Dangerous social media apps: What a tech expert says parents should be on the lookout for
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Teens are no strangers to social media, but some of their parents might be.
That’s why police departments around the country are urging parents to be aware of the apps their kids are using.
While parents may be aware of mainstream apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, several other new apps are making their way onto the phones of teens across the country.
They could be bringing them into contact with online predators.
Jen Haag has two young children. While they may not have smart phones yet, her five-year-old son already knows about apps and the internet.
“I was taken off guard as my oldest grew up how much that really kind of influences their learning, their education and their play,” said Haag. “There’s just so much out there that you don’t know about.”
With social media trends changing by the day, it can be hard for some parents to keep track of which ones their kids are using.
“App developers know that kids love new shiny things,” said tech expert Burton Kelso. “So, they’re always developing apps in order to attract kids number one, to get them to communicate.”
One of them is LiveMe. It’s a live streaming video app that uses geolocation to share users’ exact location.
Kelso recommends making sure the location settings for apps like these are turned off to prevent predators from finding a user’s location.
“Online predators look for the specific things these apps include, which is live video streaming, which is chat rooms, and even video gameplay because they realize that kids are attracted to these apps,” said Kelso.
Kelso said one of the best things parents can do is to research the apps on their kids’ devices and most importantly communicate with them about it.
“With a quick google search and just a little research with asking other parents, you can gather the information that you need to make sure your kid stays safe online,” said Kelso.
As her kids get older, Haag said she plans on doing just that.
“I don’t know much about other apps,” said Haag. “But, I would love to know how to protect my children going forward.”
It’s not just social media apps parents should look out for.
There are also apps that may appear to be something as innocent as a calculator app but are used to secretly store pictures, videos, files and browser history.
For a full list of apps law enforcement officials say parents should look out for, click HERE.