Snap Map trends reveal rising feelings of loneliness among children in Denmark

A recent trend among children using Snapchat’s Snap Map feature reveals troubling feelings of loneliness and exclusion. Thirteen-year-old Albert Brøch Edvardsen recounted an experience where he noticed his friends at McDonald’s on Snap Map and wondered, “Why am I not there?” This is a common sentiment among users, indicating that the virtual map can evoke feelings of isolation.

Snap Map is a feature within Snapchat, particularly popular among children, which allows users to see the real-time locations of their friends on a virtual map. For example, friends hanging out at various locations, such as Rådhuspladsen in Copenhagen, can be tracked through animated locations. Eleven-year-old Alma Lind Brunholm Sylvest shared that seeing a friend spending time with someone else on Snap Map can deter them from reaching out.

A survey conducted by Epinion found that one in three users aged 9-14 have felt excluded or lonely due to Snap Map. Twelve-year-old Caroline Khouri noted that her friends had misled her about their plans and went into town together without her, leaving her upset.

Experts express concern about the impact of these digital interactions. Kathrine Elmose from Børns Vilkår commented that it can be challenging for children to cope with the constant visibility of their friends’ activities. Senior consultant Jonas Ravn noted that for some children, Snap Map can exacerbate feelings of insecurity and loneliness, especially during periods of social longing.

Snapchat acknowledged its responsibility to create a safe environment for young users, stating that location sharing is off by default and highlighting users’ ability to opt-out of visibility. Moreover, discussions continue around making it harder for children to access social media platforms, with government efforts aimed at enhancing protections for younger users.