There are around 3.3 million apps available on the internet today, and keeping up with the latest apps your child wants to download can be difficult for even the most tech-savvy parents. Trends shift, social media platforms evolve, and new viral apps can emerge in a few days. It can be tough to determine which apps harm your child’s well-being.
To assist you, we’ve developed a list of the 5 kinds of most harmful applications for kids available today. Some you’re undoubtedly familiar with, but a couple may surprise you!
1. Social media
YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram are the most popular social media apps among today’s youth. Here’s why some parents are concerned:
- Because YouTube videos are not reviewed before they are published, children can easily find unsuitable content.
- Snapchat content gets removed after 24 hours. Some children (and predators) exploit this by exchanging graphic images or videos.
- TikTok has lax content controls; thus, children may come upon offensive or sexual content.
- According to research, Instagram use worsens young females’ body image and mental health difficulties.
- Social media platforms also facilitate cyberbullying from both peers and online strangers.
2. Live-streaming and video chat apps
Unsupervised, live-streaming apps and video chats pose numerous risks to children because the films are live and unmonitored; anyone can say (or show) whatever they want.
Kids can use live streams to view stuff they are restricted to elsewhere (like video game footage or explicit music).
Many two-way video chat software randomly connects strangers, a practice known as “chat roulette.” Some “chat roulette” apps are intended for dating or have sexual connotations.
Live. Me is especially alarming because it shows viewers the broadcaster’s exact location and allows users to pay others for images.
3. Chat apps
Parents should be concerned about some of the capabilities available in chat applications, such as anonymous messaging, connecting with strangers, and self-destructing photographs, videos, and conversations. Certain aspects of the applications allow your child to hide crucial information from you, which could lead to problems such as cyberbullying and sexting.
Parents should be aware of different apps since kids who make online mistakes may be too embarrassed to discuss the matter with their parents. Here are a few examples:
- Kik
- Viber
- Telegram
- Caffeine
- Clubhouse
4. Online Games with built-in chatting
While online gaming can provide valuable social connections, it has a negative impact. There are numerous issues with playing video games online, particularly for youngsters, ranging from cyberbullying to online predators to hidden charges. The most important thing a parent can do is start a conversation about safe online usage with their children when they are young and expand on it as they grow older. Children are more likely to come to you with red flags, alarms, or smaller things that bother them when they understand the hazards and the need for security. Here are a few examples:
- Zepeto
- Among Us
- PUBG
- Suspects: Mystery Mansion
5. Dating Apps
Users can lie about their age and establish profiles freely on dating apps because there is no birthday verification method. It is why dating apps are an ideal hunting ground for online predators. The truth is that your child’s pal or virtual mate could be someone suffering from a sexually connected mental disease. Such people understand how to spot children among other users, get their attention, and persuade them to meet up. Furthermore, there are known incidents when predators force their victims to reveal intimate content and then use that content to influence young people by threatening them to disseminate it online.
- Tinder
- Grindr
- Plenty of Fish
- Hily
- Match
- Zoosk
- Mocospace
- MeetMe
- Bumble
These are a few examples of dating apps your kids could be using.
Conclusion:
You can consider using an app to lock such apps on your device.
Applock is one of the top-rated apps that you must try to keep your kids from seeing what they shouldn’t.
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