The new emoji that's giving teens more reasons to panic

As parents are only just realising what the red pill means on social media, generational expert Chloe Combi discovers another marketing tool that’s keeping Snapchat users hooked

- Chloe Combi

One of my biggest criticisms of Adolescence, the monster hit and now cultural and political bellwether, is the way that, in the show, 13-year-old Jamie Miller is being bullied by his classmates online. I don’t take issue with the bullying part – social media is a crucible of tension and nastiness that often explodes into all kinds of real-life conflict, especially for teenagers. My issue is with the fact that the bullying takes place on Instagram.

Very few 13-year-olds use Instagram much any more, and Gen A (Generation Alpha – those born since about 2010) even consider TikTok to be a bit naff and symbolic of Gen Z (the previous generation, and one they see as being culturally over the hill). Gen A are all about Snapchat, with 84 per cent of them using it daily in the UK: it is their biggest communication platform with each other.

Snapchat is often viewed by parents as more benign, because it’s not inherently a broadcast-style social media platform like Instagram or TikTok; many see it as a kind of WhatsApp with more emojis. Carol, who has two teen daughters, is typical of many when she says: “I don’t let either of my girls use TikTok, and they only watch YouTube – they don’t post. Snapchat is fine because it just allows them to chat to their friends privately in groups.”

The cartoon-like format gives it an innocent glow, but the impression some have of Snapchat – that, when controlled, it is like a private chat group – is misleading. Snapchat groups can be sprawling, and it’s often difficult to know for sure who’s in the chat. The wildly popular Bitmoji feature means you don’t really know who you are talking to, as your identity is hidden behind a customised cartoon feature. All kinds of bullying and toxicity happen behind those cute customised cartoons – and a lot of bullying happens on Snapchat.