Inappropriate activity on any app can have a negative impact on your child’s college and career opportunities. However, some children feel like they can act out on certain apps because it’s anonymous or the content disappears over time.
Why should students care?
- Using apps to hide your social media activity might mean you are engaging in behaviors that could hurt your digital footprint
- Would you want your hidden activity to be found by your dream school or future employer?
- Everything you post on social media or send in messages can be discovered online-even if you use apps that claim to delete your post after a set amount of time, like Snapchat or Instagram stories
Why should parents care?
- Some kids might think they can use certain apps to engage in negative activities because that activity won’t show up on their parent’s phone bill
- Using these apps can be dangerous and put your child at risk of encountering predators. So, it’s important to monitor the apps your children download
What could go wrong?
According to a report from ABC, there are child predators who know about these apps, and try to engage with your child. Take them offline and say ‘hey, download this app, we can communicate that way, no one ever has to know’.
Apps that can hide activity from parents
- On your child’s phone, open the App Store
- In the bottom right corner, click Updates
- Select Purchased
- Click My Purchases
- This is where you can access and review every app your student has ever downloaded
- On your child’s phone, open the Google Play Store. Ensure you are on the homepage
- Select the 3 line icon next to the search bar
- Click on My Apps & Games
- Select the All tab
- This is where you can access and review every app your student has ever downloaded
This is just a preview, want to access the full video?
Consider joining Parent University to get weekly videos your students can watch to learn how they can use social media in a positive way. In addition to our student training videos, get parent and educator videos that show you how to be cyber savvy, so you can stay ahead of your teens online and on social media.
We spend countless hours each week researching (and summarizing) the latest digital safety tips parents and educators need to know
Join Parent University to get an action-packed email every other Wednesday that will summarize all of our digital safety research (and you can skim it while you’re waiting in line)
In less than 20 minutes per month, Parent University makes it easy for parents and educators to stay updated on how to keep students safe.
Members save dozens of hours of time each month and spend more time protecting students. To get access to our bi-weekly social media safety research, become a Parent University paid member.
Host a Social Media Safety Event At Your School/Organization
We train 30,000 students each year how to shine online using social media and we show them how their accounts can be used to create a portfolio of positive accomplishments that impress colleges and employers.
Learn How To Set Up These Positive Networks With Your Whole Community!
12 Min Instagram Student Training Video
14 Min Facebook Student Training Video
20 Min LinkedIn Student Training Video
18 Min Facebook Student Training Video
15 Min Pinterest Student Training Video
Monitor Your Students Online With Footprint Friday
All Parent University members get access to our weekly Footprint Friday tool. This tool has helped thousands of people to use Google to see what their students are sharing online. Monitor your students each week in less than 5 minutes.
Join 70,000+ newsletter subscribers who read our expert social media safety tips each week
Principals & Districts: Protect your whole community with a Parent University membership
- This program gives parents videos to watch with their kids
- Students listen to an outside trusted expert and are more engaged
- Parents also get classes that bring them up to speed on the latest apps
Parents & Teachers: Join our Smart Social Podcast each week on iTunes as Josh Ochs interviews digital safety experts and teaches you how to shine online.
Subscribe on: iTunes – Google Play – Stitcher Radio – Web Player
