Potentially Dangerous Apps For Children And Teens: Texas Police Department Gives Warning To Parents

Many young children and teens are allowed by their parents to have their own smartphones and download their own mobile apps. However, parents should know that there are some potentially dangerous apps for children and teens.

The Texas Police Department recently posted on its official Facebook account to warn parents about some of the apps that might cause harm to their kids, according to MyCenTX. The post has become viral -- being shared more than 3,000 times already.

The first mobile app discussed is Tinder, which allows its users to date other users via a location tracking technology called GPS. According to the police warning, it is possible for adults and minors to find each other through this app. The app also allows a rating system of each user which can lead to cyberbullying.

The next mobile app discussed is Snapchat, which allows its users to send photos and videos to their friend list and decide how long the receivers can view the sent files. This app can be used for "sexting" because the users think that the photos or videos they sent will disappear after a while anyway. However, there are certain ways to recover the files and some even get posted in some porn sites.

Blender is another potentially dangerous app for children and teens. It is an app used for flirting with and meeting people through GPS. "There are no authentication requirements, so sexual predators can contact minors, minors can meet up with adults. And again, sexting can be an issue," the police department warns.

Kik Messenger is also one of the potentially dangerous apps for children and teens. It is used for instant messaging and involves the exchange of pictures, selfies and videos. According to a report from Truth Lamp, some sex predators have used Kik to prey and stalk on kids. "With its loose default privacy settings, Kik has the potential to expose younger users to pornographic content and adult-related, third party Apps," the report shared. "In addition, the ability for strangers to anonymously message others poses a significant risk of interaction with sexual predators."