Most kids today have access to mobile phones, and by extension, a wide range of apps. Most of these apps are helpful in managing these kids’ emotions, helping them cultivate good reading habit, but a few of these apps are harmful. One that has left many parents concerned in the last few years is the app for nudes.
These apps for nudes which are easily accessible exposes kids to inappropriate contents and potential exploitation by online predators. And according to the F.B.I, an estimated 89 percent of sexual advances directed at children occur in internet chatrooms or through instant messaging.
In this article, we will discuss what apps for nudes are, and also share tips for protecting your child.
What are nude-sharing apps?
Nude-sharing apps are platforms that allow sharing and receiving of explicit images and videos. Just like regular social media platforms, these nude-sharing apps allow users to send and receive messages. They also have privacy features like disappearing messages or end-to-end encryption. This makesit easier for users to share sensitive content without worrying about the implications.
Unfortunately while these apps can be used by young adults to take their romance up a notch, build their relationship and connect with people, it can also be used by predators to exploit kids and cause damages.
The bad influence of apps for nudes on children
These apps for nudes are quite common in today’s world, and any child with access to the internet can easily come across these apps and even go as far as exploring its features, either intentionally or by accident.
And in the cause of this exploration, a child may;
- Start to exhibit inappropriate behavior:
After being exposed to these contents, a child may start to normalize these behaviors and begin exhibiting them. Also, a child may use words they’d either read or heard on the apps for nude. Which can also negatively influence other kids around them.
- Become exposed to predators:
These apps for nudes are a breeding ground for predators, who have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves to get these kids and young adults to do their bidding.
- Interfere with a child’s healthy sexual development:
Sex education is encouraged for the younger generation. But while sex education comes with a planned curriculum, these apps do not. Kids are exposed to all kinds of inappropriate contents, which gives them the wrong idea about sexual activities.
- Lead to mental health issues:
Exposure to explicit content can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. Children may struggle to process the images they see, leading to long-term psychological effects.
- Cyberbullying:
Sharing nudes can make children targets for cyberbullying. Once explicit content is shared, it can easily be used to harass or blackmail the child.
- Loss of privacy:
Children may not fully understand the implications of sharing nudes, leading to a loss of privacy. Once something is shared online, it can never be completely erased. The internet never forgets.
Popular nudes apps parents should know about
Understanding the potential dangers of nude-sharing apps is the first step, but parents also need to be aware of specific platforms that are commonly used for this purpose. Here are some popular apps for nudes that every parent should know about and try to block your kids from:
Signal
Even though this app is equipped with end-to-end encryption and an auto-delete feature, it’s an app that should leave parents concerned when they see it in their kids’ devices. Why? It is a sexting app that allows users to send flirtatious messages and explicit photos, from one to the other. It also allows users interact in groups, and there’s no telling what a minor could learn from being in the wrong group.
Dust
Disappearing messages, screenshot prevention on iOS, anonymous messages, and even alert when screenshots are taken. Dust has it all takes to make sexting safe. But it’s not designed to protect children from the psychological effect of being exposed to explicit contents, neither does it protect them from whatever image or photo an anonymous user would send. And as such, calls for concern.
Snapchat
Known for its beautiful photo filters, Snapchat can also be used to send explicit content. Users have control over the visibility of their photos and the duration it stays, and it also alerts a user when someone takes a screenshot of their content. While some kids use this app for its filters, others use it for sexting purposes. However, screenshots and third-party apps can easily save this content. There are ways around it, which some of these kids might not be aware of, until they’re being blackmailed with their photos.
Confide
As a parent, you should be aware that Confide is a nude sharing app for those who do not want to get caught. It features include screenshot proof and end-to-end encryption. This means, whoever receives the nude cannot screenshot it. But it doesn’t say what would happen if a user decides to take a picture of the ‘shared nude’ with another device.
So, this leaves room for concern.
OnlyFans
This happens to be one of the most popular app on the list. OnlyFans was Originally intended for creators to share content with their fans. But the app soon became notorious for adult content. Although, it’s marketed for adults, there’s a risk that young users might go on there, have inappropriate conversations, and access explicit contents.
Instagram (DMs)
To most parents, Instagram is that one meta app where people share their thoughts and mostly photos/videos. But we’ve decided to let you in on a little secret—the younger generation also uses Instagram’s direct messaging feature to share explicit contents.
Tips to protect your child from apps for nudes
Most kids do not know the dangers that these nude-sharing apps pose. As a parent, it’s vital to take proactive steps to protect your child from the dangers of nude-sharing apps. Here are a few tips to help with that:
Educate your child on the dangers:
The first step to protecting a child from anything, including apps for nudes is education. Having a conversation with your child about the risks, and dangers of these apps to the physical, mental and social wellbeing is important.
For instance: What happens if this pictures get into the wrong hands? How well do you know who you’re sexting?
We advise that this conversation should make the child comfortable enough to ask questions and air their opinions.
Set up strong passwords and restrictions:
Ensure that your child’s devices are secured with strong passwords, and use whatever device restriction exists to make sure they do not download certain apps without your permission. This not only prevents them from accessing these adult contents that could get them exposed to predators, it also makes sure you know what they’re up to.
Use the parental control app—FlashGet Kids:
Every parental control app, including FlashGet Kids is designed to help you keep your kids safe online by preventing them from accessing certain contents, apps and websites.
FlashGet Kids parental control app is equipped with everything you need to monitor and control your child’s online activity, and these features include:
App Blocker: Parents can enable app blocker to prevent their children from downloading any of the above mentioned apps, including other apps for nude-sharing. If a child attempts to download any of these apps, a parent would be notified. And they’d then weigh the pros and cons, and decide if the child should be allowed to download the app. With this, a parent can minimize their child’s risk of exposure to explicit content.
Screen Mirroring:
With screen mirroring, you can view your child’s browsing activity in real-time. Here. whatever they’re accessing on their screen will be shown on yours. This allows you to intervene if they access any app or information that you consider unsafe or inappropriate. Also, you can stop them before they send that nude to whoever is on the other end. Screen mirroring is a useful feature for ensuring your child’s online safety.
Keyword Detection:
With Keyword detection, you can input certain keywords that leave you concerned. E.g: Nude, boobs, etc. FlashGet Kids will alert you when these keywords and others related to explicit content are detected on your child’s device.
Notifications:
This feature lets you receive all notifications that you child gets on their device, allowing you to keep track of who’s messaging them and what they’re discussing. This includes notifications from apps, and even regular text messages.
Location Tracker:
If you what to know the current location of your child’s device, and also get the history of where your child have been at a certain time, then, enabling location tracker is highly recommended. This feature keeps track of wherever your child has been, as long as they had their device on them. With this feature, FlashGet Kids ensure your child is safe, both offline and online.
Usage Report:
FlashGet Kids monitor’s your child’s daily and weekly app usage and sends you a report. And with the data collected, the app also sends you suggestions on keeping your child safe. If they’re spending too much time on an app, you’ll get suggestion on how to fix this.
Conclusion
Nude-sharing apps are everywhere on app stores. As a parent, it’s important to take proactive steps in ensuring that your child is not exposed to predators who are lurking all around these apps, harmful contents and conversations that can cause any kind of damage. With the right knowledge and tools like FlashGet Kids, and by education them and setting up restrictions, your child can be kept safe online.
Additionally, we highly recommend FlashGet Kids, as it’s equipped with all the right features to help you help your kids. These features include, screen mirroring, location tracker, snapshot, alerts and one way audio.
Utilizing these features the right way gets you the proper result—keeps your child safe.
