On a Saturday morning during my kids’ screen time free-for-all, I can expect at least five “permission to download” alerts per kid to pop up on my phone. I hear over and over again, “Mom, can you approve that one?”
My shortcut to quickly discern between good and bad apps for kids has been to look at the age rating, the level of violence, and the subject matter. But as my kids get older, the types of apps they want are going to get more complicated to evaluate on the fly. Thankfully, I’ve learned 4 features parents can quickly look for that indicate an app has no place on your child’s phone.
1. Concealment
Apps that are created with the purpose to conceal always fall into the category of bad apps for kids. In Parenting in a Tech World, Matt McKee and Titania Jordan argue that some apps are slanted toward illicit purposes. These are the apps that help the user hide photos, screenshots, and other apps.
One example is Calculator Vault. I shuddered when I read a description of this app: “Camouflage your apps and make them look like a calculator because it’s impossible to explain to some people that you need to have private stuff. Or your parents can look through your photo gallery and see what they are not supposed to see.”
A few other apps that conceal content are App Hider, Hide It Pro, Vaulty, and Clock. Keep an eye out for icons that look like a camera, photo, music, or calculator.
2. Anonymity
A friend told me her son argued that he had a right to use the app Sendit in the name of “self-expression.” She replied, “But you’re not yourself! You’re anonymous!”
Sendit, NGL (short for Not Gonna Lie), YOLO, and Wink work as companions to Instagram and Snapchat. Your child can add to her story and invite people to leave anonymous feedback via the apps. People say they can be honest and speak openly when their identity is disguised, but think about it for a moment. Tweens and teens plus anonymous commenting with a lack of accountability equals a high risk of bullying and just plain meanness.
3. Location-Based Chatting
Imagine a stranger pulling up a map on his phone. A little blip on the screen pops up and that blip represents your child. It’s terrifying. Some location-based chatting apps actually use the phone’s GPS to pinpoint the user’s exact location. Users can create a profile claiming to be any age or gender. Some to look out for are MeetMe, SayHi Chat, SelfieYo, and Yubo.
Another location danger is a little more difficult to discover, so you have to read the fine print. Just because an app is rated E for everyone doesn’t automatically mean it’s safe for kids. One of my kids asked to download Zoomerang because he loves creating videos (that never get posted). I did a quick search and found that while it’s rated “E,” it uses location tracking. The app creators say “this makes content more searchable by others and more interactive.” That means someone can watch a video your child created and know his or her location. Just thinking about that leaves a pit in my stomach.
Just because an app is rated E for everyone doesn't automatically mean it's safe for kids. Click To Tweet4. Disappearing Messages or Photos
Go back in time to when we developed film. If your mom walked into your room to find a bunch of photos ripped up or burned she’d be concerned. She’d look at the pieces and attempt to figure out what you were trying to hide or destroy. Today, a photo can be taken and disappear, and parents will never know it even existed.
Beyond hiding photos and conversations from parents, apps that promise untraceable or invisible communication are usually hotbeds for sketchy behavior like sexting and verbal abuse. After all, most people aren’t looking for ways to make encouraging, positive content disappear. And nothing ever disappears on the internet anyway. Screenshots allow others to save a photo and share it. You might already know Snapchat and WhatsApp have disappearing messages, but even Instagram and Facebook give you the option to have secret conversations and disappearing messages.
What are other giveaways of bad apps for kids?
