5 most dangerous social media apps and their possible risks

Social media apps are an inseparable part of everyone’s life these days and the number of their users increase annually. As we all know, there are two sides to every story. Some social media apps are very useful and some have risks for those groups of people who are more vulnerable and exposed to cyberbullying, for instance kids. Here is a full list of the most dangerous social media apps that you might need to watch out for especially if you have kids or underage children who are using social media excessively.

There are many dangerous social media apps you might already be using without knowing that they are actually putting you in danger. More than adults, it is children who are exposed to inappropriate contents shared on social media apps and platforms. The more they use social media, chances are higher they become victims of cyberbullying. As an adult (possibly a parent) it is your duty to take care of them by detecting those harmful apps. Here is how.

Is social media safe for kids?

When kids use social media, there is no guarantee that they only view appropriate content, messages or posts that do not go against their age. Most of these social media apps do not have any limitation or control over their users and their age limits and that is why it is important to keep an eye out for your underage kids who are using social media apps all the more.

Kids under the age of 13 and in some cases 18, do not exactly know what they should and shouldn't post on their social media, so, they might unconsciously harm themselves by posting content that shouldn't be shared publicly. Other than that, kids in those ages can not distinguish who to meet and interact with and that is why they might get caught up in unhealthy relationships and in major cases get abused.

These are only some of the risks social media apps can have for your kids. As a parent, it is your job to ensure the safety and well-being of your kids and that is why you should monitor their social media activity and protect them from the harmful effects it might have both physically and mentally. This is all possible with taking advantage of an advanced parental control application.

What are the dangers of social media?

There are a number of dangers mentioned for social media apps, some of which we will briefly discuss in here. Generally social media is an unsafe place for children. Kids can not distinguish which profile is genuine and sharing appropriate content. Perhaps the first and foremost concern for each parent is the adult and pornographic content shared on social media which your kids might be exposed to. Other similar risks involved with social media are violence, drug abuse, harassment, animal killing, and other harmful content.

As a parent you definitely don't want your children to see such content which is inappropriate for their age and can have negative impacts on their minds. What’s more is, your children can also get scammed by fraudsters who target them because they are easy.

Speaking of mental effects, cyberbullying and social media addiction, are some other major social media dangers that you should be careful about if your kids are using social media excessively. All in all, your kid’s social media account should definitely be monitored and restricted for their own well-being and safety.

5 most dangerous social media apps

Many social media apps are accessed by kids easily and yet harmful to a great extent. Children might get affected by these apps unknowingly. However, as an adult (most possibly a parent) you need to watch out for these apps if your children are using them. Here are 5 most dangerous social media apps that you might look for in your children’s smartphone:

Telegram is the most widely-used and instant messaging app. There is barely a person without a telegram account these days. This app can be used for sending messages, photos, videos and files. As the world’s most powerful messenger, telegram offers features like end-to-end encryption and automatic disappearing messages. However, there is still room for fraudsters and cybercriminals since there are things you don't have access to like “secret chats.” That is why it is vital for you to monitor your child’s telegram using a Telegram control tool.

Instagram

Instagram is the most famous platform for sharing posts and videos online. The thing with Instagram is that you can follow both your friends and public profiles on Instagram and that is the first problem. To use Instagram your kids need to be at least 13 years old but there are still risks for those kids at a higher age. There have been reports about kids receiving phishing links on Instagram and that’s why as a parent, monitoring Instagram is vital for the well-being of your kids.

Snapchat

Most young people are fond of Snapchat. Snapchat is a popular pht, short story and message-sharing app. Snapchat does not require the person’s real name to get started. Mature content is shown without permission and also messages disappear automatically. You won’t be able to monitor your kid’s Snapchat unless you have a strong Snapchat control tool. Also, Snapchat is an easy to hack application which doubles the necessity for you to control your kid’s Snapchat account.

Whatsapp is another popular messaging application which hires end-to-end encryptions in all chats. However, it is considered one of the most dangerous social media apps since it monitors you or your children’s data and has access to all your personal and private information. Many cybercriminals target Whatsapp because of its large user base. There have been reports of attackers passing off malicious software as WhatsApp desktop applications. Young children who use whatsapp, need to be monitored and restricted by a Whatssapp parental control app.

TikTok

TikTok, the trendy video-sharing app, is highly popular among the gen-z generation these days. Even Though TikTok has its own parental control settings, your kids are still exposed to inappropriate content and language that is shared to them without permission. Anyone can find your children and talk to them on TikTok. A greater risk involved with TikTok is the risk of addiction it has for your young adolescents. A TikTok monitoring tool is what you need to safeguard your children from the risks involved with TikTok.

Can I reduce the risks of social media for my kids?

As mentioned above, there are many risks integrated with social media apps that might harm your kids. 5 of the most dangerous social media apps were mentioned above which you should be concerned about if your children are using them.

However, there are parental and controlling tools which you can use to reduce the risks of social media for your kids. Using a parental control tool, you can have full access to your children’s social media and monitor them to prevent anything bad from happening.

Conclusion

As a parent it’s your duty to keep your children safe and sound from the risks involved with social media. The first step is to encourage them to avoid these dangerous apps, not to get addicted to them (if not fully avoiding them). The second is to give them social media awareness to stay away from inappropriate content and not to interact with suspicious people with malicious purposes.

Nonetheless, to make sure your kids are one hundred percent protected, you can monitor their online and social media activities. A parental control app will help you keep your beloved child away from the dangers of the social media world.

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