Jacqueline Beauchere, Global Head of Platform Safety
Happy Safer Internet Day 2026! Snap is delighted to again join ConnectSafely at this year’s national event in Sacramento, where we will share new research, announce applications for our second U.S. Council for Digital Well-Being, and discuss our online safety learning program for teens and their parents.
For the past four years, Snap has conducted research into digital well-being and released the full findings on SID. The results serve as our contribution to the body of evidence that assists all of us in creating safer, healthier, and more positive digital experiences for everyone. (The research covers Generation Z teens’ and young adults’ experiences on all platforms, services, and devices with no particular focus on Snapchat.)
Latest results show GenZers with higher digital well-being are more adept at managing digital risk. For example, 74% of those 13-to-24-year-olds deemed Flourishing online reported having been exposed to some online risk last year. Meanwhile, nearly nine in 10 (88%) of those categorized as Struggling said they encountered some online issue – a 14-percentage point difference. Findings also show that “deep involvement” with social media was a key characteristic among those Flourishing. Three-quarters of respondents in the Flourishing category reported having been heavily involved with social media, including their time spent, level of participation, and the overall importance of social media in their lives. For those designated as Struggling, just one-quarter (25%) said they were deeply involved with social media.
The results are part of Snap’s ongoing research into Gen Z’s digital well-being and include the latest installment of our Digital Well-Being Index (DWBI), an overall measure of how teens and young adults are faring online in six countries: Australia, France, Germany, India, the UK, and the U.S. We also survey parents of 13-to-19-year-olds about their teens’ experiences with online risk. Conducted last spring, this latest poll, surveyed 9,037 respondents across the three age demographics and six geographies. Details on these and other results can be found here.
U.S. Teens: Apply to join the second cohort of our Council for Digital Well-Being
Two years ago, to help animate this research and to underscore our commitment to teens online, we launched our first Council for Digital Well-Being, a pilot program for 13-to-16-year-olds in the U.S. Last August, we concluded that inaugural cohort, and its success led to two active “sister” councils in Australia and across Europe. We’re eager for a second cohort in the U.S., so we kicked off that application process last month. If you are or know a young teen who is passionate about improving digital experiences for all, consider applying! Details can be found here.
The Keys: A Guide to Digital Safety Last September, we released The Keys, an interactive online safety learning program designed specifically for teens and their parents. What makes this program unique is that it goes beyond awareness-raising, and helps teens build practical skills by addressing head-on some of the most challenging situations they may face online – like bullying and harassment, illicit drug activity, nudes and intimate imagery, and sexual extortion. Our goal is to have as many teens as possible take the course and pledge to make smart digital choices for themselves and others. Ideally, they would take the course alongside a parent, caregiver, or other trusted adult to spark meaningful dialogue and unpack some sensitive issues together. We want to help equip teens with the knowledge and skills to recognize risks and to instill in them the confidence they need to take action to help protect themselves. Make The Keys part of SID 2026 and learn more at thekeys.snapchat.com