Let's Get Techy | talking through popular apps for teens
Hey there, Lifeline Parents!
The world we live in today is a world like none other. The innovation of smart phones and technology is always growing and has completely changed the way we live our lives and spend our time. This is true for us as adults, but it seems it’s totally changed the world teens live in.
The use of apps on students’ phones has given them so many ways to express themselves on the internet while also seeing what others are doing. They’re able to access just about anything from the touch of a finger and communicate with people in seconds. Kind of terrifying, right?!
Chances are your student spends a good bit of time on his or her phone and you might be curious about what they are up to.
Below is a list of the three most popular apps that kids and teens are using a lot right now--
TikTok | Above all else, TikTok has taken over the social media game. This app put a fun spin on social media by allowing videos to be shared up to 60 seconds. It’s most known for its dancing trends that change almost weekly. Once you create a video, you’re able to post it on your account for people to see. If you aren’t into posting, you can also head to the For You Page (FYP) and watch the most popular videos of the day.
Teens love this app because of the fun trends it brings, as well as the opportunity to be creative and post fun videos. As a brother of 15-year-old high schooler, I can say from experience that she loves when I join in on a TikTok dance with her. Maybe give it a try with your student one of these times!
TikTok has a surprising amount of parental control options for you utilize. Compared to Instagram or Snapchat, it seems like TikTok does have parents’ interests in mind when it comes to protecting younger users.
Instagram | Instagram is the old dog of the popular apps. It seems like it’s been around forever! The main feature of Instagram, or as the kids call it “Insta”, is to post pictures on their page with captions. It’s a super easy way to interact with others and give their picture a “like” or comment. Kids love this app because it’s an easy way to show fun things they’ve been doing and also maybe brag a bit about some exciting thing going on in their life!
Instagram recently added new parental controls to help keep teens safe on their platform. While you can see most of what your teen is up to through their activity (likes and comments on other people’s posts and things they share), messages are private and they can choose to hide their “story” posts from whoever they’d like.
Snapchat | Snapchat is still thriving after being around for a bit. It is a way for friends to communicate through the form of video or picture. This is more of a private conversation, like texting but with pictures. This is a fun way for students to talk with their best pals but adding some sort of emotion to it instead of just having words on a screen.
Snapchat also has this feature called “streaks”. Streaks show you how many days in a row you’ve been snapping a person for. Although it doesn’t seem like a huge deal, teens love to see how high they can get these streak scores. I’ve seen some in the hundreds, and even thousands!
Most Snapchat conversations disappear, making it hard to know what your teen is sending or receiving on this platform. Of all the popular apps, this is one that it’s harder to fully know what your student is up to while they’re spending time on it.
These apps can bring great joy and fun to a teen’s life, but monitoring what your teen is doing on these apps is always a great idea. The best option, or compromise, is to follow them on each app. This is a way for you to see what they post, what people comment on their posts, and you are able to see who they follow and who follows them!
You know your student better than anyone else. Even if the age requirement for an app is 13, you know whether or not your child is able to handle using these platforms responsibly.
These apps have become such a fun way for teens to stay in contact with friends and family during the pandemic and they certainly won’t be going away anytime soon. My advice to you is to embrace the social media age--run with it and have some fun! Comment on your kid’s posts, send them fun Snapchats, and maybe even make a TikTok video with them!
Who knows, maybe you will all go viral for creating a new dance!
About the author:
Taylor Janson
Taylor Janson is a Lifeline alumni and former volunteer turned staff member! He is the Student Ministries Campus Coordinator at the Knapp Street Campus.