The “Bathroom Vandalism Challenge” on TikTok encourages students to cause destruction in their school’s restroom. Schools across the country are reacting and asking for help from parents and guardians to help stop this trend.

More than 1 billion users worldwide are logging on to share photos, videos, and stories. Is Instagram safe for your students? Read the Smart Social Guide to Instagram for Parents.

Yik Yak is an anonymous messaging app that allows users to see messages of others within 5 miles of their current location. It was originally launched in 2013, discontinued in 2017, and is again available in 2021.

The negative effects of social media on teens and tweens can be obvious for parents and educators, but there are rarely discussions about the positive impact of social media. Here are 22 ways social media can have a positive impact on students.

Minecraft is often described as a virtual version of LEGO, but with various modes and chat features, there are some dangers parents and educators should be aware of. Learn how Minecraft works and how to make it safer for students in this app guide.

Roblox, a user-generated online gaming platform, offers millions of games created by users. It's targeted to kids ages 8+. This safety guide will help parents keep their students safe on Roblox.

Like most hobbies, playing videos games can be safe in moderation. However, younger students who have not yet developed the ability to self-regulate their behavior need guidance and support to develop those skills. Learn the negative effects of video games and how you can protect your children.

Parents: should you be following your kids on social media? The Smart Social team consulted with 24 experts and they all agree-- yes! So how can parents keep their kids safe online and encourage good digital behavior without being too intrusive? Read our article to learn more.

Snapchat is extremely popular among teens. It’s also widely regarded as dangerous among law enforcement. Teens can have a lot of fun using the photo and video messaging app, but there are some major privacy and safety concerns we want parents to know about.

When parents set a positive example of online behaviors, have open discussions about the unrealistic standards social media can promote, and help students honor their accomplishments with gratitude, they can help their children avoid the negative effects of social media on mental health.

The TikTok app is a social network for making and sharing short videos. It's now the top most downloaded app in the world. There are a number of parental controls parents should be aware of - in addition to many safety and privacy concerns.

The Byte app lets users make and share short video loops. It launched in late January 2020 with a lot of online hype about its similarity to its predecessor, Vine. The Byte app's popularity is now skyrocketing as TikTok's future comes into question.

Discord is a free voice, video, and text chat app for gamers. Even though the Discord Chat app has built-in safety features, it’s important for parents to be aware that the app can still be dangerous for students. Learn how to keep your family safe on the Discord app.

The Zynn app is a new Chinese-owned TikTok copycat app that pays people to watch videos and refer friends. This Zynn app guide explains how the app works and why there are lots of privacy, data, and safety concerns for young users.

The Netflix app allows users to stream or download popular movies and shows from a mobile device. Learn how to use the app’s new parental controls here.

The Marco Polo app is a popular messaging app that lets friends send messages back and forth like a walkie talkie- but with video. The app’s privacy policy raises some concerns about the information collected on the app.

RSPH and the Young Health Movement published a report called #StatusOfMind, which examines the positive and negative effects of social media on young people’s health. Snapchat is ranked as the second worst app for teen mental health. In this video, learn the negative effects of Snapchat for teens and tweens.

Signal is a free private messaging app that promises privacy for users through end-to-end encryption. Users can text and make phone calls and video calls using the Signal app. This guide will tell you if the Signal app, which is widely used among security experts, is safe for your kids.

The TextNow app turns any wifi connected device into a phone with its own phone number, even if the device doesn’t have a phone plan. There are several reports of predators using the app to target victims, so we created this parent guide to help you keep your kids safe.

The Text Me app offers free texting, calling, and additional phone numbers. In our experience, students will download apps like this so that they can hide their activity from their parents. Additionally, the Text Me app offers location sharing features which can be incredibly dangerous for students.

The Tango app is a social network and messaging app for phones or tablets that uses geo-location. Learn why the Tango app is so dangerous, how predators use the app, and what you can do to keep your child safe if they have the app.

We sat down with two safety experts so that they could share their advice on how to make Instagram and Snapchat safe for children. Learn how you can teach students to search for themselves online to see what colleges see, how to start a dialog about social media, and more.