How to Convince Your Parents to Let You Have Snapchat

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 29, 2022 Approved

Asking Your Parents

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Suggesting Compromises

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Q&A

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Tips

Snapchat is a fun form of social media that allows you to send your friends photos that disappear after a few seconds. Although the app can be fun, sometimes parents feel like it is dangerous or that you are too young to use it. You can try to convince your parents to let you have Snapchat by asking them if you can download the app politely and coming up with compromises so that they feel more comfortable about you having it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Asking Your Parents

1
Show them that you are responsible. Your parents are not going to let you have Snapchat if you are not responsible. Show your parents that you are well behaved, and they will trust you more to use Snapchat. Do your chores, do your homework, and help out around the house. This will show your parents that you are responsible and can handle having Snapchat.^{[1]
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- If you already have another form of Social Media, such as Instagram or Facebook, don't post anything inappropriate or your parents might not think you are responsible enough for Snapchat.
2
Find a good time to ask them. Make sure to bring up the subject of Snapchat at a good time. Don't ask when your parents are busy or half asleep. Find a good time to ask them when they are not distracted or stressed out.
- Good times to ask your parents might be during dinner time or in the car.
- Start by saying, “Mom and Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?”^{[2]
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3
Ask them calmly and politely. When you ask your parents if you can have Snapchat, make sure you are being calm and polite. Don't whine, cry, or beg. Your parents will be more likely to say no to someone having a tantrum than someone being polite and understanding when they ask.
- Try saying something like, “Is there any way I can please download the app Snapchat?”
4
Explain why you want it. Have good reasons why you want to have Snapchat. Explain to them how it will help you socialize and be included in friend groups. Talk about how you will use it to get closer to friends and make new connections at school. You can explain to them how it is a great way to stay in touch with people more than regular messaging because you can see what people are doing.
- Say something like, “Many people at school have the app and I feel left out of conversations and groups because I don't have it. If I have the app I can connect with more people and become closer to other kids at school.”
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Explain how you will use it responsibly. Your parents might be concerned about Snapchat because of how quickly the pictures disappear. This means that many people use Snapchat to send each other inappropriate photos. Talk to your parents about how you will not send anything inappropriate and that you understand the risk in people taking screenshots of your photos, even though the photos technically "disappear."^{[3]
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- For example, you could say “I promise I will be responsible with Snapchat. I won't post or send anything inappropriate. I understand that although the photos disappear, people can still take screenshots of what I send. But I'm only going to use Snapchat with my closest friends.”
6
Ask them why they are uncomfortable about you having it. If your parents say no to you, calmly ask them their reasons. Understanding why they don't want you to have the app might help you convince them to let you download it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Suggesting Compromises

1
Discuss creating time limits. If your parents don't want you to have Snapchat because they are worried about you being on it too much, consider a compromise that includes time limits. Agree to be outside a certain amount of time a day, without your phone. Promise to never use it during class time or after you go to bed.
2
Suggest that they control your friends list. Letting your parents control your Snapchat friends list might make them feel more comfortable about you having the app. This way they will know you are only talking to people they know and trust. Their rules might be that you can't have kids of the other sex on your Snapchat or maybe they only want friends on your Snapchat that they have met. Agree to have “friends list checks” to make sure you are following the rules.
3
Agree to change the settings on the app to private. Explain to them that you can edit the settings on the app so only people on your friends list can send you photos and messages. This way you won't be getting random messages and photos from strangers.
- Explain to them that they can block people on Snapchat that they are uncomfortable with.^{[4]
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4
Agree to not look at the media Snapchat stories. The reason your parents might not want you to have Snapchat is because of the stories from media outlets such as MTV and Buzzfeed. Your parents might be worried about inappropriate content showing up on these stories. Promise to not watch these stories if you get Snapchat.
5
Convince them that you won't feel insecure as a result of the filters. Sometimes, filters can cause you to feel insecure and wish that you could look perfect. Tell your parents that you are capable of using them, with the understanding that they're not real.

Community Q&A

Question

What if they don't understand why you want Snapchat?

Community Answer

If your parents still are not understanding why you want Snapchat, understand it is because of generational differences. Explain to your parents how Snapchat is how people keep in contact now and without it you feel left out.
Question

My mom thinks that there is no privacy on Snapchat. What should I do?

Community Answer

Explain to her that there are privacy setting to make sure random people can't add you or send you messages. Talk to her about your friends list and how she can help control who can and cannot message you lol.
Question

What if I'm nervous to ask my parents if I can have Snapchat?

Community Answer

If you are too scared to ask your parents, you probably won't be able to download it. If you ask your parents politely and respectfully they won't be mad. The worst thing that will happen if you ask them is that they will say no.