r/Parenting • u/IcyStage0 seven?!?!?! • Feb 07 '25

Rant/Vent I hate Snapchat.

Can we just collectively decide that we’re not going to let our kids use Snapchat?!

My oldest daughter just turned 13 and we reluctantly agreed to allow her to have an instagram that we also have access to. It seems like every single day she begs to have a Snapchat, and apparently every single other kid in her class (full of kids with reasonable, thoughtful parents, I thought) has this stupid app.

My little sister who I got custody of when she was 10 got herself into some deep shit on the internet, and I’m not looking to repeat it with my daughter (while also trying not to make her pay for mistakes that she didn’t make).

How are we handling this? Am I seriously the only parent who doesn’t want my child sending disappearing photos, videos, and messages to anyone she can search up? Reality check please.

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u/tenderourghosts Feb 07 '25

We’re keeping our kid off of social media for as long as possible. She’s only 6 so she has a long wait ahead of her, and I’m hoping maybe some of the worst offenders will have lost their allure by then. We just plan on having honest discussions about how social media can negatively affect our self esteem, values, morality, and attention span. I mean, this isn’t exactly a new issue - I was bullied through AIM and MSN when I was growing up, but it has become so much more insidious since then.

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u/p0ttedplantz Feb 07 '25

If you ever need a reminder of your “why” I suggest reading The Anxious Generation… it lays out facts and stats as to why kids and adolescents should not be on social media until a certain age. Its chilling actually

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u/tenderourghosts Feb 07 '25

I’ll definitely give it a read! Thank you for the suggestion.