Pop quiz: What is Voxer? If you're scratching your head, it's time to read up on the trendy new social media apps kids are using. Friending your child on Facebook is now just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to online safety. Click through to see some of the sites and apps tweens and teens are flocking to these days, and get useful tips for protecting your child from cyberbullying and other online safety hazards. Have you heard about a new app causing safety concerns? Please share in the comments! Also, check out these 10 apps that can help you monitor your child online.

Top Dangerous Social Media Apps

Let’s take a look at some of the popular social media apps regularly abused by cyber villains:

Snapchat

The app doesn’t need any introduction at all. After all, it has millions of users from around the globe. However, the popular “bubble messaging” app does have its fair share of privacy and security issues that put many users’ privacy at risk.

For instance, the app was hacked in 2014 and a large number of personal photos or snapchats of users were publicized. Apart from that, the app does destruct the snaps, but there is a short window that people may use to take screenshots of the snap and later exploit it.

Ask.fm

The app allows users to ask any question they want either as an anonymous user or as themselves. However, some people tend to make an inappropriate use of the app’s anonymity feature by asking vulgar questions and even leave offensive comments. Some even start bullying other users by making derogatory remarks.

Whisper

Whisper is a confession app where anyone can make confessions while being anonymous. Users can communicate with any other Whisper user living nearby. The app uses GPS location tracker to track nearby users.

The app, although, keeps the users’ identity anonymous but it does show the location of the area from where the messages are being sent. As a result, any pervert or online predator can pinpoint the location of the victim. In fact, in 2013, a man allegedly used the app to track an underage girl and then raped her.

Kik Messenger

Kik messenger was built to make chat messaging more fun and engaging. Users can send quick text messages, photos, and even sketches. However, the app lacks age verification. As a result, the app can be downloaded by kids who are younger than 13.

Since users of any age can access the app, cyber stalkers and even pedophiles can get the opportunity to find young kids and compel them into sending risqué photos or their personal information.

Tinder

Tinder is yet another popular app for finding people and starting a conversation with them. The app uses GPS location tracker to track and show other Tinder users living nearby. The app is mostly used by teens and tweens.

Tinder allows users to view other users’ photos and start communication with people they like. Since the app is quite popular, usually among teens, some strangers tend to create fake profiles to lure unsuspecting users to hit a conversation and then meet up.

Instagram

Instagram is a widely known photo-sharing application that allows you to capture and share photos with your followers. But due to the ever-growing popularity of the app, it has become a potential target for hackers who are after users’ sensitive photos and information.

Omegle

Omegle is a video chatting application that allows two parties to indulge in a video chat while being anonymous. The user is addressed as “You” while the other person is addressed as “Stranger.”

The app has garnered the attention of many critics who deem the application as a perfect spot for predators who are after unsuspecting kids.

Yik Yak

Yik Yak is like a GPS enabled twitter. The app allows users to write up to 200 character messages and send it to users within 500 meters. Due to GPS tracking, the app can be used by cyber bullies and even sexual predators to chat with other users to gain their personal information and harass them.

Blendr

Blendr is akin to Tinder in all manners. It is a flirting app that uses the GPS tracking to show nearby users who are also interested in flirting or dating. Just like Tinder, the app can be abused by users who are out there to get personal information from our innocent kids to harm them later.

Periscope

According to recent statists, more than a million users use Periscope every day. However, like any other app, Periscope can be exploited for unethical activities.

Periscope allows users to stream audio and video content and share it with other users. Where video chatting or streaming is involved, security hazards automatically arise.

So,

The apps listed above cannot be blamed in any way for how they are used, after all, a user needs to be smarter than an app. Plus, asking your kids to stop using any app isn’t the ideal way to stop them from getting exposed to online threats. After all, from one way to another, they may try to find any other app and start using it.

The best way is to stay cautious of the dangers of the apps your kids are using and educate them on their hazards. Plus, you may also use encryption tools like a VPN service to hide your kids’ location and paralyze hackers from getting access to their location and personal information.

Here are some apps you can explore to monitor your teen’s activity on a phone:

1. Norton

This allows you to set phone time limits and filter web content coming in.

2. TeenSafe

This allows you to track your child’s calls, texts, GPS and social media activity.

3. MobSafetyRangerBrowser

This enables you to view your child’s website browsing and set time limits.

4. PhoneSheriff

This enables you to do all of the above, but it is available for fewer devices.

5. DinnerTime

This allows you to limit phone Internet use during family meals.

6. Qustodio

This allows you to track and set a phone curfew where phones shut down.

There are actually several other apps that empower a parent to know what’s happening on their child’s phone. While they are minors, I think you should know.

One other idea might be for parents encourage their children to use privacy settings to ensure their posts are going out to a select set of friends.