You are viewed as an expert in educational technology and have been asked by your principal to plan and conduct a 10-minute presentation for parents o

Apps and Young Users: Warnings and Safeguards Assignment Instructions

Overview

Collaboration and communication apps have become ubiquitous in everyday functioning, but there can be risks and benefits to using these web-based tools, especially for children and teens. Few would question that the Internet substantially influences children and teenagers, yet children and teens often lack the self-regulation skills needed for decision-making in the complex digital world. Applications on a smartphone can easily pull children into the digital world where cyberbullying and the constant availability of sexual content represent potential sources of stress for children.
Apps historically noted as potentially dangerous for children and teens include Snapchat, Whisper, Blendr, and WhatsApp, yet several of these apps are used to good advantage by many. An unfortunate reality exists where new apps are continually being developed to look harmless and to mask the more dangerous apps in use by young people. Careful oversight and monitoring by more knowledgeable parents and adults are increasingly important. The ability to block inappropriate apps and content is essential for schools, teachers, and parents.

Instructions

Scenario: You are viewed as an expert in educational technology and have been asked by your principal to plan and conduct a 10-minute presentation for parents on the possible dangers of social media apps targeting children. The principal’s goals are to:

• Inform parents of what is happening in the complicated digital world where children are concerned.
• Demonstrate the types of challenges children are facing with actual recent news stories.
• Express the importance of parental monitoring.
• Equip parents with tools they can use for decision-making and monitoring.

1. For your presentation, identify three or more apps of particular concern for educators and parents that are potentially dangerous for children and teens. Avoid apps that are already commonly known (e.g., TikTok, Snapchat, etc.) unless you focus on a new danger recently identified in the news for these apps. Do your best to identify apps that are new on the scene. For each app identified:

◦ Provide a brief description along with an image of the app.

◦ Reveal two or three possible risks for each app when used by school-age students.

◦ Include at least two news items as evidence of the app’s risks and dangers to children. Limit your browser search to news items published/produced within the last six months.

2. You must also present information from both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and your state’s attorney general to support your claims.