As part of its back-to-school initiative, Snapchat is launching new tools and resources for educators. 

The social media platform, which claims it has over 20 million teen users in the U.S., aims to enhance digital well-being and safety for its young users.

“We know that Snapchat’s primary use case of messaging with friends makes people happy and that friends are an important support system for young people,” the company said in a news release. 

“We’re focused on supporting these meaningful relationships and equipping the adults in their lives with the tools and resources to do so as well.”

Educator’s Guide

The company is introducing a dedicated website featuring an Educator’s Guide to Snapchat. 

This guide provides an overview of the platform’s functionality, potential positive uses within school communities, and information about safety tools and Community Guidelines. 

The site also includes new videos highlighting Snapchat’s features for schools and teen safeguards.

Educator’s Resources

In collaboration with Safe and Sound Schools, Snapchat is developing a comprehensive toolkit for educators. 

This resource, informed by insights from teachers, mental health professionals, and school resource officers, focuses on supporting student safety and well-being online, particularly focusing on understanding Snapchat.

Feedback Form

The company has also unveiled an educator feedback form, allowing teachers to share perspectives on Snapchat’s usage in their school communities. This complements existing reporting tools for flagging safety concerns to users and non-users.

These new offerings build upon Snapchat’s existing safety features, which include easy-to-use tools for reporting concerns and blocking unwanted contact. 

The company’s safety teams operate 24/7 to address reported issues.

Pressure from the Lawmakers

Per a 2023 Pew study, Snapchat was the third most used app among teens in the latter half of that year, behind YouTube and Instagram. 

Up to 51% of teens reported using Snapchat daily, with 14% reporting near-constant use.

Snapchat’s digital safety announcement follows lawmakers’ recent rebuke of major social media platforms for failing to protect children and teens.

“We’ve known from the beginning that our efforts to protect children online would be met with hesitation from Big Tech,” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Senator Lindsey Graham said in a press release. “They are finally being forced to acknowledge their failures when protecting kids.”

It also comes as mental health experts have warned that social media may pose a profound risk to teen well-being.

Even U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms due to their potential mental health impacts on young people.