In my work in education I've been asked multiple times to give parents information related to keeping kids safe online. The discussion ALWAYS includes questions about social media and apps. I find that parents are afraid of how much more their kids know than they do about social media.
I put together a short list of apps that parents need to know about to help keep their kids safe. No list will ever be complete or exhaustive, but these are some of the current big ones. Any app that allows strangers to connect with children and teens is a big concern. Also, any of the "hidden file" apps that allow users to hide photos, videos and other apps from parents or others are problematic when we are talking about young people.
Here's a short list of current apps (but it is not definitive):
Remember, a lot of times, as soon as parents know about an app, kids have already moved on to something new.
The best things we can do are inform them of the dangers and help to build their understanding, confidence and trust. When you have these conversations, you need to let your child know that if they make a mistake or find themselves in a troubling situation your first concern is for their well-being. Let them know that they can confide in you about things that happen without risk of repercussion or discipline. Now, you can still address their mistake in a calm manner at a later time, but first we have to handle the immediate issue of making sure they are protected and safe.
Our response should never be “Well, you shouldn’t have been doing this and you wouldn’t have ended up here.” That does not help. Not even in a sarcastic or joking tone. They have to know from the very start our main priority is protecting them.
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