Snapchat announced on Wednesday that it’s releasing new resources for educators to help them create safe environments in their schools by better understanding how their students use the app. The company debuted a new website dedicated to helping educators familiarize themselves with the app, along with a resource document to help them protect students.
The announcement comes as lawmakers have grilled Snapchat, and other social networks, for not doing enough to protect children and teens on their platforms. It also comes as mental health experts have warned that social media may pose a “profound risk” to teen mental health.
Snapchat says more than 20 million teens in the U.S. use its app, and a 2023 Pew study found that Snapchat is the third most used app among teens. While Snapchat has released a handful of features over the past few years to protect teens on its app, Wednesday’s announcement is dedicated to bringing these efforts into the classroom.
The website, which is called the “Educator’s Guide to Snapchat,” includes information about how the app works, along with an overview of Snapchat’s safety tools. The website includes downloadable resources that educators can share with parents or counselors to help students deal with issues they may face online, such as bullying or sextortion.
To help educators support the well-being of their students, Snapchat has released a resource document that focuses on providing educators with the knowledge they need to do so. The document outlines tips on promoting safe practices online, creating school policies for social media usage, combatting sextortion, and more.
In addition, Snapchat is launching a new feedback form for educators to share how Snapchat is being used in their schools and to give feedback directly to the social network.
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