It’s been some time since I’ve discussed specific mobile phone apps on MediaTechParenting, but a few days ago, KTRK-TV, an ABC.com affiliate, posted a list of fourteen of them and encouraged parents to learn whether their 21st Century children use these apps on their cell phones.
The Texas-based television station’s list includes several apps that may be familiar, such as Instagram, Ask.fm, and Snapchat, but others, such as Holla, Omegle, and Hot or Not, are not as well-known. Some of these apps, in the hands of teenagers, encourage questionable and even uncivil behavior, so they are definitely worth some parent study time.
None of the apps on the list were specifically designed with teen users in mind, but young people generally test limits as they are growing up and trying out some of these activities on mobile phones is one way they can experiment.
Parents need to know how their children are using their phones. It is never wrong to set limits and develop a family mobile device plan that enables parents to keep track of what is on the phones that their children use. Families can also adopt an acceptable use agreement or contract for their young mobile phone users or seek out one of the many online monitoring resources. This 2019 list at Tom’s Guide offers a variety of digital device administration options.
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