J. J. Cannon

Image via gsmnation.com

Instead of app-blaming (new made up term – you heard it here first), parents of young users must take responsibility.

I see a lot of people focused on trying to keep up with and provide extensive details about the latest apps and why they are potentially harmful to our kids.

This is a monumental, energy sucking, eye-gouging endeavor.

Fingers have been recently pointed at Yik Yak, a new social app making headlines for being used inappropriately, and dangerously, by high school students across the country, as outlined in Huffington Post Screen Sense. My favorite line in the article:

After finding out how Yik Yak was being used by watching the news, the pair immediately contacted Apple and requested an expedited review for their new app, which they were granted; this enabled them to quickly change the app’s age rating to 17+ (parents take note: you can place restrictions on under-17-year-old children’s phones that block them from downloading apps based on this rating).

The apps will change, but my message is universal.  I will continue to focus on promoting more thoughtful communication among young people (and adults) and encourage parents to carefully consider when to allow their kids to become “socially active”.

Thanks for stopping by!

xo Jen