With kids and teens spending so much time attached to their phones, it can get pretty difficult to gauge what exactly they’re spending their time on. One day it’s Instagram, and another they’re learning a new dance for TikTok. It’s pretty hard to keep track of what the most popular apps for teenagers are today.
Fortunately, that’s where Cyber Civics, from the folks at Cyberwise, come in. Cyberwise is a resource site for adults looking to inform kids and teens about digital media, and how to use it safely. They are the companion site to Cyber Civics, which produces a digital literacy program for middle schools around the world.
The group’s hands-on research in and out of classrooms has helped them create a list of the most popular apps for teenagers. They also created a handy PDF guide that parents can keep. We’ve embedded that downloadable PDF, as well as a list of Parentology’s social media Parental Control resource articles, at the bottom of this post.
Check out the list and download the guide below.
TikTok (Ages 13+)
It’s the hottest social media app out there — and it’s growing both among young people AND adults. This has made it a threat to Facebook/Instagram, so in recent months the platforms have added on additional features to compete with TikTok. So far, they’re not winning that battle.
Formerly known as Musical.ly, the Beijing-based platform allows users to create and share short videos. Its most popular content is based around videos of users lip-syncing or dancing. The short clips have evolved into a variety of content across the platforms, including skits, DIY projects, life-hacks, and much more. These videos are often taken and then reshared across other social media platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
TikTok was in hot water for a short time with the Trump administration, but that only increased its popularity among young people. The Biden Administration has made no moves against TikTok.
YouTube (Ages 18+, or 13 with Parent Permission)
You likely know about the video-sharing platform, which has found popularity with everyone from children to older teens. Users can create their own profiles and upload their own content, or watch others’ content and leave likes and comments.
The platform has recently been under fire by both parents and the FTC for how they track minors’ data and allow them to access content. After an investigation ended with YouTube being fined, the app is now making serious changes, including ending targeted ads on kids’ content and restricting community features like commenting.
Here are the two sketchy-yet-popular apps right now…
Doublicat / REFACE (Ages 13+)
REFACE, formerly known as Doublicat, is a new app the allows users to place their faces onto the image of someone in an existing GIF or video.
While it’s typically used to create memes on social media, many are worried about the possibility of REFACE being used for deepfake videos to promote conspiracies.
Omegle (Ages 13+)
Omegle is a free online chatting service that was first created in 2009. However, in recent months, it has spiked in popularity. The app isn’t being offered anymore but kids can still access it or through the main website. While Omegle is supposed to be for users aged 13 and older (with parental permission), just about anyone can log on to chat with strangers.
Omegle randomly selects users for one-on-one chats, and users can choose to chat via text or video. With Omegle, it’s not hard for younger users to stumble across adult conversations and content.
And now, two apps you may know that are still popular with kids…