By Kim Yerkes
Last summer my nieces and nephews introduced me to TikTok. I love laughing and I enjoyed watching the funny videos. I even started a TikTok for my dog that summer. After a couple months, my kids started to watch a handful of videos with me while we ate breakfast. At first it was fun and the kids loved it, then I started to notice a trend. The f-word–which was not common at first–started to show up in the videos. I stopped watching videos with my kids. Every time I heard a swear word I would immediately go to the next video. I also put on the “restricted use” parent control, and it still didn’t fix the problem. After a couple failed attempts, I gave up on the app. You may have faced a similar situation, after using an app, you slowly realize the dangers. At first it seems fun and entertaining, but then you see a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
How do we protect our kids when the world around us is desensitized?
First, we must understand that apps are created to entertain us for the purpose of making money for those who develop the app. They’re not created with the intent to uplift or protect our families and children. Many parents feel overwhelmed trying to figure out which apps are safe and which are dangerous to the mental and intellectual health of their families.
When you’re unfamiliar with an app, take a moment to research what the app is, before you let your kids download it. Use the lessons, free ebooks, and articles on this website to help you navigate these rough waters: The Most Dangerous Apps of 2019, The Most Dangerous Apps of 2020 and The Most Dangerous Apps of 2021. .
As we explore the most dangerous apps of 2022, you will notice that one of the biggest concerns we have is that there is no way for current monitoring software or hardware to truly filter or stop the sexualized, pornographic, or violent content on several of these apps.
TikTok – Where to start? The first concern we have is that TikTok has no filters for language. Swearing is very common, including the f-word. The opinions expressed on TikTok can be extreme and are never fact checked. This can lead to untrue and misleading information. Sexual content is a huge concern and videos can be explicit and pornographic. What you see on TikTok is decided by an algorithm. It will push content that does well and is popular. The majority of TikTok users are adults; because of this, adult themes are more common. It doesn’t allow the person viewing the content to choose what comes next or give the option to stop certain posts from showing up. The biggest problem we have with TikTok is that it is a massive time waster, an hour can go by in a blink of an eye. Plus, it conditions a child’s brain to tolerate and then crave overstimulation for long periods of time.
Twitch is a social media gaming app. Users can view game play and can post their own content. A couple things to watch out for include, the live streaming option and the chat option. Anything can happen on a live video, including graphic sexual acts. An example of this is a current trend called hot tub streamers, half naked women who float while playing video games. There is no way to filter the content that is live. The app is interactive which means that anyone could be chatting with your child. This makes it a place for predators to groom kids.
Discord is a gaming app that allows video sharing and video chat. Bullying is a problem on Discord. Some of the bigger problems include suicidal ideation, hate speech, graphic images and large amounts of swearing. The chat option also allows predators to have access to kids. The app is not made for kids and states that a user needs to be at least 13 to join. Discord is on the National Center on Sexual Expoitation Dirty Dozen List for 2022.
Instagram has a search feature that can be used to search explicit content. Hashtags on family or fitness accounts can also lead to photo’s and videos that are pornographic. There is a new “reels” feature that is similar to TikTok, and poses the same risks. A vanishing mode has been added recently to make pictures and videos disappear. It can only be used one on one and is dangerous for kids who are targeted by sexual predators. The vanishing option has also been linked to hate speech and bullying. There are also self-harm groups that teach kids how to abuse their bodies and how to get away with their destructive behavior.
Snapchat is well known with teens and parents. The feature of disappearing pictures made it popular. Many kids send pictures assuming they are not permanent. Unfortunately, screenshots make the pictures just as permanent as any other app. The trend is to take a screenshot of the picture before it disappears, especially if it has nudity. Another option on the app is Snap Map. If your child makes a friend on SnapChat their “friend” can connect with them on Snap Map, which gives predators their exact location.
Hoop is a dating app that connects to SnapChat and allows 12 + teenagers to swipe on pictures that they like. The feature is similar to the Tinder app for adults. The only purpose of the app is to meet new people and friend them on SnapChat. This leads to problems with fraud and sexual predators. Just like adult dating apps there is no way to ensure that a stranger is who they say they are.
Twitter is often used to view pornography. Anyone can search for pornography with the search engine and it will bring up graphic videos and pictures. It seems less threatening than apps like YouTube to parents and this could be a reason why teenagers use it to view porn. It is less likely that their parents will check their browser history. The app is a prime spot for trolling from strangers. Twitter is also a place for predators to groom children and is on the National Center on Sexual Expoitation Dirty Dozen List for 2022.
Youtube is a well-known app that gives kids access to whatever type of entertainment they are interested in. Just like any search engine, it can find any video content you ask for. Kids can find pornography, violence, drug use, self-harm, bad role models and much more.
Askfm is a bullying nightmare. Since the app allows teens to ask questions anonymously, the questions are often sexual, inappropriate, and confrontational. The questions and answers are often used to express hate speech, slander and gossip. They ask questions like, “Who is the ugliest person in our grade?” or “Does everyone agree that this person should jump off a cliff?” The bullying has been so bad that the app has been linked to multiple teen suicides and poses a risk for mental health. Askfm is also connected to other social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter and negative comments can be seen on connected accounts.
GalleryVault and other vault apps hide photos and videos. One of the scarier options on the GalleryVault app is that it gives the user access to a secret web browser. It also alerts the user if someone attempts to break into the app. This app is extremely dangerous for kids because parents will not be able to see the hidden photos, videos and browser history. There are many versions of vault apps.
Some vault apps look like standard phone apps, like a calculator. The apps are similar in that they hide video and picture content and have a logo that looks innocent. Make sure that the app you approve on your kids’ phone is really a legitimate app. This is a common way for kids to hide pornographic content from their parents.
As I researched the information on this list, I felt discouraged at first. I have three kids, ages 10, 12 and 15. I’m realizing as they get older that raising emotionally healthy kids is a lot more complicated than I anticipated. If you feel this way, you’re not alone. The good news is that with information comes the power to protect our kids!
To get started, consider downloading our free ebook Being Smart and Kind Online: A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship and A Family’s Guide to Digital Media. The eBooks will help your family understand various online dangers, how media can negatively impact our thoughts, lessons on how to be safe online, and help you strategize how to tackle these topics.
To start the conversation about media use with younger kids try the book, Petra’s Power to See: A Media Literacy Adventure, A guide to help kids decode media messages. Included are thoughtful conversation starters, fun workbooks, simple activities, a family guide, and more. The earlier we start talking about healthy rules and guidelines the better. We can raise emotionally healthy kids together!
Kimberly Yerkes is currently earning her bachelor’s degree in marriage and family studies at BYU-Idaho. She’s been married for 19 years to her best friend and the boy next door, Josh. They have three kids, ages 10-15. Her family loves to ski, play tennis, play football, hike, read, and perform all kinds of music. Kimberly is a classically trained singer, and her kids found a love for many different instruments. They love to perform as a family in church and at retirement homes in their community. Her family is her greatest joy, and raising emotionally healthy kids is her passion.
