LIST: Here are the smartphone apps every parent should keep an eye on

In today’s digital age, kids and teens are spending more time on their phones, connecting with others, and exploring new platforms.

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But not all apps are created equal, and some come with more risks than others. As a parent, it’s important to be aware of which apps your kids are using and the potential dangers that come with them.

Here’s a breakdown of some popular apps that parents should know about, categorized based on their features and risks.

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Messaging & Social Apps: Connecting With Friends (and Strangers)

Many kids and teens use apps to stay connected with friends, but these platforms can also open the door to unexpected interactions—sometimes with strangers.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular messaging and social apps:

1. Snapchat
   1. Risk: Snap Map can share your child’s location, and while photos disappear, screenshots can still be taken, potentially leading to misuse of shared content.
2. Discord
   1. Risk: Unmoderated chat rooms and voice channels make it easy for kids to be exposed to inappropriate content or predators.
3. Kik Messenger
   1. Risk: Allows users to contact anyone directly, and it doesn’t track phone numbers, opening the door for strangers to reach out to your child.
4. WhatsApp
   1. Risk: While it’s great for messaging, WhatsApp can track your child’s location and make it easier for strangers to connect, particularly if privacy settings aren’t adjusted.
5. MeetMe
   1. Risk: Encourages in-person meetings based on geographic proximity, which can lead to dangerous situations if your child meets someone they met online.
6. Hoop
   1. Risk: Allows kids as young as 12 to make connections with strangers, similar to Tinder, putting them at risk of meeting inappropriate individuals.
7. Whisper
   1. Risk: Anonymously shares secrets, but also reveals user locations, which could result in unsafe in-person encounters with strangers.
8. Yubo
   1. Risk: Aimed at teens for flirting and socializing, but frequented by sexual predators, making it risky for young users.
9. Badoo
   1. Risk: While it’s intended for adults, teens can falsify their ages and create profiles, gaining access to content meant for older users.
10. ASK.fm
    1. Risk: Promotes anonymous question-asking, which can encourage cyberbullying or harassment, leading to mental health concerns for your child.
11. Skout
    1. Risk: Although it prevents kids under 17 from sharing photos, they can easily bypass this by lying about their age, exposing them to adult content.
12. YikYak
    1. Risk: Its anonymous chatting can breed bullying, and cyber harassment, and even promote harmful behaviors like sexual assault or violence.

Video & Live Streaming Apps

In addition to text and messaging apps, kids are also using live-streaming apps to share videos and connect with others. While these apps are fun, they can also expose kids to inappropriate or harmful content.

1. LiveMe
   1. Risk: Shows the broadcaster’s exact location, making it easy for predators to find and target kids during their live streams.
2. Monkey
   1. Risk: Encourages kids and teens to connect with strangers and even record themselves live, which can lead to exposure to inappropriate content.
3. Omegle
   1. Risk: Users chat anonymously with strangers, which could expose children to harmful behavior, including pornography and other explicit material.

Gaming & Virtual Worlds

Gaming apps are another popular way for kids to interact with others. But while they’re designed for fun, some gaming apps also come with social features that could expose children to harmful content.

1. Roblox
   1. Risk: While a gaming platform, Roblox has a chat function that can expose kids to predators, making it important to monitor their interactions.
2. Discord (Again)
   1. Risk: Popular for gaming, but its open chat spaces can lead to exposure to inappropriate content and unmonitored interactions with strangers.

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Secret & Hidden Apps

Some apps are designed specifically for hiding content or keeping things secret. These apps can be used to store photos, videos, and messages away from prying eyes, which can be concerning if your child is using them.

1. Calculator%
   1. Risk: It may look like an innocent calculator app, but it’s actually a hidden vault where kids can store photos, videos, and history that they don’t want parents to see.

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Storytelling & Media Apps

Some apps allow users to create or view stories, which can be fun, but some of these stories can be inappropriate for young audiences.

1. Yarn
   1. Risk: Tells stories via fake text messages, some of which can be sexually explicit or inappropriate for younger audiences.
2. Tumblr
   1. Risk: While it’s a blogging platform, Tumblr hosts a lot of explicit content such as drug use, offensive language, and pornography, which can be easily found by young users.

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Stay Involved

Regularly check in on their online activity, and most importantly, keep the lines of communication open so they feel comfortable coming to you if something goes wrong. By staying informed, you can help ensure that your child has a safe and positive online experience.