![]() ![]() Instagram’s emphasis is on ‘the visual’ – the best pictures, photo collages, reels and ‘stories’. Kik Messenger has been associated with sexual predators and inappropriate content in the past, and is rated as inappropriate for anyone younger than 17. While anonymity could be seen as a positive aspect, it’s also a concerning one – anonymous messaging apps can make kids feel safer and bolder, leading them to divulge too much information, participate in cyberbullying, or even make risky decisions. As with the apps mentioned above, it also allows users to remain anonymous. Kik is a popular free messaging app used for group chats or direct messages – and enables you to contact both friends and strangers. There’s no accountability for what someone writes – and kids are losing the ability to empathize, as they don’t see the negative impact that their hurtful words may be having. Not only is anonymity an issue here in terms of ‘stranger danger’ and online grooming – but at the most basic level, social etiquette goes out the window. ![]() Psst! Anonymous is only one of many anonymous chat room apps available – other current popular versions include Whisper, Blendr, Tellonym, Ask.fm, and more. Basically, if someone contacts / messages / trolls / bullies your child – there is no way to catch the perpetrator. For parents, these so-called benefits are super disturbing. Psst! Anonymous is a chat room app that prides itself on messages being deleted almost immediately from the server, ID-masking, and identity-less private chat. Just last month, kids in Texas were hospitalized after trying out the TikTok Benadryl ChallengeĪccording to TikTok’s community guidelines, the video-sharing app is “deeply committed” to child safety and has “zero tolerance” for behavior that could lead to child abuse or sexual exploitation – but even so, parents should make sure to turn on all privacy settings for their kid’s account, so only people their kids know can interact with them.Īs the images and messages get deleted instantly, people sometimes use the app for unethical activities, including images and messages they think they can ‘get away with.’ These include embarrassing photos, nude images and ‘revenge porn.’ And once those images are out in the ether, it only takes one second for a crafty person to take a screenshot – and then that proof is out there forever. There are negative newsworthy stories related to this app seemingly every week, whether it be mental health issues, dangerous challenges, or body image issues. Here are 7 apps to familiarize yourself with in order to best understand what kids may be viewing, how we can find safer ways to monitor them, and how to open up those conversations with your child surrounding if, how and when they should use certain apps. Even the least unassuming apps, such as YouTube, enter the realm of being unsafe once we realize how much alarming content our kids are subject to – whether it’s the videos themselves, the comments underneath posts, or the various ads.Īs with most things in life, moderation is key – as are expectations. It’s scary to see how the apps we love the most can also be the most dangerous. The problems occur when they are mismanaged or, as with anything, used for bad instead of for good. In and of themselves, the majority of apps and sites aren’t inherently dangerous. Growing up in today’s hyper-connected world comes with a whole host of issues. ![]()
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