Category: Social nation u

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5 Most Dangerous Apps for Kids

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There are so many things we have to worry about while raising our kids. Teaching them to make wise choices and the importance of kindness. Helping them learn about the world and the importance of studying and getting good grades. And those are the easy things. Worrying about them while they navigate the world outside of your house and hope to keep them safe from the dangers of strangers – those are the really scary challenges. Now, with social media, it’s even harder to protect them from the threats of the world because it’s so easy for strangers to gain access to your kids before your kids are mature enough to know how to keep themselves safe.

Some apps are more dangerous than others. Although most parents are familiar with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and even Twitter, there are new apps launching daily and some can be pretty dangerous for your kids. Before you give your kids access to any new app, you are going to want to know how they work and which ones are the most dangerous for kids.

Blendr app

Blendr is a messaging app. Users can message, exchange photos and videos, and worst of all, rate the “hotness” of other users, based on GPS location. The last thing we want for our kids is to have their self-worth determined by a rating they receive on their looks.

Whisper

Whisper is an anonymous messaging app that allows users to connect in groups based upon their interests and location. It is primarily used for “telling secrets. While the app is rated 17+, there are middle school and junior high users who lie about their age to get an account. Posts are “whispers” and users can search under topics and then reply publicly or open a personal chat. What makes Whisper one of the most dangerous apps for kids is that the anonymous aspect of the platform, paired with the location-based grouping, can easily connect your child with a predator.

Flinch

Flinch is an online game that can create easy access for predators. The app is a live staring contest between users. Basically, your kid and another user face off via live video and facial recognition software decides who laughs or flinches first. So screenshots of your child’s face and a live video link to their location is provided to anyone that plays the game – even a stranger.

Spotafriend

Spotafriend is basically Tinder for teens. If you aren’t familiar with Tinder, it is a tool used to “hook up” with others – sometimes random strangers. You probably don’t want your middle school and junior high, or even high school kids, meeting up with strangers that they connect with online – that is very contradictory when you are warning them about ‘stranger danger’. Your kids meet plenty of people through school, church, sports, and neighbors. Do you really want to give them unfettered access to the world? Or even worse, give the world unrestricted access to your kids?

tiktok

TikTok (formerly Musically) is a fun app that kids use to create karaoke style videos and share with friends. The problem is that it also has a messaging feature which makes kids vulnerable to predators. Even worse, when your kids post their videos, the app also reveals their location. Not to mention the danger of inappropriate content shared by others and inappropriate comments that can be made on the videos your kids share.

All of these apps can be fun but you will have to decide if your kids are mature enough to handle the freedom and access that these apps provide. For every app that you allow your kids to download, be sure to utilize the privacy settings to lock down access and protect your kids. Remember: none of these apps are a “need”. Of course your kids want them but that doesn’t mean you want your kids to have them.

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Why Social Media is Not Smart for Middle School Kids

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There is extreme pressure on parents to give their kids cellphones, often starting as early as six years old. And as soon as they get a smartphone, they are getting access to social media. That’s when the big trouble begins. As they say “little people, little problems – big people, big problems.” Funny thing is they are still little people and the smartphones are little devices but they sure can cause really big problems.

As Melanie Hemp, RN, reports in Psychology Today, “Tweens’ brains are simply too immature to use social media appropriately.”

Social media was not designed for them.

Social media is an entertainment technology.

A tween’s ‘more is better’ mentality is a dangerous match for social media.

Social media is an addictive form of screen entertainment.

Social media replaces learning the hard social ‘work’ of dealing face-to-face with peers.

Social media can cause teens to lose connection with family and instead view “friends” as their foundation.

Social media use represents lost potential for teens.

How can kids slow down? Psychology Today suggests:

Delay Access

Follow their Accounts

Create Family Accounts

Allow social media only on large screens

Keep a sharp eye on the clock: they will not

Plan face-to-face time with their friends

Spend more real non-tech time together

And we would add, use SocialNationU.com blog, resources, and classes to stay up to date on new apps and challenges as well as the best common-sense 11 step safety plan.

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Social Nation U Helps Parents Protect Their Kids on Social Media

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Social Nation U helps parents protect their kids on social media.

Social media can be a very dangerous place for your kids. There are the big problems that make the nightly news – cyberbullying, addiction, and online predators – as well as the everyday issues of self-esteem, cruelty, and self-absorption. Although scientists are still measuring all of the damage that social media use is causing, anxiety, depression, and suicide are on the rise.

According to Common Sense Media, 8-12 year olds are spending an average of 6 hours per day online and teens are spending an astonishing average of nine hours a day online.

The problem is that most parents don’t know how to help their kids because they didn’t grow up with the internet. You need an easy, common-sense way to keep your kids safe on social media. SocialNationU.com provides comprehensive, easy to understand, classes that will help you help your kids stay safe.

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Is Your Kid Smart Phone Ready?

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Having a smartphone can help your child be more independent as well as fit in socially. And it can give you peace of mind to be able to reach them when you aren’t together. But smartphones can be a mixed blessing. Access to the internet and social media can be damaging for a kid that isn’t old enough or mature enough to be exposed to the world.

To be a responsible smartphone user, your teen needs certain skills and abilities. The questions below can help you assess whether or not your kid is ready. If you can’t answer “yes” to most of them, keep in mind that she doesn’t have to start out with a smartphone. Basic starter cell phones limit the calls kids can send and receive—and some don’t offer texting or Internet access.

  • They are old enough to legally have have social media accounts (13+ for most).
  • Completes their homework on time without you having to remind them.
  • Can get up and get ready for school on their own.
  • Is responsible with their belongings and doesn’t need you to find their shoes, booksack, etc.
  • Is consistently kind to family members which is an indicator if they will be kind online.
  • Is comfortable communicating with people face-to-face.
  • Knows that sleep is important for overall health and will abide by any cell phone limits.
  • Remembers to do chores on their own without complaining.
  • Can have mature conversations about proper use of technology and social media and is okay with parents knowing passwords and checking in as needed.
  • Gets off of other people’s devices after first warning without getting upset and can move onto another activity.
  • Will they keep track of and respect limits on the phone’s plan (minutes, texts, data and so forth)?
  • Can they gauge what other places the phone is off-limits (movie theaters or religious services, for example)?
  • Do they understand what harassment and inappropriate contact look like?
  • Can they plan, organize and explain her thoughts well in speech or in writing?
  • Can they follow a conversation without using body language to pick up on what others mean?
  • Are they willing to follow the code of conduct contract?

There is a chance that you have a child who is remarkably responsible and can check off all of these boxes, but they are still too young to legally access social media. Does that mean you should just hand them a smartphone and access to the internet? Probably not. So, while these benchmarks are helpful, remember that we want to keep smartphones out of our children’s hands as long as possible. Only you can decide what is right for your child and every situation is unique. You can ask yourself, “Is there any situation in which my child really needs a cell phone?” If the answer is no, then wait and let them enjoy a distraction-free childhood—because they only get one chance.

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Is Your Kid Old Enough for Social Media?

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Most parents are unaware of the fact that all social media sites have minimum age requirements as specificed by law. The Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 prohibits websites from collecting the personal information of children under 13 years of age. So social media sites don’t want underage children using their services.

In addition to abiding by COPPA, it makes sense to make your kids wait until 13 because that gives them a chance to mature enough to handle life online. Social media provides the opportunity for immature kids to get into a lot of trouble. Reading social cues, uplifting others, and resisting the urge to write before you think are all necessary to be able to make wise choices on social media.

If you are worried about being able to reach your kids, you can give them a basic flip phone without internet access. There are even watches that you can give your kids that allow them to contact you but not anyone else.

Your kids are probably worried about being the last kid in their grade to get a smartphone. You might want to check out Wait Until 8th (www.waituntil8th.org) to create a coalition of parents who all agree to wait until your kids are old enough to have a smartphone, internet access, and social media. It will be a lot easier for you to hold out if the rest of the parents are all on the same page.

Ultimately, you don’t want your kids to have a smartphone until they are reall ready to have that level of access. If you aren’t sure, check out www.socialnationu.com for more info.

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Read this Before You Give Your Kids a Phone for Christmas

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Before you give your kids a smartphone or tablet for Christmas, there are a few things you want to consider:

Smartphone Ready – Is your kid ready for the responsibility of a smartphone? Check out this blog, “Is Your Kid Smartphone Ready?”, to see if you think your kid meets the criteria. You want to make sure they can keep track of it, are responsible with chores, manage school work, and understand the potential pitfalls of that kind of access.

Social Media Ready – They are going to want to use their shiny new device to access social media. Are they old enough? Check out this blog, “Is your kid old enough for social media?”, to read up on the age limits for these accounts. You don’t want to teach your kids that it’s okay to lie about their age to get something before they are old enough to have it.

Parent Ready – I’m sure you are going to teach your kids to drive before you allow them to get a driver’s license. You need to do the same thing with a smartphone. You need to teach them everything they need to know to be safe on social media. If you aren’t sure of how to teach them to make wise choices online, you can sign up for the Social Nation U parent class.

It’s too easy for kids to make bad choices online if they haven’t been taught how to be safe. Those choices can cost them friends, scholarships, opportunities, and more. The last thing you want is to give your kids a smartphone before they are ready. The potential damage is too great to assume that because they know how to work the device they also know how to stay safe

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How to Keep Kids Safe on Social Media

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Here are some tips to keep in mind to keep your kids safe on social media.


Think of social media sites as a playground

Social media is a big public playground. Currently, an unchaperoned playground. Parents that would never let their kids walk across town to a playground by themselves, are letting their kids play on social media without any supervision. You need to keep an eye on your kids to keep them safe.

Don’t Let Peer Pressure Win

As soon as the first classmate gets a smartphone and signs up for a social media account, you can count the days until you succumb to the deafening begging by your kid to get their own. Resist as long as you can. The longer you can hold off the better for them and you.

Mentor & Monitor

Be sure to give your kid the family rules on what is acceptable behavior online. And then keep an eye on them to help them stay on track. When your kids see something that makes them uncomfortable, make sure they talk to you about it so you can help them make sense ot it all.

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