The Whisper 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 Whisper app?
We created a Whisper App parents guide to help people understand this popular app that kids are using.
What parents need to know about the Whisper App.
From Chicago Now
- Predators have been known to use the app to contact victims.
- Whisper reveals a user’s location, which can be dangerous. It makes easy for whisperers to arrange to meet up, which police say also makes it easier for predators to locate and connect with victims.
- Teens and tweens use the app to cyberbully other kids.
- The Whisper’s Terms of Use states that users “acknowledge and agree that transmissions over the internet can never be completely secure.” The Terms of Use also say “WhisperText cannot guarantee uses will not encounter objectionable content on the Service.”
Who are the Whisper users? Demographic stats.
From Business Insider
- Whisper is most popular within people between ages 17 and 28. Michael Heyward says fewer than 4% of Whisper users are under the age of 18.
- The vast majority of its users — 70% — are women.
- On average, people spend more than 20 minutes per day with Whisper, checking its content 8–10 times per day.
Social media safety note: This app seems to be used by kids under 17 years old. Be careful if your kids have this app.
What is the Whisper app?
From Whisper App Website
Whisper is an anonymous social network that allows people to express themselves. If you have ever had something too intimate to share on traditional social networks, simply share it on Whisper! Connect with others with FREE private messaging and respond to other Whispers with your own anonymous Whispers. Discover Whispers from around the world and browse Whispers on topics that interest you most.
Social media safety tip: This app is scary since it promotes open sharing of secrets and then people can contact your kids to meetup. Be careful if your kids have this app.
Whisper Company Motto: Express Yourself – Share Secrets – Meet New People.
Whisper App claims to not collect personal information.
In order to protect anonymity, they claim they do not collect any personal information from users. Because of this, there is only a search feature for Whisper topics, not user profiles. This (the company says) ensures that there is no way for another user to discover your identity.
Age restriction.
If your child is under 17 you can prevent them from having access to apps with age restriction on your device. To do so on an iPhone go to Settings>General>Restrictions>Enable Restrictions. For most Androids there are third party apps that you can download to place restrictions on your device.
Social Media Safety Note: A lot of kids are getting around the age restriction. This company does not actually care how young your kids are.
How to create a Whisper?
- To create a Whisper, tap on the plus sign (+) at the bottom of the screen and you will be able to create your message. You can change a font or add location, tags, and image to your Whisper.
- You can choose to list your location or disable it by selecting “Don’t show my location.” With location feature, you can see Whispers posted by others in Nearby areas.
- Tags in Whispers are used to group messages together so that users can find posts of interest. You can add tags to your posts so that millions of users can find your Whispers!
- After creating text for your Whisper post, you can choose to insert an image from the Wispers’ database or upload an image of your own.
Four-digit pin number keeps your kids Whisper posts from being seen when you inspect their phone.
From The Atlantic
When you open the app on the phone, you can post and see public messages, but any time you want to see an archive of your own activity, you have to enter a four-digit pin number. So even if your phone were to fall into the wrong hands (i.e. parents), the posts and messages would still be hidden from view.
Whisper does track users for the safety reasons.
From Forbes
- Whisper does track users in order to ban unscrupulous types, meaning you’re not completely anonymous to Whisper itself.
- It also means that anyone who confesses to a serious crime could get a knock on the door from the police. An IP address would typically give authorities a home address.
- Users who post about depression and eating disorders can be directed to YourVoice, a non-profit foundation created by Whisper.
We comply with valid legal process. We don’t collect personal information and can obviously only provide what we have.
– Michael Heyward, Co-Founder of the Whisper.
Do you have more questions about the Whisper app? Let us know in the comment section below.
Click here to learn more about our social media safety assemblies that we provide for schools.
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