Children and teenagers are playing on phones more than ever. Often, they take pictures, selfies, and then send them out to the world. Most parents have heard, or know about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (partially due to the FTC suing Snapchat over their misleading privacy policy). Still, there are other apps that parents need to be aware of in order to keep their children safe.
Tinder, for instance is an app that allows people to post pictures and look at other people’s pictures based on their preferences (age, sex and geographical distance). Matches are generally near by and if two matches swipe like each other (swipe right) they can message each other privately. This app is meant for adults, but teens can definitely get into trouble using it.
Tumblr is a microblogging platform that streams pictures, text, audio clips and videos. Having strict privacy settings on your account can be a bit tricky. Plus, pornographic images are readily available and it doesn’t take much effort to find them. At the same time, so is destructive behaviors, drug use and offensive language.
Vine is an app that strings videos together for comedic effect. The videos are no longer than six seconds, but often they are strung together in a compilation. Language is a major concern as well as graphic images and sometimes nudity.
Whisper and Secret are both confessional type apps that encourage users to speak their mind freely under the vail of anonymity. Often, the messages tend to be sexual in nature and language can be a bit of a problem.
MeetMe (the name says it all) is not marketed as a dating app, but its an app to help strangers meet. There’s a match function (secret admirer) and virtually guarantees a face-to-face if the participants want it. This can easily lead teens into dangerous situations.
As we new apps spring up everyday, we need to be sure that our children’s safety isn’t compromised by leaps forward in the Digital Age.
Are there any apps that we missed? Which apps pose the biggest concerns to your children’s safety?