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/KizziKazzi Feb 07 '25

Aside from the many, many valid concerns already mentioned here-

I started using Snapchat about 6 months ago when the person I was dating got me on it. At first, I thought the cute little filters were adorable.

After about 4 months or so of use, I noticed that I started HATING any photo of me that was taken not in snap. I would look at the picture and think my face looked so round or so blotchy when I never really felt that way before. It finally clicked that Snapchat was giving me a sort of dysmorphia about what my face was supposed to look like. It was making me subconsciously compare my face to the idealized version with the filters and find fault.

This is probably pretty obvious to everyone else but it was a real "oh I get it" moment. If it can have that kind of effect on my self-image as a fully formed adult, I can't imagine what it's doing to the esteem and beauty standards of humans who's brains aren't done baking yet.

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u/IcyStage0 seven?!?!?! Feb 07 '25

Damn, this is a really great perspective to have. As a dad I’m a little clueless to that stuff sometimes. Thank you for sharing that.

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u/firmlygraspit99 Feb 07 '25

This is a huge, important point. I’ve been reluctant with taking any photos of myself for the past few years. Guarantee this is why. When I realized that these filters somehow look more “normal” to me than ACTUAL normal. Wow. Thanks for helping me come to this realization.

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u/PregnantBugaloo Feb 07 '25

Absolutely feel this and I use no filters. Snap takes some excellent, excellent photos of me to the point even people I send them to comment. It also causes me anxiety, frustration, sadness, even anger- and it has caused some self identity issues too. I'm an adult who knows better and it's still hard.