While Highster Mobile software can ultimately help you keep an eye on your child’s Internet and smart phone usage, it’s never too early to teach your child how to behave responsibly online. There are various websites you need to be careful about letting your child download due to both personal safety issues and keeping your child from accessing age inappropriate content before they’re ready. Don’t let your young child download these apps. And even when your child gets older, it may be key to ensure that your child doesn’t abuse their privilege.

Facebook

While users shouldn’t make an account before they’re thirteen years old, many parents allow their young child to make an account anyway. Don’t let your child be one of them. Along with being too easily able to access age inappropriate content, including swearing and partial nudity, it’s easy for predators to message your kids without warning. Don’t let children under ten even consider starting a Facebook account and monitor your child’s Facebook usage extensively when they’re over the age of thirteen and able to make an account on the website. Facebook can be a lot of fun but it’s also not the most age appropriate app out there.

Snapchat

Snapchat is popular among young children thanks to its colorful, funny filters and ability to quickly message friends. But the nature of Snapchat makes it highly inappropriate for children under thirteen. Messages off of Snapchat vanish within a matter of seconds (although you’ll be able to see them with Highstermobile software even after they disappear). For kids, the temptation is high for sending out wildly inappropriate or problematic content, especially when they believe that they won’t be watched. And while Snapchat users can choose who they add as contacts through the app, it’s easy for predators and unsavory people to fake an account and try to message your child.

Whisper

Whisper already sounds alarming on the surface. It’s an app that allows users to share their deepest, darkest secrets anonymously with the rest of the world. While it can be a great tool to help people vent out frustrations they couldn’t share with their family or friends, Whisper isn’t the safest or most secure app, especially when it comes to the kinds of content your children may come across. Whisper often features sexualized content from users, many of whom use Whisper in an attempt to ‘hook up’ with other users. Whisper also gives a user’s approximate location out with every post a user creates, making it all too easy for someone to locate your child. Download with care, if at all.

Yik Yak

Yik Yak is really only suitable for the college set and even then, it’s a difficult app to stomach. Yik Yak allows people to make anonymous posts venting about people, places or their lives. Since it’s anonymous, cyberbullying is a huge problem. Children might also encounter offensive, defamatory content. People can up vote or down vote content. If your children aren’t prepared for people potentially down voting or sending rude messages on content they share, this app definitely isn’t a good fit for them.

All apps featured here have their place. But when it comes to providing children with a safe, age appropriate environment, none of them deliver. Don’t let children under the age of ten download these apps. But should you decide that your child is ready to consider downloading and using these apps, use Hyster Mobile software to ensure that they’re using these apps responsibly and be ready to talk about the kinds of content they’ll stumble upon.