Gone are the days when the only social media apps were Instagram and Twitter. Millions of social apps are now available to download; many are deemed inappropriate but still available to young children and teenagers. Considering the increasing rate of digital crimes, parents must diligently check their children’s social media accounts and phone apps to ensure their children are safe.
We have curated a list of apps that kids and teens are using now and are sharing the risks associated with them. As always, please remind your child not to share personal information with anyone online, even if they think they know them.
If you have any questions about keeping your child safe online, contact our office at 407-348-2222.
TikTok
A popular app that is very trendy with the newest generations and lets users create and share short videos. The app has “minimal privacy controls,” and users can be exposed to cyberbullying and explicit content. To improve children’s safety, TikTok has updated its app so that users under 16 cannot receive or send private messages. This can obviously be avoided, though, if users falsify their age.
Snapchat
One of the world’s most popular social media apps, Snapchat lets users take and share photos and videos that expire after 24 hours. But it’s a myth that Snapchats go away forever. Data is data: Whenever an image is sent, it never truly disappears. (The person on the receiving end can screenshot the photo before it disappears.) Snapchat can even be recovered. After a major hack in December 2013 and a settlement with the FTC, Snapchat has clarified its privacy policy, but you should remain wary…
- It can make sexting seem OK. The seemingly risk-free messaging might encourage underage users to share inappropriate images with their “friends.”
- There’s a lot of questionable content curated by Snapchat. Snapchat’s Discover feature offers articles, videos, and quizzes from magazine publishers, TV networks, and online sources, mostly about pop culture, celebrities, and relationships. Content can contain sexual nature and violence.
Secret Photo Albums
There are countless apps on the app store, such as Privault. When you look at it on the homepage, it seems like a calculator app, but it functions as a secret storage hub for photos and videos.
Best Secret Folder:Specifically meant to hide photos and videos. According to app store descriptions, it features password protection, decoy videos, and alarm settings, making it difficult for parents to access.
Yubo
A new app similar to Chatroulette, Meet Me, and Monkey, this app lets users connect via video with people from all over the world. While the app has many different safety features, it still poses a threat to children. The app shows a user who enters a birthday under 13 a message that says ‘Sorry, it looks like you’re not eligible for Yubo”, but thanks for checking us out’.
However, there is still the potential that they could go back in and enter a false birth date to access the app. Children 13-17 are placed in an entirely different “community” on the app and don’t intermix with adults who use the app. However, there is still the danger of adults falsifying their age to be placed in the child-only community.
Therefore, it’s essential to help your child understand why these restrictions exist, so they don’t come across inappropriate content or connect with the wrong people.
Location Sharing –Although you don’t need to share your location to use the app, it is an integral part of its use. If you have the location settings enabled, you can find friends nearby. Your location is then shown to other potential ‘friends’ along with your name and age.
Inappropriate content –Although the app is rated 12+ (in the App store), anyone can sign up and post inappropriate content that breaks Yubo’s community guidelines. So, it is crucial to talk to children about what they may come across on the app and how to report it. The developers of Yubo have implemented safety features to make it safer for children to live stream on the app. However, the app still poses a risk in light of the increase of online sex offenders. The app also posts the chance that children may share too much personal information with people they’ve never met.
It is a widespread messaging app that allows texts, video calls, photo sharing, and voicemails with users worldwide. You must have a phone number to create a WhatsApp account; still, there are reports of accounts being opened using “fake” phone numbers. Parents should monitor their child’s use of WhatsApp even if they don’t have cell service.
Kik
Police say kids can bypass traditional text messaging features using this app. Kik gives users unlimited access to anyone, anywhere, anytime. The CEO of Kik reportedly released a statement stating that Kik would be taken off the app store. However, there’s no precise date for when it will shut down, and it is still available to download.
Tinder
A dating app that focuses on a “swipe left/right” feature with the primary purpose of meeting people and “hooking up.” Once you swipe right on someone and match with them, you are open to communication via private messages. There is an age restriction, but children can easily falsify their age and profile. Tinder also curates matches based on location, creating a potentially dangerous situation for kids and teens by matching them with nearby users.
Bumble
This app is similar to Tinder but requires women to make the first contact. Kids and teens can create fake accounts and falsify their age, creating the same dangers as Tinder.
Plenty of Fish (POF)
A top-rated free dating app and website that encourages chatting with strangers. It allows users to browse profiles based on location, but their messages are open to anyone with an account. Like other dating sites, POF has a minimum age requirement of 18, but it would be effortless for a kid or teen to falsify their age and profile.
Ask. FM
This app lets users ask and answer questions anonymously and is known for cyberbullying and sexual content. YOLO, Tellonym, and LMK: Anonymous Polls are similar apps to consider.
* This is not a definitive list of apps that may harm children and teens. If you have heard your child talking about a specific app that may be dangerous, don’t hesitate to contact us at 407-348-2222, so we can notify the public.
