By Kerry Gorgone, {grow} Contributing Columnist
It’s been a while since I’ve covered social media apps for kids on this blog, and behavioral trends change at a frenetic pace. No doubt some parents want to keep their kids far away from any kind of social media, especially in light of recent insights into its potential to become addictive. But given the prevalence of social networking—there are approximately 2 billion worldwide social media users—it’s a parent’s responsibility to make sure their children can safely navigate the social space.
The good news: there are apps that can help you to teach your kids about responsible social media use.
Age ratings on the apps below come from Common Sense Media.
Ages: 10 and up
Platforms: iOS (Android and Amazon Fire versions coming soon)
Price: Free
Facebook requires users to be at least 13 years old to use the site (although many kids ignore this restriction). There is, however, a Facebook Messenger app for users under the age of 13 that allows kids to send texts, photos, and videos. They can also add doodles or stickers to the pictures they send. Messenger Kids is ad-free and Facebook has stated that the company will not use data collected from the app to target advertising to parents. Messenger Kids does collect data (although the app is COPPA compliant), so read up thoroughly before deciding whether to let your child join.
Ages: 8 and up
Price: Free
GeckoLife is a social network for families. The description indicates the app was designed with kids’ safety in mind. GeckoLife includes several privacy features: Parents create their own account and add their kids afterward. They can then get notifications about their kids’ activity on the network. Parents can approve what their children post and follow. The developer has set no minimum age in the user agreement, but Common Sense Media recommends this app for ages 8 and up.
Ages: 13 and up
Platforms: iOS, Android, and Galaxy
Price: Free
Sit With Us is a social media app that’s created by a 16-year-old who felt rejected after eating lunch by herself. She created the app to ensure no teen is forced to eat a meal alone at school: It gives kids the chance to reach out to other kids at their school to find lunch companions.
Ages: 14 and up
Price: Free
MrOwl is a social networking app based on interests. Information is curated by members. Users collect knowledge from websites and their own experiences and post it on MrOwl. Users can search other people’s public posts (called “branches”) by topic. Users can opt to keep their branches private and share them with only specific people. There’s also a chat feature.
Ages: 11 and up
Platforms: iOS, Android and Amazon
Price: Free
PopJam enables kids to post content and connect with other users. They can make and post drawings, add stickers and animations, and share images (so long as the child is not identifiable in any pictures posted). Users can also take quizzes and play games. PopJam been called “Instagram for kids” because kids can have followers who view and comment on their posts and they can likewise follow other users. The app uses moderators and limits posts to the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The app’s parents’ portal is robust, and the site also offers tips for keeping kids safe online.
Before you loose your kids upon the Internet, read this article on how to keep them safe. And you might want to brush up on your slang so you don’t seem basic.
Kerry O’Shea Gorgone is a writer, lawyer, speaker and educator. She’s also Director of Product Strategy, Training, at MarketingProfs. Kerry hosts the weekly Marketing Smarts podcast. Find Kerry on Twitter.
Illustration courtesy Unsplash.com