Parents warned about dangerous apps

#1036 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 15 Feb 2015

Are you a parent of school-age children who use social media apps to connect with friends? You should be worried, according to sex educator Megan Maas, who has identified “Ten dangerous apps” she says every parent needs to know about.

They include Tinder, Snapchat, Blendr, Kik, and Ask.fm.

Social media apps enable kids to bully other kids, or be the victim of online bullying. Some users share sexually explicit images of themselves and their friends, often without permission, and possibly unaware that such action is a serious crime.

And sexual predators use these apps to find children and collect personal information to track them down more easily in person.

The solution isn’t to ban social media use, or simply delete these apps. Kids will reload, or find other similar apps, or learn how to hide them. The solution is open and thoughtful conversation with your kids about bullying, sex, strangers and privacy.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.