As children spend more time on smartphones, tablets, social media and online games, parents are being urged to pay attention to who their children are communicating with and what information they are sharing.
Technology is constantly changing and evolving. Every day, new applications, or apps, are designed for mobile devices such as cellular phones and tablets. While many of these apps and games may appear harmless, some allow children to communicate with people they do not know.
Children are increasingly online, making them one of the most vulnerable groups for sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Predators go where children are.
In person, predators may frequent places such as parks and playgrounds. Online, they can enter the same games children play and use the same social media platforms. They may pretend to be children or teenagers, use language familiar to young people and gradually build relationships and trust.
Parents and grandparents raising children can have a difficult time keeping up with the latest apps and games. An app that appears to be appropriate for children may have messaging or communication features that allow strangers to contact them.
Robbie Harmon, director of pupil personnel at Adair County Schools, said parents should pay close attention to the age recommendations and communication features of the apps and games their children use.
“The things I tell parents are, the things that look too elementary may still have adults in them, such as Roblox,” Harmon said. “Anything that they can play online with people they don’t know. It must be age appropriate, and that would be determined by maturity.”
Harmon also warned to be aware of anything that “goes away.”
“A text message can be deleted, but it’s pretty easy to retrieve, where a Snapchat is more difficult to retrieve,” he said.
A child may believe they are talking to another child or teenager. For a predator, that relationship can become a way to gain the child’s trust and eventually obtain personal information, photographs or other material.
Social media has also become a part of everyday life for many children and teenagers. Popular platforms include TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, BeReal, Lemon8 and Facebook.
Even when an account is set to private, information posted by a child can potentially be shared beyond the intended audience. Platforms with direct messaging features can also provide strangers with an opportunity to contact children.
Apps Linked to Sexting, Assault
According to Mental Health America, Snapchat has been linked to sexting, and cases of sexting have also led to bullying.
Snapchat messages can disappear after a certain amount of time or after a certain number of views. Although the app can notify a sender when a screenshot is taken, that does not prevent the recipient from saving or sharing the content.
The disappearing messages can give users a false sense of security, potentially leading them to send inappropriate photographs or other content they would not otherwise share.
Kik Messenger is another messaging platform parents should be aware of. According to Mental Health America, the app allows users to send messages anonymously and has been linked to cases involving attempted kidnapping, murder and sexual assault.
Other messaging platforms that parents may want to monitor include Discord, WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal.
These apps have legitimate uses and are used by millions of people for communication. However, they can also allow users to share photographs and videos or participate in large group chats with people they have never met in person.
Online gaming presents another potential avenue for communication.
Games and platforms such as Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, Rec Room and VRChat have built-in chat features that can allow children and teenagers to communicate with other players.
For parents, the concern is not necessarily the app or game itself. The concern is who children can communicate with while using it.
“We have seen the catfishing and some of that,” Harmon said. “With that being said, you never know who you are talking to, so don’t share anything that you don’t want the whole world to be privy to.”
How Parents Can Help Children Stay Safe Online
The goal is not to ban every app or keep children away from technology. Instead, parents can help children develop healthy digital habits while creating an environment where they feel comfortable coming to a trusted adult when something does not feel right.
Parents should take time to learn about the apps their children use and understand how those platforms work.
Ask children what their favorite apps are and have them explain how they use them. Parents can also review privacy and communication settings with their children and discuss who they are communicating with online.
Children may be less likely to speak up about an uncomfortable online interaction if they are afraid their parents will immediately take away their phone or restrict their online access.
Questions such as, “What do you like about this app?” “Who do you usually talk to?” and “Has anything online ever made you uncomfortable?” can help open the door to conversations.
Creating an environment where children know they can talk to their parents without immediately being punished may make them more likely to ask for help when they need it.
Every family should establish digital guidelines based on a child’s age and maturity. If a child has access to the internet or apps, it is never too early to begin discussing online safety and the potential dangers.
Those guidelines may include keeping social media accounts private, accepting friend requests only from people they know in real life, asking permission before downloading new apps, avoiding conversations with strangers and telling a trusted adult if something online makes them uncomfortable.
Technology is not going away, nor should it. Smartphones, social media and online games provide children with opportunities to learn, create and connect with others.
But with those opportunities come risks.
By staying involved, asking questions and maintaining open communication, parents can help children navigate the digital world with confidence and good judgment while recognizing when an online interaction may cross a line.
Awareness, communication and a trusted adult can be some of a child’s strongest protections.
By Amy Pike
amy@adairvoice.com
