Snapchat and a Bossy Daughter for 11/03/2017

Dear Family Coach: My almost 13-year-old daughter is begging for a Snapchat account. I am resistant, but she is wearing me down. I am not even sure why I am unwilling. Should I hold my ground? — Not Sure Parents

Dear Not Sure: Parents have been drilling into their kids' heads that anything that is put on the internet is forever. A text, a silly photo or that stupid video put on YouTube all leave a digital footprint that never goes away. Enter Snapchat, the app that allows people to send a photo that's only up for a few seconds before it disappears. It's great in theory but not so much in practice. While Snapchat deletes your posts immediately, the app can't control users' ability to take a screenshot. A screenshot means the picture is forever. Young people often have a false sense that anything posted will only be seen briefly.

Updated: Fri Nov 03, 2017