I chose Snapchat as the social networking app to review because it is one that I know my student are using, but I know very little about. This is what I have learned:
Positive Uses of Snapchat
Negative Uses of Snapchat
While there is one blog that says you could use the "Stories" feature of the app to collect a timeline of projects or a "day in the life of..." I don't recommend Snapchat for educational purposes. There are other tools that you could use to collect a timeline of images for, and even posts on "Stories" disappear after 24 hours making it hard to evaluate.
I can see the draw of this app for my students. Sending silly pictures back and forth can be fun. However, I don't see any personal or professional applications of this app for me. As long as it is used in an appropriate way and kids are careful about who knows their username it is a fun app for tweens and teens.
Here is a link to learn more about Snapchat.
Positive Uses of Snapchat
- Pictures disappear after a small amount of time and are not stored on the app's servers so there is a smaller chance of your personal pictures being spread around the internet without your permission.
- It is an easy way to send quick silly pictures to your friends.
- You can send "snaps" in the format of pictures, text, or video.
- You can do a live video chat with someone as long as you are both online at the same time.
Negative Uses of Snapchat
- There are still ways for someone to save your picture. There are third-party apps that allow you to do this, or you can take a screenshot of the picture. So people could still spread your pictures around.
- It has a reputation for being a sexting app because teenagers often feel like it is not a big deal to send an inappropriate picture since it will be deleted in a few seconds. Again, this is not fail-proof.
- Anyone who knows your username can send you a "snap." Be very careful where and to whom you share your username!
- Posting to "our Story" allows anyone in the world to view your snaps. Make sure you are only sending things to people you really know.
While there is one blog that says you could use the "Stories" feature of the app to collect a timeline of projects or a "day in the life of..." I don't recommend Snapchat for educational purposes. There are other tools that you could use to collect a timeline of images for, and even posts on "Stories" disappear after 24 hours making it hard to evaluate.
I can see the draw of this app for my students. Sending silly pictures back and forth can be fun. However, I don't see any personal or professional applications of this app for me. As long as it is used in an appropriate way and kids are careful about who knows their username it is a fun app for tweens and teens.
Here is a link to learn more about Snapchat.