Snapchat quickly became the defacto app for sexting and inappropriate photos. Users liked the idea that they could send an image that would not reside online forever. Snapchat initially became popular due to the short amount of time a snap could be viewed. The messages self-destruct after a set amount of time (1-10 seconds) determined by the sender. Users can also apply image filters, lenses and bitmojis to add some special effects to the snaps.
Snapchat is used to send pictures or even small movies (snaps) with a short message overlaid across to other Snapchat users. Snapchat has been one of the most popular apps among young adults for several years now. Teenagers and young adults should steer clear of this group. Adults/predators can use a fake profile and message to trick teens into meeting face to face. Other than the obvious concern of teens communicating and potentially hooking up with random strangers, the app uses GPS location to connect users.
A recent update added the ability for users to create a virtual room with up to four people live streaming their camera.Yubo allows an unlimited number of people to watch these unmoderated live rooms. While the first three apps are trendy with the college crowd, Yubo is often referred to as “Tinder for Teens” due to its popularity with teenagers and young adults.
If a user “flags” (swipes left, stars, etc.) another person and that person does the same in return, then the app allows the two people to communicate via text and pictures. Profile pictures are presented to the person using the app. This set of apps is designed to help users set up a romantic encounter with other users who are in a certain GPS radius of each other. Tinder, Grindr, Down, and Yubo are popular dating apps. For example, if they have received an explicit image or even taken one of themselves (40% have), these apps would hide those photos from the gallery of pictures on the phone. Users have to enter a secret passcode on the calculator to access the hidden content.Īpps like this, known as “vault apps” allow children to hide inappropriate content from the adults in their lives. The difference is that when you open Calculator +, you’ll get a working calculator on the screen. The icon for the app looks like a few music notes which helps to disguise it from its true purpose.
Once installed, Hide It Pro allows you to set up a pin code to access hidden photos and videos. I’ve pulled together a list of potentially dangerous apps that are popular with Generation Z.Īpps like this are utilities designed to hide photos and videos from prying eyes. Often, kids are not even aware of the information they are sharing with the world when using these apps. These apps were not necessarily developed for nefarious reasons per se, but they can be used in ways that can help or even encourage children to make poor choices. There are apps in the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play Store (Android) that are not as helpful. Not all apps are created with that same sense of helpfulness in mind. These tools allow you to do things like ordering your coffee in advance, check in for a haircut, and map your way to a soccer game. Smartphone apps have become a mainstay in recent years.