In the digital age, online communication platforms and social media have become crucial parts of our daily lives. And with that, many dating apps like MeetMe have become more popular among kids and teenagers ( especially under-16 children ). However, these apps have too many predators & fake people, which may ruin your kid’s future. Don’t worry. In this blog, we will explain MeetMe and other similar apps, keep on reading if you want to learn more!
What type of social media is MeetMe?
“MeetMe is a social media connection-building app that allows its users to make new friends in similar locations.”
This MeetMe dating app is simple to use, all you need to do is register on it and edit your profile. It will instantly suggest people around you that you might be interested in. Then you can contact other users via :
- Chat
- Live streams
- Virtual gifting
This app has over 50M+ downloads on the Play Store alone, and they rated it 4.1 out of 5 stars.
Is MeetMe a safe app?
“A knife can be used to cut fruits or to hurt somebody, it all depends on the user”. The same goes for the MeetMe app.
+ It shows who is around you and makes it easy to meet new friends, which requires you to be 18 years old.
– It can also be used by predators or abusers to do wrong with it.
So, we can neither say it is safe nor unsafe. Furthermore, there is a thumb rule that adults can use to meet new people and avoid predators, which is why this app is rated 17+.
In terms of kids & teenagers (below 18 age) are not experienced enough and can get easily fooled, making this app very unsafe for them. Parents should take measures like educating their kids about such apps and staying informed of their online activities.
Are there any apps like MeetMe that parents must know about?
Are there any other dating apps like MeetMe? The answer is “certainly”. It’s a valuable market for app developers around the world. And for users, the chance and crisis of the virtual world is everywhere. It would be best to know more about such apps, especially for parents of young teens.
i) Yubo
Yubo is a French social networking app designed to make new friends from all over the world. This app is very famous among both children and teenagers because it offers several opportunities, such as live streaming, private messaging, gifting, and many more.
ii) Hinge
As the name suggests, the Hinge app is popular with adults and teenagers to get hinged with new dates. No doubt, the Hinge app offers ways to build a romantic connection with another soulmate; still, it is not relevant for teenagers and kids to use the application for enjoyment because of the predators, abusers, & kidnappers.
iii) Bumble
Bumble is a dating app that allows its users to make new connections with strangers all over the world. This app collects all kinds of personal info and helps you meet same-minded people. But the problem again is that users must be above 18+ to use it because abusers lie everywhere. So, as a parent, don’t allow your underage kid to use this app.
iv) Hot or Not
Hot or Not is designed for pleasure persons who want one night stands. The application is hazardous for children.
Unfortunately, it is also trendy among youth, who share their photos and videos to get ratings on whether they are attractive or not. Moreover, if you register on it, you must upload at least one image to stay connected with other communities. This application is hazardous for children and teenagers.
v) Grindr
Grindr is a worldwide dating application just for 18-year-old gay and bisexual men and transgender based on the principles of LGBTQ ( refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ). No doubt that Grindr is not appropriate for children and teenagers because there is mostly sharing of nude images and videos in private chats in the usual routine.
vi) Kik
Kik is primarily a free messaging application, but it has an internal feature called Flirt, which is basically a way of connecting with naughty users.
This application is available for all digital devices, including iOS and Android operating systems. You can also send and receive images, videos, and sketches by using this app. If your kids are using the application and have a registered account, you must request account deactivation because Kik is not safe for kids and teenagers under 18.
vii) Skout
Skout is a global application for meeting new people and making friends. Like other dating applications, Skout is more risky for minors. It is a more strongly cautioned application by parents, and those under 18 years old are not allowed to join.
Hidden dangers of MeetMe sister apps
Like MeetMe apps, many other applications cause significant risks for children, especially those under 18 years of age.
Meeting new people is good, but not all are good, they might get improper texts & images from them and blackmail them (into telling this to everyone – cyberbullying). Then kids may fulfill their demands like sex, drug selling, etc. This will cause anxiety & depression of your child & deviate them life aims and at end your kid may even suicide.
Parents need to stay updated about these dating applications, so they can block them out as soon as possible before the irreparable harm is done to their child. And proper control over kids’ phones can be more easily via a parental control app.
How do we talk to kids about using apps like MeetMe?
Studies have shown that parents who are friendly and open (who talk about everything openly) usually get closer to their kids, so when the right time comes, kids also share their problems because they know they will get help from their parents, not punishment.
The first ever step if you want your kid to be safe is not to hide, but teach them about adult life according to their mature level.
So, openly talk to your kids about apps like MeetMe and their potential dangers, as well as the benefits. However, if you are already seeing sudden mood changes in your child, like:
- Always angry
- Doesn’t talk to anybody
- Stopped going out/staying in the room
- Hesitation from somebody or someplace
This shows that your kid might encountered a major problem. If he/she keep silent or refuse communication, you’d better be patience and solve problem through other paths. In this case, be friendly, try to be close to your kids. Even remind them again and again that you are always there and support them.
Additionally, a parental control app like FlashGet Kids is highly recommended to keep an eye on your child’s phone directly from your phone and figure out what happens in stealth mode.
How to block social apps like MeetMe on kids’ phones?
Just telling your kids not to use dating or social apps like MeetMe may not be effective, especially for teens who are curious about the world. Why not find a great assistant? Parental control apps will enable you to remotely monitor & control the kid’s phones directly from your phone.
i) Digital Wellbeing – Android phones: It is a built-in feature developed by Google in 2018, for most Android phones. You can find it in the settings menu. One of its great benefits is free of charge, but it has limited functions.
ii) Screen Time – iPhone: Similarly, Apple also has a pre-installed parental control feature and it is also free to use. Once parents and kids are in the same Family Sharing group, parents can set up kids’ Screen Time directly on their phone.
iii) Third-party apps – Android & iPhones: The above methods for Android and iPhone are limited as compared to third-party parental apps. The top third-party apps can do more than limiting screen time, app blockers, and location tracking. Additional features like accessing kids’ cameras & microphones remotely, checking galleries, monitoring social apps, keyword management, and so on.
Bonus: How can the FlashGet Kids app protect your child?
“FlashGet Kids is one of the world-famous parental control apps, which allows parents to monitor and control their kid’s phones remotely from anywhere in the world.”
FlashGet Kids was made to protect and safeguard kids with an easy interface, even a toddler can use it. But despite being simple, it packs a ton of features, more than any other app in the market, such as;
- Screen Time limits: Here you can quickly check and limit your kids’ screen time, like how much time they spend playing games, watching videos & apps, etc. Easily set screen time limits on certain apps or whole phones, which will automatically switch off if the limit is exceeded.
- Location tracking: Once you enable this feature, you can track the real-time location of your kid, as well as their location history.
- Screen mirroring: It allows you to mirror kids’ screens on your phone, anytime and anywhere. This function is very useful for capturing every moment that you missed, such as galleries, social media apps, and texting.
- Live monitoring: This feature will allow you to access kids’ phone cameras & microphones to see and listen around them. It is important to note that this feature is only offered by FlashGet kids. It is not available in built-in apps like Apple Screen Time or Google Digital Wellbeing.
- App blocking: With FlashGet Kids, you can also block apps like MeetMe, Bumble, etc. It will update about every new app your kid downloads on the phone. So you can know about them and block them if found inappropriate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, MeetMe & all similar apps are not suitable for kids and teenagers, which are risks for their mental health, behavior, and studies.
When kids don’t get attachment & recognition from parents, they go to such apps where they get trapped. So the first step is to openly talk with your kids, give them space, and let them know you are the support.
And to be cautious, you can set up parental control apps like FlashGet Kids to monitor & control their phone usage. One of the best things about parental apps is their work in the background, hidden from your kid’s devices.
