If possible they should also give information on the message nature, when it was send and who sent ir, the usernames of the sender and the receiver, etc.
Snapchat: Unwanted Users Should be Blocked
Snapchat app provides its users with the chance to block the users they do not wish to communicate with and receive photos from. In case that you still become a victim of bulling, you can adjust your privacy settings and bock the users you do not wish to receive messages from. Remember that Snapchat shows the sender whether the photo has been seen, when the user is blocked it shows him that the content is not received.
Snapchat is an interesting app that is only natural to grab the attention of the users and especially the ones in their teenage years. Just like any other online tool, Snapchat could be misused. In order to stay on the safe side, better learn how to use the app in a safe manner and stay out of trouble.