Moms, you oughta know: 11 social media apps teens are using now
Lela Davidson TODAY contributor Aug. 12, 2013 at 8:04 AM ET
The start of the school year is a great incentive to remain (or get) relevant, or at least keep virtual tabs on your teens.
You may use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but guess what, Mom? The social media sites you understand are not
the half of it. According to a 2013 Pew Internet study, teens are sharing more information than ever. This spring tech
news outlets reported that while teenagers are still active in the social media their parents know, they are increasingly
seeking privacy and perceived anonymity on other sites. Which social media sites does your child use? Parents may not
know about the new generation of sites and apps. Teens are using a variety of applications, gravitating toward the
highly visual apps that provide instant sharing (and instant gratification) without much effort. Go figure. Now that
established social networks like Facebook and Twitter are staples of GenX and Baby Boomers, it’s no wonder teens are
migrating away from them. Teens simply don’t want to hang out where Mom and Grandma swap recipes.
Here’s what parents need to know about the hottest social media platforms teens are using now.
Facebook
Your teenager is probably a Facebook user, but don’t assume kids use this site the same way you do. Facebook is huge.
It’s a default. Not having a Facebook profile would be like not being listed in the phone book back in the olden days.
Teens feel the need to maintain a profile there, even if they are not very active on the site. For best results on Facebook,
do not engage your teen. Just lurk and collect information.
Instagram
This photo editing and sharing app is crazy popular with teenage girls who love their selfies. Instagram allows users to
edit and post photos taken on their phone, and the images are publicly visible by default. Privacy settings are critical
here because there are whole communities dedicated to displaying images of minors in sexually suggestive poses that
are not technically pornography. Not to be paranoid, but innocent vacation pictures could end up in a forum for a
pedophiles.
Twitter
Twitter offers quick connection with anyone in the world. Users post updates in 140 characters or less. They can follow
and be followed, as well as block other users from seeing what they post, but parents can also see what kids are posting
without connecting, so long as they are not blocked. Because images can be posted, all the same dangers of Instagram
apply. Remember, too, that if your teen doesn’t want you to see their posts, they can simply start a new account and
not tell you about it.
Pinterest
Pinterest organizes users around interests. Users create boards, which are like digital bulletin boards where favorite
content is “pinned.” It's incredibly popular because of its ease of use, ability to “save” content to look at later, and highly
visual layout. Danger? Once a gathering place for home cooks and interior design aficionados, Pinterest has attracted its
share of porn. However, your teen probably won’t find it unless he or she is looking.
Vine
On Vine, users create and post 6-second videos, which are often also shared on Twitter and Facebook. Expect plenty of
inappropriate content here including enough sex and drugs to earn the app a 17+ rating in the iTunes Store. With an
unverified confirmation of the age requirement, users are ready to post video. Blocking who watches the video requires
constant vigilance to make sure videos are not shown to strangers.
Reddit
Reddit users submit links or text, which are voted up or down by other users. Content is ranked to determine the post’s
position on the front page. All the content is organized into categories known as “sub-reddits.” This site is more popular
with boys, who are using the app less as a social network than as a source of news and as a search engine. The forumlike interaction means your teen can “talk” to anyone.
Tumblr
Tumblr enables blogging for those afflicted with a short attention span. Of course, teens love it. Photo, audio, and video
posts are often re-shared from other sites with very little text. Tumblr’s big attraction is the ability to create collections
of media that quickly and powerfully express the poster’s personality. Beware of the anorexia communities popular on
Tumblr glorifying images of frighteningly thin young girls and women.
Kik
Kik is a smartphone messenger system where users send videos and images instead of text. Think emojis on steroids.
Teens love meme and Kik allows them to search for and share images, memes and YouTube videos. Parents might be
surprised to see some of the jokes their teens are sharing, but there is no unique danger here.
Snapchat
Snapchat allows users to send messages, primarily photos and videos that are destroyed seconds after they have been
received. This service is marketed to teens with “capture the moment” messaging, and plays on its contrast to Facebook,
which archives every post and pic for years. Snapchat’s fleeting image feature offers users the illusion of anonymity, but
screenshots can be taken. The biggest risk here is sending inappropriate content thinking it can’t be used against them.
If your kids have the judgment of politicians, they could get into trouble.
Pheed
Pheed allows users to share all forms of digital content in 420 character or less. Teens are the primary users of Pheed,
which is one of the top apps in the iPhone store. Each user gets their own channel where they can post their content
publicly or privately. In addition to the social media aspects like Facebook, Pheed is a full service broadcast medium.
Users can share audio tracks and live broadcasts. Your teenager could conceivably live-stream every waking moment on
Pheed. I think we’ve all seen that episode of "Law & Order." Users can also charge for access to the channel. A profit
motive and under-developed judgment? What could possibly go wrong?
Wanelo
Wanelo -- which stands for "Want, need, love" -- is Instagram-meets-shopping and the dream app of many teenage girls.
Users post images of and links to products, which are then bought, saved, tagged and shared by other users. When
enough users tag a product, a store page is created. Users can follow stores and get updates when new products from
those stores are posted. Wanelo is a wonderful tool to find out exactly what your 14-year-old daughter wants for her
birthday. Serious threats to your bank balance here.
4Chan
4chan is a simple forum platform. Anyone can post images on bulletin boards, and anyone can comment. Similar to
Reddit, the boards are dedicated to a variety of topics, but here users do not need to create an account to participate in
the community. Anonymity can create extremely hostile environments online, so if your teenager is using 4chan, you’ll
want to have conversations about how to deal with virtual aggression.