Your role as a parent is to protect your children. After all, they have not been here for so long and do not understand the potential threats this world poses.
Thus, you lock doors, limit your junk food intake, and impose a curfew. They are safe and sound in their rooms, right? Wrong. If your kids have uncontrolled access to smart devices, another threat looms – mobile apps.
There are mobile apps that are marketed as “kid-friendly,†but they are not. Here are seven you should know about.
HIP
HIP comes to the top of our list – and for a special reason. Children can use this app to hide inappropriate apps in plain sight. It works by disguising apps as something less sinister.
For example, a dating app that looks like a music app. The name HIP stands for Hide it Pro. However, it will show up as HIP on your child’s device.
It’s available in the app store for free. Your child can set up a PIN to hide all types of files in the vault, including photos and messages.
So if you are a parent who regularly checks how mobile your child is, chances are that they are cheating on you with this app.
In addition, there is another similar application to look for called Poof
Snapchat
Facebook is a legacy platform for younger groups. The alternative for them is Snapchat. If you are not familiar with Snapchat, this is an app that lets you share videos with your friends. Sounds good, right? So what’s the red flag?
The content you post on this platform is similar to Instagram Stories that disappear after 24 hours. This means that you can never really know what your kids are doing in this app, because there is no way to go back and check.
Convincing your kids to be safe and not doing things on the app that they shouldn’t be doing is difficult. So, just in case, it’s best not to use this app on your kids’ gadgets.
TikTok
He is liked by all children and even some adults. It is a music app that people use to play their favorite dance moves from a favorite song, or to create a parody of a popular track.
This all sounds innocent enough until you read the parent reviews on Common Sense Media Some people are worried about the language their children use the app in, and rightfully so.
Not to mention, there are also promising dance moves that young eyes shouldn’t look at (let alone do). Did we mention adults use it? Well, that deserves a second mention.
It’s worth noting that the app is trying to delete accounts for users under 13. However, some parents may still want to ban this app for their 16+ teens.
Keep in mind that users can fake their age, so if your child is below the set limit, they can still create an account.
Ask.fm
Anytime you have an app designed for teenagers who hide their identity, parents should be worried. As you can imagine, this is the perfect place for online bullying.
This app allows you to create an account, hide your identity, and communicate with other people anonymously. The application is focused on asking other users questions anonymously. Children will be children, so you can expect some of them to ask outlandish questions (some of which may be disrespectful or embarrassing).
In addition, there are concerns that conversations are not always confidential. Some users ask each other for phone numbers and Kik usernames.
By the way
Kik
Teens may pass it off as another messenger with which they can communicate with their friends. However, if you look closely, you will notice some concerns about potentially dangerous behavior.
Take, for example, the fact that you can share photos, thumbnails, gifs and videos with anyone (even if they are not your friends). This way, your children may not only see inappropriate content, but also contact strangers who pretend to be children.
Unfortunately, there is no parental control here and your kids can password protect their account. If you don’t know this, then you are blocked from this part of your child’s life.
Tinder
If you don’t participate in dating games, Tinder may not be in your sight yet. This is an application that allows users to rate each other’s photos (already a dangerous start).
Since you can use GPS tracking, you can find people within 10 miles of you. This is one of the reasons people use it for dating. And it helps you find other potential partners.
The app requires users to be at least 18 years old, but it also doesn’t check age. Therefore, parents should make sure that their children do not use it anyway.
Another similar app is Yubo, known as Tinder for Teens. Like Tinder, it is toxic and allows users to accept or reject each other’s photos (by swiping left or right).
It’s the bane of social media where people unwittingly hurt each other without regret. No wonder teenage depression is on the rise!
Protect your children from predators (young and old)
Being a parent in the digital age is difficult. You have to worry about the predatory behavior of old perverts as well as rude young people.
The best way to do this is to pay close attention to the apps your kids use. Just look at the icon, look at the app description, do a Google search, and see what other parents have to say about it on Common Sense Media Even the police have published their own list of apps that parents should be wary of.
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