There’s an app for nearly everything these days. Unfortunately, some apps are exploited and used negatively. Below are just twenty-one apps parents need to be aware of.
- Snapchat: Share photos and videos.
- Holla: Meet people via video chat.
- Whatsapp: Messaging app to communicate with people worldwide.
- Hot or Not: Rate and meet up with other users.
- Whisper: Social media app that lets your share secrets anonymously with strangers.
- Best Secret Folder: Hides videos and photos.
- Monkey: Live video app to connect users to strangers.
- Badoo: Location-based dating and social media app.
- Bumble: Dating app that lets women make the first contact.
- Calculator%: Hides files, browser history, photos, and videos.
- Plenty of Fish: Dating app that encourages chatting with strangers.
- Grindr: Dating app for LGBTQ+ community.
- Skout: Location-based dating app.
- Kik: Messaging app mostly used for sexting.
- Ask.FM: Ask strangers anonymous questions.
- MeetMe: Dating app to connect users to people in their location.
- Live.Me: Live-streaming app that shares location.
- Mocospace: Social-network and dating app.
- Zoosk: Dating app that matches users with strangers.
- HILY: Dating app that helps users meet up with each other.
- TikTok: Make are share short videos.
Why are these apps dangerous?
- Show users’ location.
- Keep sent chars, photos, and videos private or hidden.
- Allow or invite sexting or cyberbullying.
- Hide true identity of other users. Users can lie about their age to gain access to the app or to try to connect with target users.
How to Keep Your Kids Safe:
- Manage app permissions and privacy settings and set appropriate restrictions. Use apps or software to have more parental control over the content.
- Limit screen time and restrict phone time after bedtime.
- Caution kids to avoid friending or chatting with strangers.
- Educate yourselves. New apps are always coming out.
- Be on social media.
- Use apps to manage your kids’ technology use.
- Converse with your children if they seem defensive, hide their screen from others, or suddenly change friends, online or otherwise.
This blog was written by Hope Squad. Hope Squad student members are trained to be aware of their peers and watch for warning signs. They learn to show empathy to their peers, listen without judgment, and reduce stigma regarding help-seeking and mental illness. Hope Squads are now in over 1,200 schools across 35 states and Canada. During the seventeen years since Timpview High School started a Hope Squad, the school has not lost a student to suicide. And as Hope Squad grows, we will continue to spread hope and save more lives. Learn more by visiting https://hopesquad.com/.
