Facebook and Instagram did not garner as much concern. Just 16% of parents said they were most worried about their kids using Facebook, while 6% said the same about Instagram.
So what is it about Snapchat that makes parents feel so uneasy?
It’s likely the same thing that draws teens to the platform in the first place. “Teens prefer Snap because of its visual nature and its one-to-one messaging capability,” said Jane Buckingham, founder of consumer insights firm Trendera. “Instagram represents the face teens want to present to the world, even if it’s not necessarily the real face. Facebook is a place to catch up with everyone and get access to a wide group of people that they may not talk to on a regular basis.”
Interestingly, while the concern for Snapchat is evident, Common Sense Media found that a good number of parents follow their kids’ activity on Facebook, more so than other platforms like Snapchat and Instagram.