Is your teen attached to their phone or constantly smiling at it in the seat beside of you. That’s been my experience lately. While some apps are safe for our children there are many that are not. Here’s a list of some of the most dangerous apps available today and as you will notice some may be household names.
Tinder (& Blendr)
Tinder and Blendr are two similar dating apps that connect users specifically to hook up based on physical proximity. Both use GPS technology to pinpoint a user’s location and is intended for others to meet in real life. While they are designed for adults, Tinder has a 13-18 year old section for younger users.
As I would guess none of us believe that our children should be using a dating app but what’s scary is that most of these apps don’t have age restrictions or verification, result in risky sexual behaviors, and aren’t safe to use in general.
Tinder in particular has had several security breaches, which has resulted in user info being downloaded and released. While Blendr is focused on users with similar interests, it can still be used for hook-ups.
Omegle
Perhaps the most dangerous of all the apps on this list, Omegle is a video chatting app that connects users with strangers. Despite the 18 and over age limit, there’s no age verification and users can enter chats with no moderation.
Anything and everything can be shown on camera, which is streamed live. Teens can be exposed to predators, nudity, and other inappropriate material via Omegle.
Yik Yak
Yik Yak works by allowing users to share and “upvote” short messages, anonymously. While this may seem harmless, it can quickly turn when someone shares a message that’s mean or belittling in an attempt to bully other users. It’s especially problematic because bullying can be done anonymously without any way of stopping it.
Yik Yak also uses GPS location to determine what “Yaks” you see, which is what makes it so dangerous around schools – they instantly become a hotbed of digital anonymous gossip, bullying, and rumor-mongering. Many schools in the U.S. have already banned YikYak because of the potential for bullying.
Ask.fm
Intended as a question and answer site, Ask.fm is an extremely dangerous app that has already been linked to nine cases of suicide in the U.S. and U.K.
The app promotes conversation between friends, as users can ask each other questions anonymously on their friends’ public profiles. The effect is a public forum where users receive negative messages without knowing who the cyberbully is.
Whisper
True to its name, Whisper is used to spread secrets and rumors. Users post anonymous “confessions” shared amongst the Whisper community. Any app that allows users to post anonymously is going to be rampant with cyberbullying and Whisper is no exception.
The app is popular for teens as it uses GPS technology to posts “Whispers” from around the user’s area. This leads some teens to target their classmates when posting content. Rumors started in the school bathroom have now reached a wider audience thanks to this app.
Snapchat
Snapchat is one of the most popular apps used among teens today, but just because it’s popular, DOESN’T mean it’s safe! The appeal for most kids is that messages sent through this app are temporary, but the reality is that this “disappearing” format allows teens to send messages without parental controls. You have no idea what they’ve sent as it’s instantly erased. There’s no trace of the content shared between users.
Unless, of course, someone saves a snap they’ve been sent. This is extremely easy, as teens can either take a “screenshot” of the image, which is then saved directly to their phone, or they can use another device to take a picture. It’s been widely reported that teens often save and share snaps to bully or embarrass other teens.
Teens who like Snapchat can also use it to sext—when those sexts are saved it can lead to compromising situations. I know of 3 instances where middle school students (11 – 13) have sent compromising pictures of themselves that have been shared as stories by the person receiving the message.. HOW SCARY IS THAT! It’s best not to allow your teen to use Snapchat unless you can be absolutely sure they’ll use it responsibly and won’t send anything inappropriate.
Kik
Like Snapchat, Kik is a popular Wi-Fi based messaging service teens use to sext and send other inappropriate messages. To sign up all you need is an email address and to create a username. Then, you’re able to send messages to any and all of Kik’s users—there’s no barrier.
The minimum age to sign up for Kik is thirteen, but the app doesn’t verify its users’ ages. Online predators can and have used Kik to search a particular age range to find victims in their area.
Do you have an app that you like or will not allow your child to use? If so be sure to share it in the comments!
Plus here are a few apps to help you monitor what your children are doing online:
Norton Family Parental Control is an app that is available across PC’s, Android and iPhone devices. This app helps teaches your child internet safety habits while they are browsing around online. Also, with a simple touch, you can know exactly where your children are. *Please note, not all features are available for free*
Net Nanny is a clever app for all devices. With this app, parents can set up boundaries for what their child can and cannot watch. If a child tries to pull up a website with one of the keywords previously determined, Net Nanny lets them know the page has been blocked. Prices start as low as $9 per device.
mSpy is a great app to track a phone and it’s activity. This app is pretty much a jack of all trades! Not only can it monitor a child’s text and call history, but also see where your child is, what type of pictures they are taking, receiving and sending, monitor social media networks and much more. It is available across all devices. Prices start as low as $16.67 a month.
Kids Place is a great app for younger kids that are just starting their venture into the online world. With Kids Place, parents can restrict what apps can be watched and protects personal data. This app is available on Android and iPhone devices.
SecureTeen Parental Control is a must have app on a teenager’s phone. This app will prevent your child from pulling up websites that are mature and have adult content. Also, this app will let parents see what their teen is doing and allows remote shutdown of any app.
What types of safeguards do you use and what apps will you not allow?
Credit – Teen Safe