Temporary apps allow people to send messages and images that self-destruct after a set window of time. Teens can use these apps to more carefully manage their digital trails — so long as they don't share things they wouldn't normally send otherwise.
Snapchat
A messaging app that lets users put a time limit on the pictures and videos they send before they disappear.
Why it's popular: Snapchat's creators intended the app's fleeting images to be a way for teens to share fun, light moments without the risk of having them go public. And that's what most teens use it for: sending goofy or embarrassing photos to one another. Teens may pay more attention to Snapchats, knowing they'll disappear in a matter of seconds.
What parents need to know:
- It's not true that Snapchats go away forever. Data is data: whenever anything is sent online, it never truly goes away. (For example, the person on the receiving end can easily take a screenshot of the image before it disappears.) Snapchats can even be recovered — unaffiliated third-party services such as Snapsaved (which was recently hacked) give users the chance to save any Snapchatted pic.
- It can make sexting seem OK. The seemingly risk-free messaging might encourage users to share pictures containing inappropriate content.
