3 safe(r) messaging apps for kids
ARE THERE ANY SAFE MESSAGING APPS FOR KIDS?
Yes - there are. But not that many and there is still things to be aware of and look out for.
Disclaimer: we are not in any way associated with any apps mentioned and do not receive anything in return for mentioning them. They don’t know we are writing about them and our views are purely our own.
Last week we looked at 3 of the top risky texting and multi media messaging apps kids and teens use at the moment and why we strongly recommend avoiding them. This week, we want to give you some potential alternatives that are safer. When I say safer of course that doesn’t mean risk-free. Simply safer, with less risky features. As always, they key to using any app safely and with positive mental well-being in mind though, is to;
EDUCATE YOUR CHILD ABOUT:
Cyberbullying - how to react to bullying online.
Strangers Online - how to act in case they DO get contact by a stranger.
Upsetting content - how to act if something upsets them online.
Parental Controls - the steps you are taking to protect them.
RISKs THAT SAFER MESSAGING APPS reduce:
Location sharing - Your child’s location being shared with other users (both children and adults).
Public profiles - strangers being able to contact other users (and children).
Media sharing - Video and image sharing.
WHAT RISKS ARE WE TRYING TO AVOID?
Contact from strangers - on less safe or risky messaging apps, there is nothing stopping a stranger from contacting your child
Grooming - some of the apps we reviewed last week are known to be used for grooming children.
Sexting - apps like Kik or Yubo are used extensively for sexting due to the nature of the content that is shared on them.
Cyberbullying - with strangers being able to connect with your child on riskier apps, the chances of your child being bullied is exponentially increased.
ADVANTAGES OF SAFER MESSAGING APPS:
Staying connected with friends and family. Particularly during these socially distanced times, it can help your child to stay connected and feel socially inclusive with their friends and family.
Independence. Allowing your child to learn how to communicate online and with others in a relatively safe environment and with some parental controls.
Learning to stay safe. These first steps of communicating with others online, if practiced in conduction with parental supervision and education, can teach children valuable skills for how to navigate digital platforms safely and how to act if something goes wrong.
3 SAFE(R) MESSAGING AND TEXTING APPS FOR KIDS
1 - JUSTALK KIDS
My personal app of choice for my daughter taking her first steps in messaging with friends and family. JusTalk Kids claims that: “Kids will not receive friend requests, calls or messages from strangers. All of your children's personal information (including conversations) is encrypted and completely safe”. We also like that it works across devices.
What we like:
You as a parent can control your child’s access to features by setting a password (make it strong).
Children can’t (in theory) receive friend requests or calls from strangers.
There are no ads.
Tips:
Use difficult to guess usernames for your kids.
Use strong passcodes (4 digital passcodes can be easy to guess so you’ll have to be creative).
Beware - Users can (technically) register as a child even though they are an adult. However, it would be difficult to connect with a child as both parties have to accept a connection request and know each others usernames.
2 - MESSENGER FOR KIDS
Messenger for kids is a derivative of Facebook messenger and works similarly but with parental controls and restrictions. Beware: does collect a lot of data from what we understand (but I guess that’s the purpose of the Facebook platform).
What we like:
Parents approve every contact and can remove a contact at any time.
Parents can use 'sleep mode' to pre-set times that their child can't use the app.
Messages never disappear and cannot be hidden.
There are no in-app purchases or ads.
Tips:
Know that it collects a lot of data from what we understand so if you’re not ok with that, perhaps one of the other solutions is better suited to you.
3 - HANGOUTS
Whilst Hangouts is not specifically designed for children, You can use it in conjunction with Google Family Link for children under 13. This will give you some parental controls and makes hangouts somewhat safer.
What we like (only if used in conjunction with Google Family Link):
You can set privacy to 'can't send me invitations' which means that strangers shouldn’t be able to contact your child.
You can add friends and family members manually.
Individual messages can't be deleted. (however, entire chat histories can, so be aware of that)
Tips:
Only recommended in conjunction with Google Family Links or if part of your child’s google classroom solution. Use the Google Family Link App to create a Google account for a child under 13, linked to your own account.
As always, use strong passwords and stay engaged with your child about who they are connected with.
I hope this post was helpful to you. Next week: Instagram privacy settings.
Warmest Regards,
Michel (founder)
immunizeNet - safer digital lives.