Sex educator Megan Maas has the scoop on 10 apps that can be very dangerous for your kids, and what you need to know about them.
You may be thinking your kids are downloading apps because they are
just a simple way for them to keep in contact with their friends. This
is certainly true for most kids, but unfortunately, even innocent use of
most of these apps can land a kid in a situation he/she never intended
to be in. Here are some apps that are popular among kids and why they
are potentially problematic for them:
1. Tinder: An app that is used for hooking-up
and dating. Users can rate profiles and find potential hook-ups via GPS
location tracking. 450 million profiles are rated every day! The good
news is, this app pulls information from user’s Facebook profiles, so it
is more authenticated than other apps.
Problem: It is easy for adults and minors to find one
another. Also, due to the rating system, it is often used for
cyber-bullying, because a group of kids can target another kid and
purposefully make his/her rating go down.
2. Snapchat: This app allows a user
to send photos and videos to anyone on his/her friend list. The sender
can determine how long the receiver can view the image and then the
image “destructs” after the allotted time.
Problem: It is the #1 app used for sexting, mostly
because people think it is the safer way to sext. However, the “snaps”
can easily be recovered and the receiver can take a screen shot and
share it with others. Also, a lot of images from Snapchat get posted to
revenge porn sites, called “snap porn.”
3. Blendr: A flirting app used to
meet new people through GPS location services. You can send messages,
photos, videos, rate the hotness of other users, etc.
Problem: There are no authentication requirements, so
sexual predators can contact minors, minors can meet up with adults. And
again, the sexting.
4. Kik Messenger: An instant messaging app
with over 100 million users that allows users to exchange videos, pics
and sketches. Users can also send YouTube videos and create memes and
digital gifs.
Problem: Kids using the app for sexting and sending
nude selfies through the app is common. The term “sext buddy” is being
replaced with “Kik buddy.” Kids use Reddit and other forum sites to
place classified ads for sex by giving out their Kik usernames. Also,
Kik does not offer any parental controls and there is no way of
authenticating users, thus making it easy for sexual predators to use
the app to interact with minors.
5. Whisper: Whisper is an anonymous
confession app. It allows users to superimpose text over a picture in
order to share their thoughts and feelings anonymously. However, you
post anonymously, but it displays the area you are posting from. You can
also search for users posting within a mile from you.
Problem: Due to the anonymity, kids are posting pics of
other kids with derogatory text superimposed on the image. Also, users
do not have to register to use Whisper and can use the app to
communicate with other users nearby through GPS. A quick look at the app
and you can see that online relationships are forming through the use
of this app, but you never know the person behind the computer or phone.
Sexual predators also use the app to locate kids and establish a
relationship. One man in Seattle, Wash., was charged with raping a 12-year-old girl he met on this app in 2013.
6. Ask.fm: Ask.fm is one of the
most popular social networking sites that is almost exclusively used by
kids. It is a Q&A site that allows users to ask other users
questions while remaining anonymous.
Problem: Kids will often ask repeated derogatory
questions that target one person. Due to the anonymity of the badgering,
it creates a virtually consequence-free form of cyber-bullying. Ask.fm
has been associated with nine documented cases of suicide in the U.S. and the U.K.
7. Yik Yak: An app that allows
users to post text-only “Yaks” of up to 200 characters. The messages can
be viewed by the 500 Yakkers who are closest to the person who wrote
the Yak, as determined by GPS tracking.
Problem: Users are exposed to and are contributing
sexually explicit content, derogatory language and personal attacks.
Although the posts are anonymous, kids start revealing personal
information as they get more comfortable with other users.
8. Poof: This app allows users to
make other apps “disappear” on their phone. Kids can hide any app they
don’t want you to see by opening the app and selecting other apps.
Problem: It’s obvious, right? Luckily, you can no
longer purchase this app. But, if it was downloaded before it became
unavailable, your child may still have it. Keep in mind that these types
of apps are created and then terminated quickly, but similar ones are
continuously being created. Others to look for: Hidden Apps, App Lock
and Hide It Pro.
9. Omegle: This app is primarily
used for video chatting. When you use Omegle, you do not identify
yourself through the service. Instead, chat participants are only
identified as “You” and “Stranger.” However, you can connect Omegle to
your Facebook account to find chat partners with similar interests. When
choosing this feature, an Omegle Facebook App will receive your
Facebook “likes” and try to match you with a stranger with similar
likes.
Problem: Sexual predators use this app to find kids to
collect personal information from in order to track them down more
easily in person.
10. Down: This app, which used to be called Bang With Friends,
is connected to Facebook. Users can categorize their Facebook friends
in one of two ways: They can indicate whether or not a friend is someone
they’d like to hang with or someone they are “down” to hook-up with.
Problem: Although identifying someone you are willing
to hook-up with doesn’t mean you will actually hook-up with them, it
creates a hook-up norm within a peer group. Depending on your sexual
values, this might be something you don’t want for your child. Also,
because of the classification system, a lot of kids will feel left out
or unwanted, which can lead to anxiety, etc.
The most important thing you can do as a parent to protect your
children from dangers that are associated with the use of these apps is
to talk with them frequently about their social lives. You can start by establishing yourself as an approachable parent and talking with them early and often about sexuality
and romantic relationships. Without a strong bond and open
communication, trying to regulate and monitor Internet use won’t be very
effective. However, setting technology boundaries (when and where they
access the Internet) and monitoring their online behavior can be
effective if you have a strong foundation to build on. You can access a
list of monitoring software I recommend here.
Just remember to keep on top of it, there is no software that can
eliminate risk or the need to parent. Ultimately, your goal is to raise
an individual who can manage his/her online and offline behavior in a
healthy way because he/she wants to. The process starts with you
nurturing a strong emotional bond, leading by example and setting the
boundaries. You can do it!
No comments:
Post a Comment