Though SnapChat announced Snap Maps with the gleeful “We’ve built a whole new way to explore the world! See what’s happening, find your friends, and get inspired to go on an adventure!” in their own blog post, to me it just seems pretty foolish to use a feature on social media that lets other users track other your location in real time and pinpoints that exact location on an actual map!! I think the ones who are gleeful about this new feature are most likely stalkers and creepers, not your teen’s BFFs.
Larry Magid, the CEO of ConnectSafely.org, also has cautionary words for parents and kids using Snap Maps, and I think he makes an INCREDIBLE point.
“Parents need to sit down with their kids and get them to really consider which friends they are sharing with. Users should be aware of the feature and review it periodically – if a friend becomes an ex-friend, for example.”
With an online world rife with bullying and predators, I think “GhostMode” is the WAY to go for SnapChat users—and I also think a teen’s life is better lived WITHOUT SnapChat in general. There are constantly new invasive technologies being introduced, moms and dads, so be in the KNOW, and don’t be afraid to be the “mean parents” when it comes to restricting your kids’ social media access. This is the kind of situation the phrase “better safe than sorry” was invented for.
Do you use SnapChat? What do you think of the Snap Maps feature?
