What you need to know about Snapchat

Snapchat is a “disappearing” messaging app. It allows users to send photos or videos accompanied by short text messages, which can be viewed for a short amount of time, then it’s gone forever… Or at least, it’s supposed to be. The safe part of Snapchat has often been debated. The app has become a hotbed for sexting and cyberbullying among all ages, in part because of how it operates.

via Teen Safe

For teens, Snapchat offers a false sense of security with its disappearing messages. The possibility of an inappropriate or explicit photo getting saved and shared can be disastrous.

Here is some of what you need to know about Snapchat:

• Snapchat itself admits that up to 25% of users may send sensitive content on a regular basis.
• 15% of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 acknowledge they received a “sext” from someone they know.
• There are questions about the privacy Snapchat offers users. There are apps on the market which override the ephemeral quality Snapchat promotes. These apps allow people to share images or locate hidden photos on a device.
• There are sites and blogs dedicated to sharing leaked Snapchat images.
• Hackers have been known to publish thousands of snaps mainly of 13 to 17 year olds.

This is the fastest growing social media app surpassing even Instagram, which has been ranked as the number-one favorite app for teen. There are an estimated 82 million users, with a majority of them between the age of 13 to 25 years old. There are roughly 350 million posts or “snaps” sent daily. Four out of every ten teens frequent Snapchat. Snapchat has equaled Facebook for numbers of photos shared.