The Musical.ly app has had some interesting news lately and this video from CBS-affiliated television station WTSP talks about how bad it can be for students.
What is the Musical.ly app?
Musical.ly is a popular app with teens and tweens that lets users make lip-syncing videos to their favorite songs.
Musical.ly is a popular app with teens and tweens that lets users make lip-syncing videos to their favorite songs.
- This app allows students to select from millions of songs or use music from their own device
- Create lip sync videos to your favorite songs
- Add video effects: filter, fast motion, slow motion, time lapse, reverse, and other “time machine” effects
Users of Musical.ly are called “musers” - Get likes from other “musers” and see how your music videos rank on the leaderboard
- The “Duet” feature creates a video that features your own video integrated with another “muser’s” submission
What does Musical.ly marketing say?
- Use hot music to make fascinating videos
- Discover trends from around the world
- Easily create fun and amazing videos to impress your friends
- Anyone can be an awesome singer
What is popular on Musical.ly?
What do parents say?
Warning….this app contains Adult Video Content!
“Warning….this app contains Adult Video Content! After watching a lot of other videos that were on there by others, the majority of them were inappropriate and had suggestive language and dancing.”
“Caution! Very fun but not for Tweens! The BIG problem is that a lot of the available music and sound bites contain all the very adult language and innuendos you hear on the radio. So when left to her own devices, I found my 10 year old lip syncing to suggestive lyrics she didn’t even understand. And dancing and gesturing the way a rock diva does- not the way I want her spending her free time.”
Why should parents care?
There is mature language and sexual content on the app.
Even though this app is relatively new and hasn’t received a lot of media attention, it is very popular with teens. There is mature language and sexual content in the songs that are popular on the app, and there is no way to filter the content. Videos can contain mature situations.
What can parents do?
- Remind your teen to keep each video Light, Bright and Polite
- And, inappropriate online activity (even under a fake username) can harm their reputation
- Start an open and honest dialog with your teen
- Challenge your teens to find a way to highlight their knowledge and teach others
- Encourage your students to participate in positive challenges (eg: #TeacherGoals)
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Why don’t musically and Instagram have filters/parental control settings to attempt to keep the bad stuff from the tweens? It would increase their numbers bc more parents would likely allow the app if there were better settings?
Yep ~ AGREE Jennifer
Jennifer, Unfortunatly, Musical.ly doesn’t have enough staff members to determine what content is safe for your kids (no app does). Therefore, it would give a false sense of security to parents to have any form of content controls. Please don’t rely on apps to protect your kids. Please have a healthy dialog with them about the apps (and maybe navigate the safe(r) apps with them) so you can be ahead of the curve.
Thanks for your support!