When you use social media apps or websites that give you the option to remain anonymous, it is dangerous for a few reasons. These days, it seems like everyone wants to be on social media because all of their friends and family are on them, but all users of anonymous websites should be aware of the dangers of talking to strangers or the possibility of interacting with someone they think is their “friend” but is a catfish.
Find out more about how you can tell if you are being catfished.
What Are Anonymous Social Media Apps?
An anonymous social media app is considered any app or website that requires little to no identity verification to make sure users are the persons they say they are claiming to be. The use of social media that allows people to use their app without verifying their identity gives users the ability to talk to other users without revealing their true identities.
These anonymous users can sign up with these social media apps without a validated email address or phone number and can create multiple accounts under different usernames. These anonymous social media apps can be easily accessed on any app store and through the internet.
Are Anonymous Social Media Apps Dangerous For Children?
Social media encourages users to express themselves and leads them to share a little bit more information than they should, regardless of whether the information is true or not. If a child uses anonymous social media apps, it puts them at risk in a few ways.
Communicating with anonymous users.
Sharing inappropriate content, including photos or videos, to anonymous users. Sharing information with potential predators, including their physical location or home address. These risk factors can often change a child’s behavior to act out and overall place them in great danger when they are offline.
Anonymous Social Media News
There has been an increase in reports of adults creating social media accounts pretending to be young girls to convince young boys to send sexual images or videos for money.
Threats of violence on social media led to the arrest of a student after making accusations that a school shooting would occur.
Why Would Children Want To Be on Anonymous Apps?
There are several reasons why a child would want to be on an anonymous app. Maybe it is because their parents do not allow them to be on social media, so they pretend to be someone they aren’t, or maybe they are insecure about the person they are so they want to feel like someone they aren’t.
The ability to be anonymous online and communicate with other users without them knowing your true identity can also give a sense of confidence that a child has been lacking. Pretending to be someone else relieves anxiety and allows children to possess different personalities without the fear of getting in trouble or facing any consequences.
Examples of Anonymous Apps/Websites
We have a few different guides on how to monitor some of the more popular social media apps like Snapchat or Tinder. However, there are new apps that are created every day and can be accessed in the app stores.
Here are some of the most popular anonymous apps you can look out for:
- Omegle
- Emerald Chat
- SayAt.Me App
- YikYak
- ASKfm
- MeWe
- AntiLand
- Whisper
- Secret
What Can Be Done?
If you are a concerned parent or mentor, be sure to talk to children as often as you can about the apps they are using while on their cell phones. If you find out they are using an anonymous app, check on who they are talking to and make sure they are not sharing any personal information with someone they do not know.
It is good to create strategies together with your child or loved one to ensure that what they are sharing is based on their interests and not through the desire to be like others. It is also a good idea to come up with a list of apps or websites that might be considered dangerous to help them understand why they are not safe sites for them to use.
Remember, don’t try to lecture a child or loved one about what they should do, but rather help them learn how to make better decisions.
Conclusion:
Online apps and social media sites can be great for children or teens to use to connect with others or simply to get their minds off things, but anonymous apps can be very dangerous for their safety. If you are a parent or mentor, it is important to be aware of any online app that allows users to create profiles without identity verification, as it puts children and young adults at risk.
It is not necessary to overlook every single thing your child does on their phone, but it is necessary to give them positive and helpful information to get them to understand the possibility of exposure to online predators and other dangers of anonymous social media apps.
