BE AWARE PARENTS! Below is an article from AWANA clubs about potentially dangerous apps your kids could use.
Today a list of troublesome apps. Many of them are similar in that they allow children/teens to anonymously connect with strangers, but at the same time disclose the child/teen’s location. Some of these apps are good when adults use them correctly, but others seem to be set up to be purposely misused.
Thanks to Carol Anderson, IS Training Specialist here at Awana, for helping me with this post.
(By the way – here’s a good verse to teach your kids: So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 God tells us to flee (not just meander away) youthful passions. Yet so many kids/teens are passionate about their screen time … and passionate for the wrong reasons.)
1. Yik Yak – This originated as an app for college students to spread news about upcoming parties and events. However because the registration requires no personal information (and all posts are anonymous), younger teens/children have been getting on the site and using it to make mean and cruel comments with the intention of hurting others.
2. Omegle – this is another Facebook app that connects people with similar interests. If you’ve got two adults connecting because of quilting or birdwatching – that’s one thing. However, a stranger (because again, its anonymous) can pretend to have the same interest as your child. This site is a high risk for sexual predators.
3. Voxer – this is an app that can be wisely used by adults in business situations. The app enables you to exchange short voice messages with another person or several persons. When used correctly, this is great. However, again the younger generation has plugged into it and uses it to hurl taunts and mean comments about other kids. Something about having comments being heard audibly and being played over and over can be devastating.
4. Poke – Like Snapchat, Poke promises that the message/photo will disappear within seconds. However, like Snapchat, computer savvy kids know how to get around that. Plus you can always take a photo of the photo and have it forever.
5. Whisper – Whisper invites you to “whisper” your secrets, except they’re out there for the whole world to see. Also you have to register your location so you can quickly find other users within a short distance of where you are. At least one rape (of a 12-year-old) had been reported – a direct result of someone finding her because of this app.
6. Kik – this is an app that allows kids to message privately (in other words, parents can’t see the messages.) They are also anonymous to such an extent that it’s difficult to verify the person sending the message. Therefore, it’s easy for adults to text kids.
7. Backchat – this app allows someone to send a message without you knowing who it is. That means someone can be cruel to someone else and never release his/her identity. A lot of feelings have been hurt.
8. Hot or Not – Kids post pictures of themselves and then others vote on whether or not the picture is Hot or Not. Unfortunately, kids who use sites such as this have low self-esteem in the first place and being voted “not hot,” adds to the misery.
9. Down – This app connects with Facebook. Teens can divide their Facebook friends into friends they like and friends they don’t want to hang with. (This app has scary sexual overtones.)
10. Jail breaking and Icon Hiding Apps – These apps show kids step-by-step how to hack into their own phones so they can hide apps they don’t want their parents to know about. Be informed!
Again, a culture watch to help you be an informed leader or parents.
