Zepeto Has Predator Concerns Similar to Roblox
What? Zepeto is a social networking app where users play as avatars. Similar to Roblox, users can create unique games and scenarios in “worlds” for other players to enjoy. Users can also chat with each other in chat rooms and private messages.
So What? According to Parents, Zepeto recently went viral on TikTok after a concerned mom realized her 12-year-old daughter was chatting with a predator via the app. Although her child didn’t respond to the inappropriate inquiries, the mother wanted to be sure other parents were aware of the dangers in this seemingly innocuous app. (For its part, Zepeto later warned its users about the dangers of grooming and harassment on its Instagram account.)
Now What? Technically, Zepeto is only available for users 13 years old and up. However, the age restrictions are easily bypassed. And the in-app games and anime-style avatars appeal to kids of all ages. Bark Technologies warns that because content is largely user-generated, there are risks of exposure to inappropriate content even for teens old enough to use the app. If your child is playing Zepeto, privacy settings can be adjusted to block interactions with strangers. But parents should also talk to their kids about online safety, encouraging them to block and report any unsavory users.
Snapchat Half-Swipe Can Be Damaging for Girls’ Self-Esteem
What? Snapchat’s “Half-Swipe” allows users to partially read a message without notifying the sender that they’ve seen it. The idea of the feature is to allow users to read a message without feeling pressured to respond immediately.
So What? According to The Wall Street Journal, the half-swipe has taken a turn for the worse: “When teen girls, in particular, see that a crush is active on the app while their message remains unanswered, it can set off a spiral of self-doubt.” Additionally, Snapchat Premium subscribers can now see if someone is actively “peeking” at a message via the half-swipe. So “many teens say they remain glued to the app after sending a message to a crush,” the Journal says, hoping to catch them in the act of half-swiping.
Now What? It’s a great time to remind our kids that once upon a time, if you wanted to chat with someone, you had to either call them on the phone or go to their house. And if they weren’t home or didn’t answer, you had to wait. I jest, but we really should talk to our teens especially about their expectation for an immediate response. Sometimes, even if someone sees a message, they can’t respond right away, for any number of reasons. So rather than making yourself miserable, find something else to occupy your time—and if that something else takes you away from your phone (and the temptation to see if they’ve written back), all the better.
BeReal May Become Less Real With Ads
What? BeReal boomed in popularity in 2022, marketing itself on its more authentic approach to social media. It encourages users to post untouched, unposed, candid pics. And because it only lets users post once a day at a random time the app decides each day (users get a notification and have two minutes to snap a pic wherever they are), it mitigates some of the endless scroll problems of other social media platforms.
So What? However, according to TechCrunch, BeReal is now introducing ads to its platform. And I can’t help but wonder what that will do to its vaunted value on “authenticity.”
Now What? There’s no such thing as a “safe” social media app, no matter what BeReal’s marketing department may say otherwise. As Plugged In’s Adam Holz puts it, “Parental engagement and intentionality remain the best strategies to ensure that young users can enjoy BeReal’s benefits without being knocked off course by some of the vulnerabilities that still exist with it.”
