Snapchat’s newest update adds gaming to their camera. That’s right, you can now use their augmented reality camera to play silly games. Some are even multiplayer. They’re calling the games “Snappables” and they range from throwing kisses at each other to dance competitions. Users control the games with their face or touch and motion controls. Snap is planning to release new Snappables weekly featuring basketball, alien combat, and a lot of other themes.
What Parents Should Know
Right now, the multiplayer Snappable games are centered around your friend list. This means you shouldn’t be able to play games with random players you have never met. That could be an added feature and we’ll let you know if and when that is the case.
I recommend knowing what your kids are using their social media apps for. If they are connecting with their friends to play games and chat, and you’re ok with that, then that is just fine. I never recommend allowing your kids to meet new people online through Snapchat or other social media apps. Games like Snappables are pretty harmless other than more ways to waste time and the obvious opportunity for corporations to launch games featuring their brand for advertising. More than anything, just stay knowledgeable about what your kids are doing online and keep the conversation open with them. This way they won’t be concerned about you seeing what they do online and the lines of communication will stay open with them.