March 9, -- For even the most tech-savvy of parents, keeping up with all of the latest apps your child wants to download can be a real struggle. Our Family Engagement team and our tech-safety partners at Bark recently shared a list of twelve most widely-used and most dangerous apps for young people to have on their phones. They all have different features with varying levels of inappropriateness. In addition to providing a space to send nudes, Snapchat also presents other dangers for teens.
Instagram has also added disappearing messages and photos. Discord is a huge place for teens to hang out and talk about gaming. So, why is Discord so dangerous? Because it can expose kids to all sorts of inappropriate content, from hate speech and porn to bullying and online predators.
One of the most dangerous messaging apps for kids of the past decade has recently made a resurgence. Yik Yak is an anonymous chatting app that lets users within a five-mile radius read publicly posted messages. When we say anonymous, we really mean it: Yik Yak has no user names, no handles, no real names, and no photos - so imagine how wild things can get in an environment with no accountability. Yik Yak is also a breeding ground for bullying, especially when it becomes popular on school campuses.
Among Us is an animated whodunnit mystery video game played on phones and tablets. The game features a text chatroom for use during the emergency meetings to discuss who might be the imposter.
Profanity and violent language can be common. Also, many players move to Discord or Zoom to talk while playing - opening the door to conversations with adult strangers. Twitter is usually considered an app for breaking news, celebrities, and stand-up comedians. Omegle is an anonymous video chatting platform that pairs you with a complete stranger somewhere in the world.
