Counseling Website Links:
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A lot of kids are using social media and technology.
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Here are some resources to better understand the technology-based world your kids might be tapping into, and how to parent them through it:
Articles: (click on the article links below)
Apps to help you monitor your children's online activity:
Bark
Limitly
Trackidz
Do You Know What Apps Your Kids Are Using? 2017 article about newer apps that kids are using and how to manage this.
How do I keep up with the latest social apps and sites teens are using?
15 Apps and Websites Kids Are Heading to After Facebook: Social media apps that let teens do it all -- text, chat, meet people, and share their pics and videos -- often fly under parents' radars.
How can I make sure my kid isn't sharing too much on Facebook or Instagram?: Find out ways to keep tabs on your child's digital activity
Snapchat and 6 Other Messaging Apps That Let Teens Share (Iffy) Secrets: Capturing and posting casual moments might lead to oversharing and other consequences.
A Parent's Ultimate Guide to YouTube: How to enjoy YouTube with your kids without feeling overwhelmed and confused.
The Most Disturbing YouTube Videos (and What to Do About Them): It's easy to dismiss violent clips of people fighting, but it's important to talk to kids about why they're popular and help them make positive viewing choices.
Be a Role Model: Find a Healthy Balance with Media and Technology: Young kids learn how to use technology by watching their parents, so model healthy habits early by balancing media time with real time.
Tips About Texting: Brochure that outlines some good tips for parents to keep in mind about texting on cell phones.
A Survival Guide to Teens' Digital Lingo: Do you know what PIR or POS means? Take a crash course in decoding text shorthand to better understand what your kids are communicating with peers.
Sneaky Camera Apps Teachers [and Parents] Should Know About: You might already know about SnapChat or Instagram, but there's more. Learn what to look for to make sure you know what your kids are up to.
Electronics Changes How We Talk: Brochure outlining the influence electronics has on the way we communicate with others.
Articles: (click on the article links below)
Apps to help you monitor your children's online activity:
Bark
Limitly
Trackidz
Do You Know What Apps Your Kids Are Using? 2017 article about newer apps that kids are using and how to manage this.
How do I keep up with the latest social apps and sites teens are using?
15 Apps and Websites Kids Are Heading to After Facebook: Social media apps that let teens do it all -- text, chat, meet people, and share their pics and videos -- often fly under parents' radars.
How can I make sure my kid isn't sharing too much on Facebook or Instagram?: Find out ways to keep tabs on your child's digital activity
Snapchat and 6 Other Messaging Apps That Let Teens Share (Iffy) Secrets: Capturing and posting casual moments might lead to oversharing and other consequences.
A Parent's Ultimate Guide to YouTube: How to enjoy YouTube with your kids without feeling overwhelmed and confused.
The Most Disturbing YouTube Videos (and What to Do About Them): It's easy to dismiss violent clips of people fighting, but it's important to talk to kids about why they're popular and help them make positive viewing choices.
Be a Role Model: Find a Healthy Balance with Media and Technology: Young kids learn how to use technology by watching their parents, so model healthy habits early by balancing media time with real time.
Tips About Texting: Brochure that outlines some good tips for parents to keep in mind about texting on cell phones.
A Survival Guide to Teens' Digital Lingo: Do you know what PIR or POS means? Take a crash course in decoding text shorthand to better understand what your kids are communicating with peers.
Sneaky Camera Apps Teachers [and Parents] Should Know About: You might already know about SnapChat or Instagram, but there's more. Learn what to look for to make sure you know what your kids are up to.
Electronics Changes How We Talk: Brochure outlining the influence electronics has on the way we communicate with others.
keep_your_kids_safe_online.docx | |
File Size: | 105 kb |
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Links: Great websites and lists we found that are chock-full of resources about technology, internet, and social media
Common Sense Media: A great website full of advice, tips, information, and resources for internet safety (much of our tech advice came from here) Guide to Online Bullying Prevention and Intervention Resources: This guide can be found on the BPS Family Resources Webpage List of Dangerous Apps for Tweens and Teens: List of apps parents should know about before setting their kids loose on their electronic devices. |
Click on the app title for a description:Texting apps: Kik Messenger Facebook Messenger ooVoo GroupMe YO Video Messaging apps: Marco Polo Houseparty FireChat Micro-blogging apps and sites: Tumblr Vine Ask.fm Musical.ly Video streaming apps: Skype YouNow Facebook Live Periscope Live.ly Self-Destructing/Anonymous apps: Burn Note Snapchat Whisper Yik Yak After School Sarahah SayAt.Me Monkey Chatting, Meeting, Dating apps and sites: MeetMe Omegle Skout Tinder Yellow SnapMap |
Do these app icons look familiar? Learn to recognize apps your kids are using at a glance. In order to help them navigate safely, you'll need to know what apps they're using. |
Source: Common Sense Media 3/1/2016
TEXTING APPS
Kik Messenger is an app that lets kids text for free. It's fast and has no message limits, character limits, or fees if you only use the basic features. Because it's an app, the texts won't show up on your kid's phone's messaging service, and you're not charged for them (beyond standard data rates).
What parents need to know
WhatsApp lets users send text messages, audio messages, videos, and photos to one or many people with no message limits or fees.
What parents need to know
GroupMe is another app that doesn't charge fees or have limits for direct and group messages. Users can also send photos, videos, and calendar links.
What parents need to know
Some lesser known/less popular texting apps are ooVoo and Yo:
ooVoo is a video chat and messaging app, and is available for iPhone/iPod/iPads and Androids. You can also use OoVoo on a computer (PC or MAC). With OoVoo you can video chat with up to 12 people at a time; you can see four people at once on screen during these video chats.
YO is a simple messaging or Push Notification App. It is a social application for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
Facebook Messenger: If you have a Facebook account, you have the ability to use the messenger feature and even download a separate app for ease of use. It is connected with Facebook, but functions like a regular texting app with some additional features.
MICRO-BLOGGING AND PERFORMANCE APPS AND SITES
Instagram lets users snap, edit, and share photos and 15-second videos, either publicly or with a private network of followers. It unites the most popular features of social media sites: sharing, seeing, and commenting on photos. It also lets you apply fun filters and effects to your photos, making them look high-quality and artistic.
What parents need to know
Tumblr is like a cross between a blog and Twitter: It's a streaming scrapbook of text, photos, and/or videos and audio clips. Users create and follow short blogs, or "tumblogs," that can be seen by anyone online (if made public). Many teens have tumblogs for personal use: sharing photos, videos, musings, and things they find funny with their friends.
What parents need to know
Twitter is a microblogging tool that allows users to post brief, 140-character messages -- called "tweets" -- and follow other users' activities. It's not only for adults; teens like using it to share tidbits and keep up with news and celebrities.
What parents need to know
Musical.ly – Your Music Video Community is a performance and video sharing social network that mostly features teens lip syncing and to famous songs but also includes some original songwriting and singing. Musers, as devoted users are called, can build up a following among friends or share posts publicly.
What parents need to know
LIVE-STREAMING VIDEO APPS
YouNow: is an app that lets kids stream and watch live broadcasts. As they watch, they can comment or buy gold bars to give to other users. Ultimately, the goal is to get lots of viewers, start trending, and grow your fan base. Note that there are other apps like this that are less popular with teens such as Periscope, but Facebook has just included live-streaming as a feature, so expect to see more and more personal broadcasting.
What parents need to know
Live.ly – Live Video Streaming poses all of the same risks that all live streaming services do, so poor choices, oversharing, and chatting with strangers are all a part of the package.
What parents need to know
Periscope - Video streaming. Social networking service. Website. www.periscope.tv. Periscope is a live video streaming app for iOS and Android developed by Kayvon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein and acquired by Twitter before launch in 2015.
SELF-DESTRUCTING/SECRET APPS
Burn Note is a messaging app that erases messages after a set period of time. Unlike many other apps of this sort, it limits itself to text messages; users cannot send pictures or video. That may reduce issues such as sexting -- but words can hurt, too.
What parents need to know
Snapchat is a messaging app that lets users put a time limit on the pictures and videos they send before they disappear. Most teens use the app to share goofy or embarrassing photos without the risk of them going public. However, there are lots of opportunities to use it in other ways.
What parents need to know
Whisper is a social "confessional" app that allows users to post whatever's on their minds, paired with an image. With all the emotions running through teens, anonymous outlets give them the freedom to share their feelings without fear of judgment.
What parents need to know
Yik Yak is a free social-networking app that lets users post brief, Twitter-like comments to the 500 geographically nearest Yik Yak users. Kids can find out opinions, secrets, rumors, and more. Plus, they'll get the bonus thrill of knowing all these have come from a 1.5-mile radius (maybe even from the kids at the desks in front of them!).
What parents need to know
CHATTING, MEETING, DATING APPS AND SITES
MeetMe: Chat and Meet New People -- the name says it all. Although not marketed as a dating app,MeetMe does have a "Match" feature whereby users can "secretly admire" others, and its large user base means fast-paced communication and guaranteed attention.
What parents need to know
Omegle is a chat site that puts two strangers together in their choice of a text chat or a video chat room. Being anonymous can be very attractive to teens, and Omegle provides a no-fuss opportunity to make connections. Its "interest boxes" also let users filter potential chat partners by shared interests.
What parents need to know
Tinder is a photo and messaging dating app for browsing pictures of potential matches within a certain-mile radius of the user's location. It's very popular with 20-somethings as a way to meet new people for casual or long-term relationships.
What parents need to know
The bottom line for most of these tools? If kids are using them respectfully, appropriately, and with a little parental guidance, they should be fine. Take inventory of your kids' apps and review the best practices.
TEXTING APPS
Kik Messenger is an app that lets kids text for free. It's fast and has no message limits, character limits, or fees if you only use the basic features. Because it's an app, the texts won't show up on your kid's phone's messaging service, and you're not charged for them (beyond standard data rates).
What parents need to know
- Stranger danger is an issue. Kik allows communication with strangers who share their Kik usernames to find people to chat with. The app allegedly has been used in high-profile crimes where perpetrators targeted young teens. There's also a Kik community blog where users can submit photos of themselves and screenshots of messages (sometimes displaying users' full names) to contests.
- It's loaded with ads and in-app-purchases. Kik specializes in "promoted chats" -- basically, conversations between brands and users. It also offers specially designed apps (accessible only through the main app), many of which offer products for sale.
WhatsApp lets users send text messages, audio messages, videos, and photos to one or many people with no message limits or fees.
What parents need to know
- It's for users 16 and over. Lots of younger teens seem to be using the app, but this age minimum has been set by WhatsApp.
- It can be pushy. After you sign up, it automatically connects you to all the people in your address book who also are using WhatsApp. It also encourages you to add friends who haven't signed up yet.
GroupMe is another app that doesn't charge fees or have limits for direct and group messages. Users can also send photos, videos, and calendar links.
What parents need to know
- It's for older teens. The embedded GIFs and emojis have some adult themes, like drinking and inappropriate images.
- Teens are always connected. Without fees or limits, teens can share and text to their heart's content, which may mean they rarely put the phone down.
Some lesser known/less popular texting apps are ooVoo and Yo:
ooVoo is a video chat and messaging app, and is available for iPhone/iPod/iPads and Androids. You can also use OoVoo on a computer (PC or MAC). With OoVoo you can video chat with up to 12 people at a time; you can see four people at once on screen during these video chats.
YO is a simple messaging or Push Notification App. It is a social application for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
Facebook Messenger: If you have a Facebook account, you have the ability to use the messenger feature and even download a separate app for ease of use. It is connected with Facebook, but functions like a regular texting app with some additional features.
MICRO-BLOGGING AND PERFORMANCE APPS AND SITES
Instagram lets users snap, edit, and share photos and 15-second videos, either publicly or with a private network of followers. It unites the most popular features of social media sites: sharing, seeing, and commenting on photos. It also lets you apply fun filters and effects to your photos, making them look high-quality and artistic.
What parents need to know
- Teens are on the lookout for "likes." Similar to the way they use Facebook, teens may measure the "success" of their photos -- even their self-worth -- by the number of likes or comments they receive. Posting a photo or video can be problematic if teens are posting to validate their popularity.
- Public photos are the default. Photos and videos shared on Instagram are public unless privacy settings are adjusted. Hashtags and location information can make photos even more visible to communities beyond a teen's followers if his or her account is public.
- Private messaging is now an option. Instagram Direct allows users to send "private messages" to up to 15 mutual friends. These pictures don't show up on their public feeds. Although there's nothing wrong with group chats, kids may be more likely to share inappropriate stuff with their inner circles.
Tumblr is like a cross between a blog and Twitter: It's a streaming scrapbook of text, photos, and/or videos and audio clips. Users create and follow short blogs, or "tumblogs," that can be seen by anyone online (if made public). Many teens have tumblogs for personal use: sharing photos, videos, musings, and things they find funny with their friends.
What parents need to know
- Inappropriate material is easy to find. This online hangout is hip and creative but sometimes adult-themed. Inappropriate images and videos and depictions of violence, self-harm, drug use, and offensive language are easily searchable.
- Privacy can be guarded but only through an awkward workaround. The first profile a member creates is public and viewable by anyone on the Internet. Members who desire full privacy have to create a second profile, which they're able to password-protect.
- Posts are often copied and shared. Reblogging on Tumblr is similar to re-tweeting: A post is reblogged from one tumblog to another. Many teens like -- and, in fact, want -- their posts reblogged. But do you really want your kids' words and photos on someone else's page?
Twitter is a microblogging tool that allows users to post brief, 140-character messages -- called "tweets" -- and follow other users' activities. It's not only for adults; teens like using it to share tidbits and keep up with news and celebrities.
What parents need to know
- Public tweets are the norm for teens. Though you can choose to keep your tweets private,most teens report having public accounts. Talk to your kids about what they post and how a post can spread far and fast.
- Updates appear immediately. Even though you can remove tweets, your followers can still read what you wrote until it's gone. This can get kids in trouble if they say something in the heat of the moment.
Musical.ly – Your Music Video Community is a performance and video sharing social network that mostly features teens lip syncing and to famous songs but also includes some original songwriting and singing. Musers, as devoted users are called, can build up a following among friends or share posts publicly.
What parents need to know
- Songs and videos contain lots of iffy content. Because it features popular music and a mix of teens and adult users, swearing and sexual content are commonplace.
- Gaining followers and fans feels important. Teens want a public profile to get exposure and approval, and many are highly motivated by getting more followers and likes for their videos.
LIVE-STREAMING VIDEO APPS
YouNow: is an app that lets kids stream and watch live broadcasts. As they watch, they can comment or buy gold bars to give to other users. Ultimately, the goal is to get lots of viewers, start trending, and grow your fan base. Note that there are other apps like this that are less popular with teens such as Periscope, but Facebook has just included live-streaming as a feature, so expect to see more and more personal broadcasting.
What parents need to know
- Kids might make poor decisions to gain popularity. Because it's live video, kids can do or say anything and can respond to requests from viewers -- in real time. Though there seems to be moderation around iffy content (kids complain about having accounts suspended "for nothing"), there's plenty of swearing and occasional sharing of personal information with anonymous viewers. In general, it mimics the real-life potential for kids to do things they normally wouldn't do in pursuit of approval but in a much more public way.
- Teens can share personal information, sometimes by accident. Teens often broadcast from their bedrooms, which often have personal information visible, and they sometimes will share a phone number or an email address with viewers, not knowing who's really watching.
- It's creepy. Teens even broadcast themselves sleeping, which illustrates the urge to share all aspects of life publicly and share even intimate moments with strangers.
Live.ly – Live Video Streaming poses all of the same risks that all live streaming services do, so poor choices, oversharing, and chatting with strangers are all a part of the package.
What parents need to know
- It's associated with musical.ly – your music video community. Because of the parent app's popularity, this streamer is all the rage and Musers have a built-in account.
- Privacy, safety, and creepiness are concerns. Because teens are often broadcasting from their bedrooms to people they don't know, sometimes sharing phone numbers, and often performing for approval, there's the potential for trouble.
Periscope - Video streaming. Social networking service. Website. www.periscope.tv. Periscope is a live video streaming app for iOS and Android developed by Kayvon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein and acquired by Twitter before launch in 2015.
SELF-DESTRUCTING/SECRET APPS
Burn Note is a messaging app that erases messages after a set period of time. Unlike many other apps of this sort, it limits itself to text messages; users cannot send pictures or video. That may reduce issues such as sexting -- but words can hurt, too.
What parents need to know
- It allows kids to communicate covertly. To discourage copying and taking screenshots, a spotlight-like system that recipients direct with a finger (or the mouse) only reveals a portion of the message at a time.
- It may encourage risky sharing. The company claims that its "Multi-Device Deletion" system can delete a message from anywhere: the device it was sent from, the device it was sent to, and its own servers. But it's wise to be skeptical of this claim.
- You don't have to have the app to receive a Burn Note. Unlike other apps -- for example, Snapchat -- users can send a Burn Note to anyone, not only others who have the program.
Snapchat is a messaging app that lets users put a time limit on the pictures and videos they send before they disappear. Most teens use the app to share goofy or embarrassing photos without the risk of them going public. However, there are lots of opportunities to use it in other ways.
What parents need to know
- It's a myth that Snapchats go away forever. Data is data: Whenever an image is sent, it never truly goes away. (For example, the person on the receiving end can take a screenshot of the image before it disappears.) Snapchats can even be recovered. After a major hack in December 2013 and a settlement with the FTC, Snapchat has clarified its privacy policy, but teens should stay wary.
- It can make sexting seem OK. The seemingly risk-free messaging might encourage users to share pictures containing sexy images.
Whisper is a social "confessional" app that allows users to post whatever's on their minds, paired with an image. With all the emotions running through teens, anonymous outlets give them the freedom to share their feelings without fear of judgment.
What parents need to know
- Whispers are often sexual in nature. Some users use the app to try to hook up with people nearby, while others post "confessions" of desire. Lots of eye-catching, nearly nude pics accompany these shared secrets.
- Content can be dark. People normally don't confess sunshine and rainbows; common Whispertopics include insecurity, depression, substance abuse, and various lies told to employers and teachers.
- Although it's anonymous to start, it may not stay that way. The app encourages users to exchange personal information in the "Meet Up" section.
Yik Yak is a free social-networking app that lets users post brief, Twitter-like comments to the 500 geographically nearest Yik Yak users. Kids can find out opinions, secrets, rumors, and more. Plus, they'll get the bonus thrill of knowing all these have come from a 1.5-mile radius (maybe even from the kids at the desks in front of them!).
What parents need to know
- It reveals your location. By default, your exact location is shown unless you toggle location-sharing off. Each time you open the app, GPS updates your location.
- It's a mixed bag of trouble. This app has it all: cyberbullying, explicit sexual content, unintended location-sharing, and exposure to explicit information about drugs and alcohol.
- Some schools have banned access. Some teens have used the app to threaten others, causing school lockdowns and more. Its gossipy and sometimes cruel nature can be toxic to a school environment, so administrators are cracking down.
CHATTING, MEETING, DATING APPS AND SITES
MeetMe: Chat and Meet New People -- the name says it all. Although not marketed as a dating app,MeetMe does have a "Match" feature whereby users can "secretly admire" others, and its large user base means fast-paced communication and guaranteed attention.
What parents need to know
- It's an open network. Users can chat with whomever's online, as well as search locally, opening the door to potential trouble.
- Lots of details are required. First and last name, age, and ZIP code are requested at registration, or you can log in using a Facebook account. The app also asks permission to use location services on your teens' mobile devices, meaning they can find the closest matches wherever they go.
Omegle is a chat site that puts two strangers together in their choice of a text chat or a video chat room. Being anonymous can be very attractive to teens, and Omegle provides a no-fuss opportunity to make connections. Its "interest boxes" also let users filter potential chat partners by shared interests.
What parents need to know
- Users get paired up with strangers. That's the whole premise of the app. And there's no registration required.
- This is not an app for kids and teens. Omegle is filled with people searching for sexual chat. Some prefer to do so live. Others offer links to porn sites.
- Language is a big issue. Since the chats are anonymous, they're often much more explicit than those with an identifiable user might be.
Tinder is a photo and messaging dating app for browsing pictures of potential matches within a certain-mile radius of the user's location. It's very popular with 20-somethings as a way to meet new people for casual or long-term relationships.
What parents need to know
- It's all about swipes. You swipe right to "like" a photo or left to "pass." If a person whose photo you "liked" swipes "like" on your photo, too, the app allows you to message each other. Meeting up (and possibly hooking up) is pretty much the goal.
- It's location-based. Geolocation means it's possible for teens to meet up with nearby people, which can be very dangerous.
The bottom line for most of these tools? If kids are using them respectfully, appropriately, and with a little parental guidance, they should be fine. Take inventory of your kids' apps and review the best practices.