At its root, allowing your minor to use Snapchat is a dangerous idea.

Temporary stories, 24-hour messages, and hidden content make social media accountability and transparency almost impossible which can easily tempt children to send compromising and inappropriate pictures and engage in bullying activities.

In addition to this, numerous studies have shown that Snapchat and the screen itself has the same addictive effect on the brain as opioids.

A study conducted in the UK by the Royal Society for Public Health found that Snapchat use in teens was linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety.

Perhaps the most alarming reality surrounding Snapchat is this:

Snapchat is the preferred method of sexual predators and drug dealers.

Gabb, a company that we have promoted for their amazing alternative to phones for teens, has worked to expose these issues– especially the issue of drug distribution.

Remember the disappearing conversations after 24 hours that cannot be tracked by parents? Drug dealers have started to utilize emojis in social media apps like Snapchat.

“Between 2019 and 2020, there was a 94% increase in adolescent overdoses. Social media has amplified the substance abuse epidemic in devastating ways. In fact, commonplace icons have become drug emojis and are used to solicit drug purchases in ways parental filters may not catch.

One interpretation of a conversation could be:

‘420&4Sale’ = Marijuana, Xanax, and Cocaine for sale.

‘’ = Hook me up.”

Tech Policy noted that Snapchat is a “breeding ground” for child predators.

“On Sept. 5, 2024, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed suit against Snap Inc., alleging the design and implementation of certain features on its social media platform make it one of the ‘most pernicious purveyors of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) and harm-inducing features on children’s electronic devices.’

The suit (State of New Mexico v. Snap Inc.) alleges that Snapchat, a popular social media app that allows users to exchange photos and videos, was designed to attract and addict young people; openly fosters and promotes ‘illicit sexual material involving children’; and facilitates ‘sextortion’ and the trafficking of children, drugs, and guns.”

The following harms that Snapchat is being accused of in the lawsuit are:

• Implemented design features and policy choices that fail to ascertain or apply the actual age of users

• Prevented effective parental controls and reporting mechanisms

• Permitted predators to identify, contact, groom, and extort children and to develop CSAM through these contacts

• Designed algorithms and features that connect child sex predators to children, allowing predators to find target victims

• Created a virtual platform for marketing and selling illegal drugs and guns to children

• Failed to warn and affirmatively misled parents and children about the presence of sex trafficking, sexual exploitation content, and drug and gun sales on the platform

• Failed to report CSAM

• Used features like ephemeral content, such as “streaks,” that reward compulsive use of Snapchat

• Aggressively sent notifications of new content to users

More than this, Snapchat’s use by predators have led children to commit suicide.

“Investigators additionally turned to the deep web to learn more about the spread and scale of CSAM that originated on Snapchat. In a search of the unindexed deep web, investigators identified more than 10,000 records in the past year related to Snap and CSAM. This included information on minors under 13 years old being sexually assaulted.

The suit further notes how Snapchat is the preferred app by criminals in financial ‘sextortion’ schemes, where predators solicit explicit images of users and then extort senders into providing money to avoid distribution of these images to friends and family – a practice that has led numerous children to suicide.”

Snapchat’s disappearing messages, lack of parental control, history of drug distribution, and links to sexual assault and suicide of minors, are all reasons to protect your child from these dangers that are rampant on Snapchat.

Proverbs 4:14-15 urges,

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.”

As parents, we are tasked to protect our children from the predation of this world. We are our children’s advocates and protectors.

Parents, if your child is utilizing Snapchat, consider the warning of Proverbs 4 and avoid it.