The Group Hug Expert
I recently saw a tweet from @pooball about apps we should be looking out for on kids phones. From reading the descriptions of their capabilities, there is a lot of room for cyber-bullying or even worse!
It sounds horrific. I can’t imagine being a teenager and being compared against others. It’s bad enough in those hormone raging years, why would an app like this even be developed?
’Burn Book’ sounds equally horrifying! An app to start rumours? Is the answer therefore to not allow our children to have these apps on their phones so they don’t get lured into doing this kind of thing?
After all, if we are paying for our children’s phones we can choose what apps are downloaded? It’s simple to put a password requirement when apps are downloaded.
I would find it very simple to ask my teenager why they needed an app to start rumours or grade other children?
They all use instagram and snapchat and I don’t think we can stop that, but we can educate them.
I have already explained to my son over and over again that as soon as you click ‘send‘ on any message or photo on your phone, it’s gone into the world forever, you can’t get it back… and it could come back to haunt you. I use examples such as ‘imagine you become a doctor‘ or ‘imagine you become Prime Minister – you need to be really careful what could come back to haunt you’.
Education is the key, but do our children really need these apps? Probably not! Let’s ban them by not using them.
Is your child being teased online? Click HERE for more information about what to do if your child is a victim of cyber bullying.
Kidscape are are an amazing charity which provide resources for parents who are worried about their children being bullied.
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