Is Your Child Texting After Bedtime? Top Messaging Apps Kids Use and How to Protect Them

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Continued From Part IV:

Check it out HERE.

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Messaging Apps Vs. Texting:

Teens prefer messaging apps over traditional texting for several reasons:

– **Extra features:** Messaging apps offer filters, games, and more expressive emojis.
– **Group communication:** Friend groups can conveniently chat in one place.
– **Privacy:** Messaging apps provide additional privacy compared to phone carriers.
– **Parental supervision bypass:** Teens can communicate without parental oversight.

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Most Popular Messaging Apps: 

• iMessage
• Telegram
• Snapchat
• Instagram
• GroupMe
• WhatsApp

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A Quick Note On Discord:

The app used by many young children and teens.

– Real-time communication apps: These are challenging to monitor and control.
– Parental controls: Discord lacks them, leaving no way for parents to restrict content.
– Privacy settings: The app doesn’t allow password protection for privacy settings.
– Trust and Safety Team: Prior to 2017, Discord had no such team. It was created after the Charlottesville protests and now constitutes over 15% of their staff.
– Sexual exploitation: The National Center on Sexual Exploitation included Discord in its 2023 Dirty Dozen list as a major contributor to the sexual exploitation of children.

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Omegle And Chatroulette: Explicit Content and Nudity:

Omegle was an anonymous chat platform where users could connect with random strangers. This platform allowed users to connect with random strangers via video chat. Their marketing often emphasized meeting new friends. However, it faced safety concerns and was eventually shut down.

Both Omegle and Chatroulette have a reputation for hosting explicit content. Users may encounter inappropriate or sexual material unexpectedly.

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Risks With Engaging With Strangers Online: 

Cyber Flashing: Some users engage in “cyber flashing,” sending unsolicited explicit images. This behavior can be distressing and harmful.

Graphic Language and Bullying: Online anonymity can lead to offensive language, cyberbullying, and harassment. Users should report such incidents and avoid engaging with harmful individuals.

Identity Theft and IP Vulnerability: Sharing personal information or allowing access to your IP address can be risky. Protect your identity and privacy by limiting what you reveal online.

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Omegle: Children Expose Themselves On Video Chat: 

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Cited Works:

This post is an adapted version of the workshop that I attended.
It’s 9pm..Do you know what apps your teens are using?
Online Parent University “Keeping Teens Safe in a Digital World” on 9/27/23 Wednesday, 6pm-7pm.

In this meeting, we learnt about the safety concerns of popular apps among teens, unsafe default settings/parental controls, cyberbullying, and ways to teach teens to stay safe as they navigate the digital world.

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Truth About Technology

Going out for dinner, calling your mom or going to a party used to be about talking to people, about conversation. But during the last ten years something has shifted. Instead of talking about the food, we post a picture of it online; instead of calling our mother, we send her an email updating her on our lives; and at the party we’re busy showing other people YouTube clips and messaging with friends at a bar instead of talking to other people there. In short, face-to-face conversation is nowhere to be found.

~ Reclaiming Conversation by Sherry Turkle