A grieving mum says her teenage son was bullied so badly on Snapchat that he took his own life.
Karen Robinson's son Jack Parker was tragically found dead at only 15-years-old in woodland near his home in Wigan earlier this year.
Within a matter of days, Karen, 43, says she discovered Jack was being bullied on Snapchat.
The principal feature of the popular social media platform is that pictures and messages are usually only visible for a short time before they disappear.
According to Karen, this enables users to write whatever they want safe in the knowledge they won't be held accountable for their comments.
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The teaching assistant has now launched a petition on change.org to raise the age limit for using Snapchat from 13 to 18.
She said: "Far too many children are being bullied on social media like Jack was.
"It's easy for kids to write things, nasty things, from behind a keyboard while sat in the comfort of their bedroom, knowing their nasty messages will be gone forever within a few hours.
"The trouble is, the recipient won’t and doesn’t forget. It plays in their mind over and over again until it consumes their life and they can’t take any more."
Karen added: "I'm speaking out because I don't want any other parent to go through what I continue to go through, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
"I don't want Jack's death to be in vain, I want it to cause change for the better."
Jack was found dead in woodland a short time after being reported missing on July 28. He had taken his own life.
Karen said she knew he had been feeling down due to the recent break up of his relationship, the stresses of school and the lockdown.
She said: "I knew there were a few things bothering him and I would ask him if he was okay all the time.
"He spoke to me about his ex-girlfriend so I thought if there was anything else he would have told me that too.
"I think the bullying was the final straw and the thing that made him do what he did.
"Jack was a loving, funny, intelligent boy who was also very sensitive.
"It seems now like he was so sensitive that he couldn’t tell me about the constant bullying he was receiving by people on Snapchat."
Karen added she doesn't know exactly what was said to Jack by the bullies, only what she has been told by those close to him since he died.
She says a police investigation into Jack's death is ongoing and an inquest will be held in the future.
On the impact of Jack's passing, Karen said: "I can't describe the pain I feel, I just want to be with him.
"I feel like I'm having a constant panic attack."
Despite the tragic situation, Karen said she is doing her best to "stay strong" for her young daughter and Jack's sister Lucy.
A Snapchat spokesperson said: "No-one deserves to be bullied and our hearts go out to Jack’s loved ones.
"We designed Snapchat as a place that prioritises friendship and default settings make it impossible for someone to receive a message from an account they have not added as a friend.
"Any Snapchatter experiencing bullying can easily report it to us right in the app and our safety team will do their best to help.
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"We also provide in-app mental health support with a feature called Here For You, where Snapchatters can get expert advice from organisations such as Young Minds, the Samaritans and the Diana Award."
The MEN reports Greater Manchester Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. Officers are now preparing a report for the coroner.
Bolton Coroners' Court confirmed an inquest had been opened into the death although a hearing date has not yet been fixed.
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