Your kids use apps you've never heard about? What to worry about and what not to.

Being called a Yakker and not knowing exactly what that means is a sign that you are falling behind the latest trends in social media. That’s not a problem if you have more important things to do but, if you are a parent, you may want to take a close look at the most popular apps among kids nowadays (according to the Bitdefender study, Teens and online Threats in USA).

YouTube (98%), Instagram (81%), Snapchat (76%), Facebook (71%) and Twitter (62%) are the most-used online platforms by teens in the US and they are, more or less, the ones you use, too. Maybe you are friends with your kid online, you follow, comment and like each other, and you keep an eye on his activities there.

But maybe your child doesn’t use them so much anymore, letting you think everything is ok, while he/she is elsewhere. For example, 58% of the interviewed teens use Snapchat daily, and only 35% use Facebook every day.

The study points out that new social platforms are emerging out of the blue of cyberspace and becoming increasingly popular.

• 35% of teen use Kik, a mobile app similar to other instant messenger apps that allows them to connect with others using just a username beyond their phone contacts.
• 35% use YouNow, a Live Stream Video Chat app.
• 26% use Live.ly, which can broadcast their life to the world, and initiate group video chats among friends to hang out virtually.
• 25% use Omegle,  an app with the slogan ”Talk to strangers!”
• 24% use Houseparty, a group video chat app
• 22% use Live.me – users can chat, sing, or broadcast another talent and get paid for creating content.
• 22% use Whisper,  where users post and share photo and video messages anonymously
• 21% use Yellow/ Yubo that allows users to make new friends and create live videos with them.
• 19% use Monkey, an app that randomly connects teens with other Snapchat users for a 10-second video chat
• 17% use MeetMe – a kind of Tinder for children that allows them to ”meet, chat, and have fun with new people.”

Before you panic though, sit down and talk with your kids about phone use, apps, and social media privacy settings. Find out which apps she/ he using, how they work, and whether s/he has experienced any issues with them.

Some risks are just common sense, such as meeting strangers, sharing personal information, photos, sexting and cyberbullying. S/he should be aware of them and come to talk to you when something/someone doesn’t feel right. Some apps are just too dangerous.

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not very sure what your child has been doing online. You can’t join every single site or app. What you can do instead is use a parental control app and agree with him/her to ask you before downloading any new apps, so you can diminish the risks together.