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Not-for-Kids Apps YOU Need to Know About
(Common Sense Media) — Facebook and other social networks connect kids online. But a new form of social networking takes connecting a step further — to face-to-face meet-ups. New programs called social mapping applications use geographic information to connect people to specific places, as well as to each other. You may have heard of some of the most popular ones: Loopt, foursquare, and Gowalla. Once you join up, these applications track every movement you make.
And that’s what makes social mapping a no-go for kids and teens. These programs bring up two big issues: safety and privacy. Since they follow your location, they expose your kid’s whereabouts to anyone they “friend” — or, in some cases, to any other user of the program. Also, advertisers are already using social mapping to target users with ads and incentives to visit their businesses (most of which are bars and restaurants). …
1. These programs aren’t for your kids. Ignore the “ratings” you may see online. The apps must be downloaded, and even though they’re free, you’ll get a receipt for it, so you’ll know whether it’s been installed. Either way, check your child’s phone for these apps. You need to know what they’re doing.
2. If you think it’s OK for your kid to use one of these apps, then you must make sure that their privacy settings are set to the strictest options (as in, designated “friends only). That said, there are no guarantees that your child will be 100% protected from strangers or unwanted advertisers.
3. Since the programs allow users to post directly to Facebook or Twitter from any location, questions of safety and responsible behavior must be addressed. You don’t want someone telling everyone about a party at someone else’s house.
4. Finally, don’t our kids have enough ads in their lives? These programs have the ability to send highly targeted ads — to your kids’ favorite store at the mall, for example. Constant advertising has a tendency to give people the “gimmes.” Reinforce the fact that they can use the word “no.”
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One Response to “Not-for-Kids Apps YOU Need to Know About”
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My daughters need to read this article and others pertaining to the same subject. Please advise. Thank You.