A user can post a picture of a fellow student and overlay derogatory text anonymously, a common tactic used by cyberbullies. Problem: The anonymous nature of this app makes it ripe for cyberbullying. It does however display the area you are posting from and also allows the user to search for others posting near you. This app allows the user to overlay an image with text to express their feelings anonymously. Whisper: Whisper is just one of many anonymous confession apps that are entering the social media scene for teens. There are already several reports of women alleging they were raped after meeting a stranger on Tinder. Tinder makes it easy for your child to meet a complete stranger, possibly an adult, within walking distance. Problem: The problem with is app seems obvious. 13-17 year-olds are now represent over 7 percent of the users on Tinder. Although the app appears to be an adult only social network, Tinder is trying to entice younger people to use it. ![]() ![]() Tinder utilizes GPS location tracking to find people (strangers) near you. 450 million profiles are rated every day. Tinder: This app’s primary purpose is to facilitate hooking-up and dating. The anonymous nature of the app has made it easy for sexual predators to contact children and teens to be threatened and cyberbullied. Problem: A Kik user can create an account name that is not associated with a phone number, making authenticating a user’s identity difficult. When teens send messages to their friends, they call it “kik’ing” a friend. Kik Messenger: This instant messaging app is wildly popular among teens because it is cross platform (it can be installed on just about any device, e.g., iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, or Windows phone), and you don’t need a cell phone service to use it. Additionally, teens might be using this app to hide conversations from their parents. Images can be captured in a screen shot or by taking a picture with a second device. Snapchat is no wonder the number one sexting app. Problem: This app gives the sender the impression that they can send a “snap” without being concerned about the possible consequences of sending an inappropriate image or video. Other similar apps: Blink, Skim, and Burn Note. What makes this app special is that the sender can assign a lifespan to the message, up to 10 seconds. Snapchat: This extremely popular app allows the user to send a picture, text, or video to another Snapchat user. ![]() The following list of applications are problematic for the reasons mentioned above, and unfortunately they are also the most popular social media apps among teens. If you understand these two “problems” then you can start to identify other problematic apps when they arrive on the scene. Although social media applications will move in and out of popularity with teens, it’s important to remember that all these troubling apps have two things in common, what I call the “two central problems with social media”: 1) Children can meet and connect with strangers outside their parents knowledge and sphere of influence and 2) The anonymity of social media and the Internet allow children and adults to act with impunity and without the fear of being identified. The apps listed below are a snapshot of what is on teens’ devices at the time of this article’s creation. Unfortunately, these apps don’t just allow teens to connect with their friends they also allow them to communicate with complete strangers. Social media applications claim to be a convenient way for teens to keep in contact with their friends.
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