Young People In Your Circle of Loved Ones? Be Aware of These Apps.

(ClipsOnLine)

We are always alert to dangers in the lives of the young people that we love.

 Now, so many of them have cells, ipads, kindles, nooks, other tablets  and computer internet access.  And apps are readily available to anyone using this technology.
 
There are seven apps that you should be aware of and be concerned if you see them on your young person's technology device.  Five are reviewed by Kim Komando, America's Digital Goddess. And two additional apps are reviewed by Stacia Naquin in "3 Apps Parents Should Find Out if Their Kids Are Using"(Arizona Republic, March 18, 2015)

Basically, Komando lists 5 apps that could be dangerous for our young loved ones.

1.)  Snapchat:  This app allows users to send and receive photos that disappear in 3 seconds.  So the photos-no matter how risqué-seem safe because they disappear so quickly.  But they aren't safe because another person can take a screenshot of the photo and save it in the 3 seconds before it's deleted. So a young person who posts a photo that he/she thinks will be private and destroyed quickly may find that photo posted somewhere else by someone who has taken that screenshot and saved it.

2.)  Tinder:  No young person should be on this app.  It is a location-based dating app.  The user could come across predators, scammers, or other undesirable people.

3.)  Vine:  This app is dangerous because of peer pressure.  Komando says that the best way to be accepted here is to do something really outlandish.  Komando points to a popular post in August that encouraged users to set themselves on fire.

Komando's advice?  "Keep track of kids' social media profiles. You'll know if they're running with the wrong  Twitter or Vine crowd if you keep track of their presence on the website."

4.)  Whisper:  This is an app that is designed to promote the spreading of  rumors and secrets.  It allows postings to be anonymous, and it can be shared with everyone who is geographically close to the posting person.

Komando notes that apps with GPS tracking to bring users together can facilitate cyberbullying.  She comments that "Cyberbullying from someone next door" can be especially hurtful to the victim.

5.)   9Gag:  All types of photos and pictures can be posted  without any moderating for appropriate content.  The content could come from users that you don't want your young people to be connected to, and the content itself could be objectionable, content that you don't want your loved one to see.

Komando notes that cyberbullying occurs on 9Gag and that most "swatting" occurs on 9Gag. Swatting can mean to strike a sharp blow.  But  in internet terms, swatting can be a prank in which the user calls 911, trying to trick an armed response on someone's house.

Naquin also lists Whisper plus two more:  Yikyak and Kik.

Yikyak  functions as "a local bulletin board" for people in a geographic local.  The danger?  Naquin says "It has led to cyberbullying and teacher bashing in schools."  How bad is it?  " It has been banned by numerous colleges and has been removed from Google app store listings."

Note:  Many are offered free through other well-known app stores which could also be a problem for parents since children might be able to download them with no charge.

Finally, Kik allows information to be shared with usernames only.  So it seems safe because of anonymity.  Because of complaints about "harassment and inappropriate content, the Kik company has installed tools "to prevent child exploitation. 

It is heartening that app developers may be taking steps to prevent the dangers listed above,  but parents, grandparents, relatives and other concerned adults really need to check out the apps that their young people have been using.

(All content is taken from Komando's article, "5 Dangerous Apps You Don't Know Your Kids Are Using" in Kimkomando.com and the Naquin article cited above. )