The majority of us have habits that don’t serve us either mentally or physically…
Some people smoke.
Others might drink more than the recommended amount.
Overeating.
Not enough sleep.
Too much endless scrolling on social media.
Addiction to Netflix.
And then, there’s the 15 apps…
If you’re a parent, and have kids actively using a Smartphone or tablet, this should be a very important read for you.
I’m sharing this, because in my view, they’re not the healthiest of apps to use, but the reality is, most kids will be using one or more of these apps. So, I think it’s essential that you know what these apps do, and the risks involved.
Below the 15 Apps, I’ve also included a guide on how to control which apps are installed on your kids’ devices.
MEETME – A dating social media app.
GRINDR – A dating app geared towards gay, bi and transgender people.
SKOUT – Location based dating app and website.
WHATSAPP – Popular messaging app.
TIKTOK – Popular with kids for creating and sharing short videos.
BADOO – Dating and social networking app.
BUMBLE – Similar to the TINDER app, but it requires women to make the first contact.
SNAPCHAT – App for sharing photo and video content, that’ll disappear within 24 hours.
KIK – Allows anyone to contact and direct message your child. KIK gives users unlimited access to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
LIVE.ME – Live streaming video app that uses geolocation to share videos, which allows anyone to find out a broadcasters location.
HOLLA – Video chat app, which allows users to meet people all over the world in seconds.
WHISPER – Anonymous social networking app that promotes sharing secrets with strangers.
ASK.FM – This app is known for cyberbullying, as it encourages users to allow anonymous people to ask them questions.
CALCULATOR% – A secret app used to hide photos, videos, files and browser history.
HOT OR NOT – Encourages people to rate your profile. The goal of this app is to hook up.
How to control the apps on each device…
1) Configure your child’s device to always ask for a password (a password that only you know) when installing free and paid apps. This way, you can be in control on which apps get installed.
2) Many of the 15 apps listed above, are all about connecting with others. So I think it’s important to educate your child about the dark side of connecting in the online world.
Because when a person makes contact and wanting to be a friend with your child through one of these apps, and claims to be Mark who is 10 years old, this doesn’t make it so. As it could actually be John, who is 38 years old, and has other motives in building up a friendship.
So the key here is to make sure that your kids only hook up online with whom they know in real life.
3) Kids won’t appreciate being monitored 24/7 with their online activity. But I think that knowing which apps your kids are using, and having an understanding of what each app does, will give you peace of mind, and the knowledge to educate your kids with the potential risks.
