In this age of internet frenzy, kids have found ingenious ways to chat with peers, friends — even total strangers — without their parents’ knowledge. There may be nothing wrong with the chat apps themselves, but as a parent, being aware of various social media platforms your teenager is using can help prevent them from exposure to dangerous elements.
Here are eight apps that teenagers and younger children are using to chat with others.
Omegle
Omegle is a free online chatting service. Its popularity spiked over the past few months due to more people being home and looking to meet others during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s also become popular with influencers posting to YouTube, which is driving more young visitors.
It’s supposed to only serve people 13 and older, but there is no age-verification. And things get worse from there.
Why you should be concerned:
Chats are anonymous unless you reveal your identity by turning on your web camera. When a chat starts, people are just identified as “you” and “stranger,” but if the camera is on the other person can see you. Chats are listed as moderated or unmoderated, but there were plenty of shenanigans happening in the allegedly moderated rooms.
Also, what child or teen is going to go to a moderated room if he has the chance of going into an unmoderated chat?
There is also an unmoderated Omegle adult site that is just that — very adult with adults doing adult-like things. There is no age verification to enter; the user simply clicks the “OK” button to confirm they are over 18, and they are allowed in.
There are no parental controls, and the Omegle site clearly puts the responsibility on the parent. There used to be an app so if that’s on your child’s phone, delete it. You can also block the site on your home browsers so kids can’t access it from a computer. Read more about Omegle here.
Snapchat
This one shouldn’t be a surprise, but it should be of concern. Snapchat’s popularity rose for allowing users to send super brief messages/media that receivers can view before they disappear. Messages “self-destruct” automatically after the time limit is up.
Why you should be concerned:
Snapchat gives the illusion of no-consequence messaging. Kids may be tempted to throw caution to the wind and share silly, embarrassing, or inappropriate messages and photos. The reality is, messages can be saved and stored by an external app.
Also, a teen’s recent death demonstrated the ease of buying drugs on the platform.
The good news? Parental controls. Limitations can be set on the people who can contact your kid and who views their stories.
However, there’s now an app for Snapchat that can let users hide their identity. And THAT could be dangerous…
YOLO
YOLO is an anonymous question and answer app that uses Snapchat’s platform. With it, users can post a question to their Snapchat Story and receive responses without knowing who sent what. While users can create a custom Q&A, YOLO also has its fair share of suggested questions, like “Tell me something I should know,” “What obvious hint did I miss from you?” “Who is the most likely to date me?” or “What is your most creative way to cheat on an exam?”
Why you should be concerned:
YOLO recently added a new group chat feature to encourage more interaction between users. The app’s creators also decided to add their own special twist. In YOLO’s group chats, users can unleash an anonymous “Superpower” once every hour. A user can send a secret message in the chat, proclaim their love for their crush, or submit an idea without exposing who typed it out and hit send.
Besides meeting strangers, YOLO’s anonymous format also allows users to send hateful messages without exposing their identities. The creators are working on fixing that, but it’s not a done deal.
Unfortunately, YOLO has no parental controls available. However, in service of user safety, they have teamed up with Snapchat to create a feature that prevents the recommendation of chats between adults and minors.
Check your teen’s phone for YOLO and Snapchat to learn more.
NEXT UP — Probably the most popular app that can be used to chat…
TikTok
TikTok is an app all about creating and sharing three- to 60-second videos. The videos can be laced with special effects, further adding to the app’s allure.
Why you should be concerned:
Some of the videos shared are unsuitable for young children. Inappropriate language abounds, as do risky and idiotic challenges that teens may try in order to become internet-famous. And though TikTok is rated 13+, anyone can download it and there’s no way to authenticate users.
All user accounts are set to public by default, which means strangers can contact your kids. Fortunately, we have TikTok Parental Controls to help you monitor and restrict your child’s activity on the app.
While lots of parents don’t understand the TikTok obsession, there are other — far more dangerous — platforms kids can use.
Kik
Kik is a free messaging app that allows users to exchange photos, videos, and gifs. It also features extras such as special emojis, e-cards and mini-games.
Why you should be concerned:
Kik is heavy with advertising and it’s never clear whether you’ve been messaged by an ad-bot or a real person.
Kik’s age rating is 17+, yet anyone can download it since there’s no age verification. App Store and Google Play reviews reveal another concern for parents: many users utilize Kik to sext with strangers.
Another concern is privacy. As users connect with others on Kik using just a username, there’s no way to validate users.
Kik doesn’t offer parental controls, making it easier for minors to chat with strangers without parents’ knowledge. There are, however, parenting apps like Qustodio that let you review social network activity.
Google Docs & Google Classroom
This is a key example that kids will chat whever they can — including in the virtual classroom.
Most kids use Google Docs and Google Classroom to do their homework. Additionally, they can share documents and other media files with fellow students. That all seems tame enough.
Why you should be concerned:
There have been numerous reports of cyberbullying between students, especially on group projects. Google Classroom isn’t always monitored, and in this time of homeschooling, it’s important to know what products your kids are using to complete their work.
Finally, if your house has a Google Business account — or you have one through work and your kid can access that computer — they can easily set up a Google Hangout to video chat without you knowing about it.
You know Instagram! How dangerous can that be? Well…
Primarily a photo-sharing app, Instagram allows users to post pictures to be viewed and liked by friends and followers. It’s also equipped with a direct messaging feature.
Why you should be concerned:
Kids may like Insta’s chatting feature since it’s one place parents may never think to monitor. Likewise, kids can have fake Instagram accounts (called “finsta” accounts by some) that their parents don’t know about.
If you allow your kids on Instagram, use parental controls and the app’s privacy settings to restrict who can contact your child. If they start being harassed by anyone on the platform, there are easy ways to fight back against cyberbullies.
One last chat app, and tips on what you can do…
Whisper
Whisper is a secret-sharing app that allows its online community to make funny and sometimes outright disturbing confessions. It is aimed to be used by older kids and adults, but there’s no way to restrict younger kids from installing it.
Why you should be concerned:
Even if you disable the geo-location setting, other users are still able to determine your precise location. Whisper also promotes private communication between anonymous users where they can exchange pictures and information.
What’s more, users can be exposed to explicit language, cyber-bullying, and other material that’s inappropriate for kids.
What Should Parents Do?
Establish family media rules. For example, they have to check with you before downloading an app. Having a common charging area for all devices so you can easily check their phone is another good rule of thumb.
Help your child understand and appreciate that you will be regularly checking their phone because you’re a responsible parent. Explain why you’re questioning them, perusing their phone, and checking the privacy settings.
Your child’s internet safety is important. Teaching kids how to be selective with apps and using them responsibly can’t be overemphasized.
