What Parents Need to Know...
Popular Apps for Children
- Users can send text messages, audio messages, videos, and photos to one or many people for free.
- Although the app is for teenagers 16 and older, younger teens can put different ages to make themselves seem older.
- After signing up with the app, they automatically connect you to the people in your contacts who are also using the app. It also tells you to add friends who have not signed up with the app yet.
Skout
- A "flirting" app that allows users to sign up as teens or adults.
- After signing up, the user is placed into a peer group that is appropriate for them where they can post, comment, add pictures, and chat with the other users.
- There is no age verification so it is easy for an user to say that they or younger or older than they actually are.
MeetMe
- An app where you can chat and meet new people.
- Although the app is not considered a dating app, there is a "match" feature where users can "secretly admire" others.
- It is an open network where all users can chat with anyone that is online.
- A lot of information is required to register including zip code and asking for permission to use location services on the user's cellphone so they can find the closest matches to wherever the users are.
Whisper
- An app that allows users to post anonymous messages with an image.
- The posts on this app are often sexual talking about users trying to find people to hook up with that live nearby, and near nude photos with these sexual posts.
- Other posts on this app include users posting about insecurities, depression, substance abuse, and various lies told to employers and teachers.
- The app has a "Meet Up" section that allows users to come off of anonymous and exchange information about themselves to other users.
Secret
- An app that allows users to vent without anyone knowing who said what.
- When signing up, the app requires your email address and phone number.
- Strong language is used in many of the posts.
Omegle
- A chat website and app that puts two strangers together in a text chat or video chat room.
- There is no registration required.
- This is not for kids and teens. Many of the people on this website/app are on there to find people to sexual chat with. Many of the "strangers" are links to porn websites.
- Language on this website can be explicit. Because the chatrooms are anonymous, users do not need to worry about anyone finding out who they are.