The Snap Map was released early this summer as a new feature on the social media app Snapchat. It allows Snapchat users’ current location to be shared along with all of their friends who have the feature turned on. People can see others’ locations as well, even if their own location is turned off.

The Snap Map is a way to explore the world, see what is happening, find your friends, and get inspired to go on an adventure, according to Snapchat Incorporated. There are three specific settings that users can have on; one hides their location entirely (also known as “Ghost Mode”),  one allows them to select certain friends to view their location, and one turns their location on for all of their friends to see.

“I don’t have my location on the Snap Map on because I think that it is slightly creepy, but I appreciate how there is the option to put yourself on Ghost Mode,” sophomore Gabby Hyrkas said.

The National Crime Agency of Child Exploitation and Online Protection has created guidelines for parents who would like to know more about Snap Map. It explains how they suggest that Snapchat users should turn their location off and instead just share it with people they know through other messenger apps.

“I mostly have my location on just in case someone needs to find me, I have certain people blocked which I think is a good feature that Snapchat has,” senior Nadeen Bunkers said.

There are many concerns with Snap Map. It is providing a real way for stalkers to find people using the map, according to CNBC News. Former Los Angeles police chief Michael Downing said that this location feature could also provide targets for future terrorist attacks. Snap Map has potential to create “soft targets,” which are areas of large attendance where a terrorist could attack knowing there is a large crowd present. There is a greater fear of this after the Ariana Grande concert bombing and the recent Las Vegas shooting.

“I like the Snap Map because it’s fun to see what kinds of things people are doing and where they are,” senior Olivia Silvernail said.

Schools are beginning to warn their students about the use of Snap Map. The schools believe it is important to teach the students the actions that could occur from sharing your location with others, according to the BBC News.

“It is kind of cool how you can see what everyone is up to, especially how it has music notes and boats and airplanes and stuff,” senior Sydney Donaldson said, “but it also seems a little extreme to have that much information out for the public to see on social media, so usually mine is turned off.”