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Potentially dangerous apps parents should be aware of

August 30, 2019

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The Lansing School District's top priority is keeping the students in our community safe. In today's digital age, parents need to be aware of how their kids are accessing social media and connecting to the world around them through their devices. Not only can social media apps be used as a tool by predators, they can also lead to issues with cyber-bullying and exposures to sexually inappropriate content. These apps are ever-changing, so we at the Lansing School District want to help keep parents as informed as possible to ensure our students are safe.

Social media can also be a wonderful tool to keep our students connected and informed. For example, we use apps such as GroupMe to connect students in various school clubs, classrooms, and activities. The key to safe use is monitoring and communicating expectations.

• Talk openly and often about online safety with your kids.
• Install safety monitoring software on all devices.
• Limit screen time.
• Designate specific areas for internet use.
• Establish clear ground rules and safety principles.
• Stay up to date on social media & online trends.

Below is a list of potentially dangerous apps for parents to be aware of. This list is by no means exhaustive, as apps change on a daily basis, but gives parents a starting place when protecting their children from social media dangers. 

Click here for printable PDF of flyer

Other apps parents should be aware of (click here for printable version):

	WHAT IT IS: An app used to find dates and hook-ups using GPS tracking. WHY IT'S BAD: It is easy for adults and minors to find each other, and the "rating" system can be used for bullying.
Snapchat	WHAT IT IS: A photo-sharing app that allows users to send photos to specific people, assigning the photos an allotted time—after which they will “disappear.” WHY IT'S BAD: It’s very popular for sexting. Users have figured out how to save or screenshot the images, so they aren’t really gone and can be used against the sender later for “revenge porn” or any other nefarious purpose.
	WHAT IT IS: A “flirting” app allowing users to send photos/videos to anyone on their “friends” list and rate their “hotness.” WHY IT'S BAD: This app uses GPS and is not authenticated, so predators can find minors or anyone they are looking for. It’s also popular for sexting, and the “hotness” rating allows for bullying.
kik messenger	WHAT IT IS: An instant messaging app that allows sending of videos, pics, and GIFs. WHY IT'S BAD: It’s very popular for sexting. There are no parental controls or authenticating, so it’s really easy for predators to find your child on Kik.
Whisper	WHAT IT IS: An anonymous confession app. WHY IT'S BAD: Since it’s “anonymous,” you can post pics and confessions of someone who isn’t you (bullying). It also uses GPS, so people—a.k.a. predators—can find you pretty easily.
	WHAT IT IS: A popular Q&A social networking site used almost exclusively by kids. WHY IT'S BAD: Its anonymous question-asking leads to relentless consequence- free cyber bullying. There are nine documented suicide cases linked to Ask.fm in the UK.
	WHAT IT IS: An app that allows users to post 200 character “Yaks” which can be viewed by the 500 people closest to them as determined by GPS. WHY IT'S BAD: Users are putting lots of sexually explicit content on Yik Yak, and although it’s anonymous, it can reveal personal details that make users easy to find, especially with GPS.
poof!, hidden apps, Hide it Pro, App lock	WHAT THEY ARE: These are all apps designed to hide other apps on your phone. Not all are available anymore, but if your child already has them, they can still use them. WHY THEY'RE BAD:  These allow your child to conceal apps from their phone screen, so you will have to be diligent about searching for them.
	WHAT IT IS: A video chatting app. WHY IT'S BAD: Although you don’t identify yourself, it’s pretty easy for your child to make friends with a predator. It’s known to be a predator favorite.
Down	WHAT IT IS: A dating app connected to Facebook. WHY IT'S BAD: It allows you to classify your friends into people you would be “down” with “hooking up” with, creating normalcy for a sexual hook-up culture for your child.
Oovoo	WHAT IT IS: A video chatting app where users can chat with up to 12 people at a time. WHY IT'S BAD: While not terrible in itself, your kids MUST use the privacy settings and only let people who know them chat with them. Otherwise it’s stranger-danger city.
Meerkat/Periscope	WHAT THEY ARE: Similar live streaming video apps that stream video to Twitter.   WHY THEY'RE BAD:  Although it’s against the apps’ terms of service, since it’s live streamed it’s difficult to keep users from producing images with nudity or pornographic content, which makes it a favorite for predators to watch.
	WHAT IT IS: An app that uses GPS to allow users to meet new people who live nearby. WHY IT'S BAD: There’s no age verification, and your account is linked to Facebook so you and your location are easily identifiable to predators. The popularity rating makes seeking approval from strangers seem like a game.
Skout	WHAT IT IS: A flirting app used to meet new people.   WHY IT'S BAD: Ages aren’t verified, and although there is a teen version with slightly more safety features, all you have to do to bypass it is put in a fake birthday. This leaves children open to the adult sector of Skout, which includes plenty of profanity, suggestive pictures and private messaging with strangers who can see their location.
Chat Roulette	WHAT IT IS: A video chat site that randomly matches you up with someone around the globe to have a video chat. WHY IT'S BAD: It’s very popular for cybersex and pornography, and it’s not uncommon to be randomly matched up with a chat partner who’s completely nude in front of their webcam. There’s nothing to stop the person you are chatting with from recording the video chat and posting it elsewhere.