App Guide for Parents

This is the main article for Digitz in Issue 4 of GEMS Family Magazine, due out next month. I learnt a whole lot that scared me when researching this - both as an educator and a parent!

’Appy Families: Parents’ Guide to Apps popular with today’s younger generation

The use of social media and connectivity tools has exploded in recent years and, with the rise of mobile devices and apps, we now have the opportunity to be connected anytime, anywhere. For many young people in particular, online, mobile interactions are a way of life. Being accepted in social groups has always been of huge importance to children and teens and social media has opened up a whole new set of opportunities and challenges for our children as they navigate their way through their formative years.

As parents in the digital age, it is essential that we have an open dialogue with our children when it comes to their use of social media and this is only possible if we are aware of the apps they are using.  Here we look at some of the social networking apps that are popular with today’s young generation, providing an overview of what they are used for and the risks associated with each. Previous Digitz articles have dealt with safe and responsible use of the Internet, in the ‘Digital Footprint’ and “Cyberbullying’ pieces, so here we will focus on more specific aspects of each of the apps listed.

Some of the apps described here have real benefits for children’s learning and personal development and we should be encouraging their use and guiding our young users to become accomplished Digital Citizens. There are some apps, however, which bring only danger and risk to our children’s online lives and should never be seen on their devices. This guide is not intended to scare, merely to inform and promote dialogue within our communities, empowering parents and families to better manage their online lives.

Facebook What is it used for? Although much has been made recently of young people ditching Facebook in favour of more trendy alternatives, it remains popular with the 13-18 age bracket (and even younger children, even though users must legally be 13). The app that most of us know well, Facebook is used to share status updates, images and multimedia with friends, as well as for ‘on-the-go gaming’ and membership of special interest groups and ‘liked’ pages. What are the risks? The default privacy settings in Facebook are anything but private and parents should ensure that their children’s settings are amended to the highest levels of security.

Twitter What is it used for? Another well-known app, Twitter allows users to update statuses and share links/media in no more than 140 characters. It is popular with teenagers who wish to follow the lives of celebrities.  It should be noted that many teachers consider Twitter to be their most effective source of professional development and an increasing number are using it effectively to enhance their students’ learning. Hashtags (#) allow users to create and follow specific feeds that are of interest to them. What are the risks? Twitter accounts can be set up largely anonymously, using pseudonyms, and there have been countless, well-publicised examples of rapid-fire and targeted abuse.

Instagram What is it used for? Acquired by Facebook in 2012, Instagram is a quick and easy way to share photos and short videos. It is widely used by celebrities, which has, in turn, led to more and more teenagers setting up accounts. What are the risks? In addition to users potentially being exposed to inappropriate images, the recently added ‘geo-tagging’ option means that the location of the user can be easily identified.

Messaging Apps What are they used for? In-built apps such as text messaging, iMessage, Android Messenger and BBM, provide quick and easy ways to send messages and photos to friends and groups. What are the risks? These apps are very popular with young people and are often preferred to phone calls. The private nature of such messages can cause problems if students are not aware of appropriate use. It is also very easy to get drawn into lengthy ‘conversations’, which can distract users from other, perhaps more worthwhile tasks or pursuits!

Whats’App What is it used for? Very popular with smartphone users wishing to send free messages, photos and videos to friends and groups on any mobile device, over 3/4G or wifi. A great money saver! What are the risks? Conversations can be deleted easily and are harder to track/investigate than traditional text messaging, should anything go wrong. As always, digital citizenship education is the best defence in ensuring that our children know what is and is not appropriate.

LinkedIn What is it used for? LinkedIn is widely used by adults for professional networking and it is an invaluable tool across almost every profession and industry. It has recently been opened up to teenagers, with a promotion to encourage secondary school students to start building professional networks long before they start their careers. What are the risks? The nature of this network means that only serious users are likely to sign up for the service. Nevertheless, private messaging exists and users should be careful when setting up their public profile. Premium users can view others anonymously and it is likely that minors will be interacting with adults they have not met in person – we must always be cautious in such circumstances. Also, students should always discuss their connections and interactions with a trusted adult, such as a teacher, careers advisor or parent, and only agree to meet contacts in the presence of such a person.

Facetime/Skype/Hangouts What is it used for? Fantastic and free, enhanced, live video chat apps that can connect one-to-one or one-to-many. Used appropriately, these tools are invaluable in connecting families, friends and learners around the world. What are the risks? The introduction of video chat to the pockets of anyone with a smartphone was pure science fiction until not so long ago. As such, young people are just getting to grips with the increased risks that live video brings. Most notably, inappropriate behaviour can be easily recorded by the person(s) at the other end of the chat, and posted on other sites. The need to teach our children about appropriate use and self-respect online has never been greater.

Google+ What is it used for? Google+ is a highly effective social network that integrates nicely with Google’s huge range of learning and productivity tools. What are the risks? Privacy settings are not intuitive and many users take time and make mistakes in getting to grips with the ‘Circles’ method of sharing their updates and other information. Google+ is primarily used for learning and networking. Accordingly, it is not the most likely place for children to get into hot water online – but we should never be complacent.

Snapchat What is it used for? Snapchat is a messaging app which allows users to send images and videos and set a time limit (between 1 and 10 seconds) on how long they are visible to recipients. What are the risks? The time limit can lull users into a false sense of security, believing that the content they send cannot be saved or shared by recipients. This is dangerous, as it may encourage users to send inappropriate content and images of themselves and also because it is actually very easy to save and share ‘Snaps’. Initially, recipients who were quick on the button, could screenshot images, saving them instantly. More recently, third party apps have been created that allow any ‘Snap’ to be saved and potentially shared.  The Golden Rule applies as always: what we post online is there, somewhere, forever.

Line What is it used for? Line is a sophisticated, multi-media messaging app. It is very attractive to teens due to its high quality and range of functions, such as text, video and audio chat and all round social interactivity. The app attempts to bring the best of all other communication apps together in one place. What are the risks? Although the basic app is free, there is potential for escalating costs due to in-app purchases for enhanced functionality, such as characters, gaming and stickers to send to friends. The wide range of communication options and connectivity with other social media platforms is impressive, but could go either way if the user is not well-informed as to the risks of online connectivity. In short, Line contains pretty much all of the benefits – and risks – of social media, all in one place. Use it wisely!

Tumblr What is it used for? Tumblr is a ‘micro-blogging’ and social networking site/app, through which users can share multi-media and follow each other’s blogs. Popular with celebrities – and therefore teenagers! Updates can be linked to Facebook and Twitter. What are the risks? Inappropriate content may appear without warning and users should be careful when choosing who to follow. There is a worrying amount of indecent content on Tumblr, including embedded videos and links to 3rd party sites, for which unscrupulous members earn money every time another user clicks through to those sites. All in all, the site is best avoided.

Vine What is it used for? Owned by Twitter, Vine is a video sharing service, through which users can publish looping videos of up to 6 seconds and share or ‘reVine’ videos that others have posted. The Vines can also be shared easily on Twitter and Facebook and are often really very amusing and entertaining! What are the risks? Inappropriate content can slip through the net, despite being banned in the Terms of Use. In January 2015, an iOS (Apple) version was launched specifically for minors, called ‘Vine Kids’ and it remains to be seen how this works out.

AskFM What is it used for? AskFM is a social network on which users can ask questions and answer questions posted by others. The site is very popular with teenagers. What are the risks? Posts and replies can be made anonymously and, although the provider says that discussions are monitored for inappropriate content, threads are not taken down. Indeed, it is precisely the risqué nature of the content that attracts many teens.There has been significant publicity in the media over cyberbullying on the site, which has, allegedly, contributed to teen suicides.  It is strongly recommended that use of this site be discouraged in our communities and that parents speak to their children if they suspect they are signed up.

Yik Yak What is it used for? Yik Yak is an anonymous social network that allows users to connect within a 10 mile (16Km) radius. This aims to make posts more relevant for users within their own geographical vicinities. What are the risks? The geographical proximity of users may encourage dangerous ‘meet ups’ and, although the app can be blocked within the perimeter of school campuses, this does not prevent its use when students are not at school. As users do not have to sign up and posts are anonymous, there have been many cases of malicious posts and concerted bullying of others. Yik Yak has a 17+ rating and is not recommended for school age students.

Kik What is it used for? Kik is a mobile messaging service gaining popularity with teenagers, who do not need a phone number to sign up. Text, photos and links can be shared over a wifi connection. Kik received positive publicity recently among teens and pre-teens, due to a marketing campaign involving the boy-band, One Direction. What are the risks? Although users must legally be 13 years old and under 18s are required to have parental permission to sign up, this is easily circumvented. It has been heavily criticised for poor security and the presence of adult predators trawling the site for under age users. Another app our children should not be using.

Whisper What is it used for? Whisper is an anonymous ‘confession’ app that allows users to post ‘whispers’ to make personal disclosures about their lives, often in the hope that they will find others who may be experiencing similar difficulties. What are the risks? As the reader can surely imagine, there is a lot of inappropriate content in this app. The geo-tagging feature allows the user’s location to be made public and the app is known to be popular with predators. Whispers can be fake and also be made public, leading to unintended sharing. Our students should not be using this app.

Secret What is it used for? A social media app that allows users to share posts with circles of friends or publicly. Posts can be anonymous and the app is often used to vent frustrations and grievances. What are the risks? Although the provider has tightened up on automatic monitoring, picking up on names of other users being defamed and the use of profanities (sending a warning in such cases), users are still likely to encounter inappropriate language. Not recommended.

After School What is it used for? Aimed at High School students, After School is a social media app allowing anonymous posts on any subject. What are the risks? The app allows anonymous posts and has been seriously abused since its launch. At the time of writing, the app had been pulled from the App Store for violating Apple’s ‘personal attacks’ and ‘objectionable content’ regulations. This alone should be enough to recommend that our students do not use the app. Also, history shows that developers are quick to make minor alterations to their apps, which usually result in their rapid reappearance. Accordingly, it is quite possible that After School will still be around in the future.

Omegle What is it used for? Omegle is an anonymous chat room app, where users are paired up and can ‘chat’ about anything they like. What are the risks? Simply not a place for our children or teens to be online, Omegle is filled with predators, inappropriate content, offensive language and links to other sites we really would not want our children visiting.

Chat Roulette What is it used for? Similar to Omegle, this app pairs users for anonymous chat, allowing a webcam link while they chat. What are the risks? Just the name implies this is not an app we would want our students using. There have been cases of adult predators setting up fake webcams to pretend they are of school age. It has been referred to as a ‘predator’s paradise.’

Tinder What is it used for? Tinder is a ‘dating’ or ‘matchmaking’ app, through which users post their photos and profiles and rate others by swiping ‘yes’ or ‘no’, based on appearance. Users who like each other within a given geographical radius are ‘matched’ and given the opportunity to chat. What are the risks? Tinder is a very dangerous app and should not be used by our students under any circumstances. Not only is there a real risk of dangerous chats and even ‘meet ups’, the potential psychological damage to impressionable teens being ‘rated’ on their appearance is clearly a serious concern.

Poof / Springtomize What is it used for? These 3rd party, unauthorized apps are designed to hide other apps from the home screen of mobile devices. What are the risks? In short, if a mobile device has these apps installed, then the user is trying to hide one or more apps, which means they probably already know they shouldn’t be using those apps in the first place.  If parents see these apps on their children’s devices, they should talk to them about their online practices and find out why they are hiding some apps. There may be a legitimate reason – some users like to hide pre-installed apps they do not want – but it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are also security risks inherent in downloading such unauthorised apps.

Footnote: this is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all the apps that our children may be using.  As many as 100,000 new apps are added to the various app stores every month and it would therefore be impossible to produce a comprehensive, up to date guide. As always, the best way we, as parents, can protect our children, is to create and maintain a family dialogue, within a culture of openness, trust and accountability.