Working Together
To Make The
Greater Five Towns
A Healthy, Safe and
Drug Free Community
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Saving Lives Coalition
Next Virtual Meeting
Save the Date
Tuesday
April 13, 2021
7:30 PM
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Do You Know Who Your Kids Are Talking To On Social Media? |
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5 Apps Your Kids Are Using That You
Should Know Well.
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Dr. Steve Webb is the best-selling author of the book Education in a Violent World |
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Along with Emerald Chat, there are other apps you should have on your radar.
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“It's about building trust, ‘cause that's what pedophiles use to get the kids out of your home. They build trust with them saying how beautiful they are, how they understand others don't want them but they do,” said Webb.
The Emerald Chat site only asked one question Male or Female. There was nothing about age, no consent needed, no warning page for minors.
One-click and you can begin chatting with strangers.This is a scary thought that your kids could be on this site chatting with strangers.
Talking with your kid is number one. Knowing what sites they’re on, who they are talking with, etc. is priceless.
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The top five apps he talked about were: Snapchat, Yolo, TikTok, Whisper, and Discord.
You might even use some of these apps, but you should also know your way around the apps enough to know all their features.
“No parent would drop their kid off at the mall if they knew there were pedophiles and bullies and murderers-- so why do we allow them in our bedrooms without knowing they are there? And that's what we do when we allow kids to be quiet in their bedrooms and download whatever they want to with their apps,” said Webb.
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The Emerald Chat Connection:
Savannah Childress Kidnapping
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Emerald Chat App
Sparks Warnings (Video)
Mar 8, 2021
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This super popular app allows users to send photos and videos that disappear after they're received |
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Why parents should worry: Some kids are using the app to send racy pics because they believe the images can't be saved and circulated.
But it turns out that Snapchat pics don't completely disappear from a device and recipients can take a screenshot before an image vanishes in the app, allowing the image to be used for eternity in blackmailing or bullying campaigns.
The app also shares the geographic location of users.
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YOLO (You Only Live Once) |
This app allows users to communicate over Snapchat anonymously.
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Why parents should worry: Because there is no way to identify the sender unless the sender chooses to reveal their own identity.
This app provides an opportunity for bad behavior and wholesale cyberbullying that can be devastating for victims - triggering despair and even suicide.
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An app for creating and sharing short 15-second music videos. It encourages users to express themselves creatively through video. |
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Why parents should worry: Thirteen is the minimum age, but there isn't a real way to validate age so any child can download the app and view explicit content posted by others.
Also, more troubling, all accounts are set to public by default so strangers can use this app to contact and communicate with your children at home in their bedrooms while the kids are surfing social media sites.
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Whisper is an anonymous social network that promotes sharing secrets with strangers. It also reveals a user's location so people can meet up. |
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Why parents should worry: Whisper lets users set up anonymous accounts to make their messages or confessions overlap an image or graphic (similar to e-postcards), which other users can then "like," share or comment on.
While it allows for creative expression, it can also take personal content viral. The app also shows a user's location. Although the app is geared toward older teens and adults, younger children are finding their way to it.
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Initially created for gamers to talk while they're playing, Discord has morphed into a place for anyone to explore their interests in subject-specific groups. |
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Why parents should worry: It's had safety problems, including being at the center of at least one serious crime where an 11-year-old boy was lured across state lines from Mississippi to southern Illinois.
Its private servers have a reputation as places where bad actors and cybercriminals can come together to communicate.
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SOLUTION:
PARENTAL CONTROLS
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Consumers Advocate has a list of the 10 best parental control apps of 2021. When you scroll down this list, you'll see each app gives you the highlights of what it monitors so you can pick what best suits your needs.
You have widespread monitoring options from putting time limits on games and apps, tracking calls and texts, content filters, even tracking your child’s location.
Webb says parents need to take action to protect their children.
“Play the games with your children. I take their headset and I start talking to the people they're talking to and they are friends. They don't like the intrusion, but that's my job as a dad,” said Webb.
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If you know or suspect your child or teen may be misusing substances, have addictive behavior or may be having mental health issues, please reach out to:
Saving Lives Five Towns Coalition
We are here to ensure you have the
information and support you need.
To Join Our Community Coalition
please contact:
Susan Blauner, Director
Substance Abuse Prevention,
Awareness and Education
516.569.6733
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Be Aware
Be Proactive
Be Part of the Solution
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