Inspecting Social Media Tools

With the onset of Social Media’s meteoric rise to popularity and use with teenagers, it was inevitable that with all the great things that come with using, understanding and exploring Social Media for its positive purposes, we would someday encounter negative facets too.

As a father and educator I rely on Social Media for professional development, education, and connectedness. These two roles often merge together at times which require the blending the responsibilities of each together. This past Saturday (Feb 8^th) I was fortunate to be part of the #edcampSTL experience. This UN-Conference was incredible (to say the least). Eighty breakout sessions were offered throughout the course of the day. One particular session “Social Media How Kids Use It” caught my attention. What I learned in this session, I need to share you with parents, teachers, and administrators.

Last spring I shared with my parents some information about Ask.fm and how students are using this App. Ask.fm is a tool that students use to ask questions of their peers. The person asking the question can remain anonymous. Anyone can follow you or access your Ask.fm account to see what people are asking you. Just as important, they can see your responses. Personal, private questions are being posed to our teens. Now the scary part is ….they are answering these incredibly personal questions.

During the “Social Media: How Kids Use It” break out session, college Professor Julie Smith shared with us some of the other Social Media tools our children and students could be using (on a regular basis).  She told us that our students’ (and childrens’) digital footprint are really a digital tattoos!

Here are the iPhone Apps that she suggested we check out before our children started using them. Or if your children/students are using them, we need to have a conversation about the way they are using them. Here are several. I’ve given a very brief explanation and how to access the app via iTunes or their website.

·         BuzzE: Rate people with ‘stars’. iTunes App. www.buzze.com

·         HotorNot: Rate people via their profile picture/s.  http://hotornot.com/

·         Tinder: Meet people, date people. www.gotinder.com

·         Voxer: Voice/text/photo sharing. Location sharing too.  www.voxer.com

·         Whisper: Totally anonymous. Free to share information. iTunes

I will continue to share information as I learn more about Apps and websites that parents should be aware of. There are many, many other Apps that are out there. By being proactive we can work to keep current of the latest Apps of Social Media that may not be the best for our students and children to use. Feel free to share information on Apps that you feel parents need to know and understand.