Can Your Teen Use the Kik App? Is it Safe to Use?
Access to limited social platforms is past now. Several social media platforms are available to help you connect, communicate, and share anything you love. Suppose you think monitoring your child’s Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and other top-of-the-line platforms is good for keeping them safe. In that case, you are missing out on an important point. Besides these apps, many other messages like Bip, Signal, Twitch, Telegram, and Kik are available online.
These latest apps are attractive to kids, specifically teens. They are into using such apps for multiple reasons; these apps are:
- Not in the mainstream
- Not too popular among parents
- Not easy to track and monitor
- Not covered by most of the parental control apps
Knowing these factors, teens are more into these apps, making it difficult for parents to keep track of and monitor them. Well, here, you have got it covered. Let’s find out more about the app, its vulnerabilities, and tips to keep teens safe with these apps.
Kik – The Messenger
Kik is a messaging app that lets you chat with friends and meet new people. It’s like texting but with extra features to make conversations more fun. Simple chatting is common, so the app offers them more than just messages to attract youth to the platforms. Along with emoticons and stickers, the app offers custom stickers and GIFs that are shareable with friends. It allows them to have larger groups of friends and communities.
Precisely, with Kik, you can do a lot such as:
- Send text messages, pictures, videos, and even stickers to your friends on Kik.
- Create or join group chats on Kik. It’s like having a big conversation with all your buddies together.
- Kik lets you control who can message you and see your profile. You can chat with friends only or meet new people if you want.
- There’s a feature called “Explore,” where you can find new friends based on your interests.
- Did you know you can play games on Kik, too? You can play many fun games with your friends right in the app.
- Kik has something called a Bot Shop where you can chat with bots.
- Kik has a ton of stickers and GIFs you can use to add flair to your messages.
- Kik has features like blocking and reporting to help you stay safe while you chat.
How Does Your Teen Find Kik?
How did your teen learn about the app when Kik is unpopular? That’s a common question in every parent’s mind. As parents, you should know that your teens are running faster than you think. They are always looking out for the escape gates that they find online.
- At first, the apps target teens through marketing by reaching them with in-app ads and other features.
- In the second step, your teens learn about the new apps from their peers.
Like parents tell each other about the best parental control apps, teens share information about the community and chat. As your teen’s social circle expands, the number of messenger apps on their devices increases.
Kik’s Dark Side You Should Know
Kik seems fun and exciting from its features. For once, it’s a good app to communicate and socialize online. Well, it’s undoubtedly a good one among friends or the people you already know. However, being a newbie online could be better than you think. Specifically, when your teens are using these apps, there are some things you should be aware of.
Users Can Maintain Anonymity
One of the big things about Kik is that users can stay anonymous on the platform. That means users don’t have to use real names or share personal info. While this can be good for privacy, it also makes it easier for people to pretend to be someone they’re not.
Users need to be aware of the identities of the other people they are talking to. Even if the other person identifies himself as someone you may know, you need multiple verifications. Teens do find it convenient to keep themselves anonymous when talking to someone. Alternatively, they are on the verge of falling into a predator’s trap.
Most of the Users Are Teens
Many of the people who use Kik are teenagers. That’s cool for chatting with friends, but it also means there are risks. Teenagers might not always know how to stay safe online or recognize when someone is trying to trick them. Moreover, they are unable to deal with the platform’s vulnerabilities. From sharing information to connecting with many people, they are likely to fall prey to bullies, harassment, and other threats online.
No Age Verification
Unlike other apps, Kik doesn’t check how old you are when you sign up. The app does have a filter of age check around 13 years, but more is needed to verify the age. Any user younger than 13 can check the box and proceed with the app. With age verification, it’s easier to make sure everyone using the app is old enough to be there. It calls for parental control to ensure the kids are not using the app without notice.
Integrated 3rd Party Dating Apps
Kik has a feature that lets you connect with other apps, including dating apps. Having access to multiple apps in one app may seem advantageous, but dating apps are unsuitable for kids. Your child may sign up for a dating app and connect with older people who can take advantage of their innocence and make them share personal and sensitive information about them.
No Built-in Parental Controls
Unlike some apps with special parental tools, Kik does not offer parental control. It does not allow you to see what your child’s doing on Kik. Moreover, parents cannot set in-app limitations for the kids. They may set a few privacy settings, but kids can later alter them without parents noticing them.
Mature and Unfiltered Content Access
Unfortunately, Kik doesn’t have strict moderation regarding the content shared on the platform. It’s why there’s a lot of mature and unfiltered content floating around. That means your kids could stumble upon stuff they shouldn’t see, like inappropriate images or conversations. If the kids are good at content filtration, they can be safe with the content exposure on the platform.
Threats Kik App Poses for Teens Online
Though the app accepts users over 13, Kik is popular among teens. However, considering the app’s dark side features, we can evaluate that even teens have several threats on the app. Let’s have a look at these threats to know how safe Kik is for your teen.
Stranger Danger
One of the big risks of using Kik is talking to strangers. Because anyone can sign up without using their real name, it’s easy for people to pretend to be someone they’re not. It makes teens talk to people who might have bad intentions or want to harm them.
Inappropriate Content
Another danger of Kik is that inappropriate content is floating around. From rude pictures to conversations that are way too mature for teens, there’s stuff on Kik that no one should see, especially young people.
Cyberbullying
Sadly, cyberbullying is a major compromise on Kik’s safety. Because it’s easy to hide behind a screen and say mean things, some people use the app to bully others. It can be hurtful and damaging to teens’ mental health.
Privacy Risks
Kik could have better privacy settings, meaning teens might share more personal information than they realize. From their location to their phone number, there’s a risk that this info could fall into the wrong hands and be used against them.
Predators Prowling
Unfortunately, Kik has also become a hunting ground for predators looking to exploit vulnerable teens. These predators might pretend to be someone the teen trusts or manipulate them into sharing personal information or even meeting up in person. It’s a scary thought, but teens must know this risk.
Addiction and Overuse
You won’t believe it, but Kik can be addictive. Teens might spend hours chatting with friends or scrolling through conversations, which can distract them from other important parts of their lives, like schoolwork or spending time with family.
Make Your Teen’s Kik Experience Safer
Restricting your kids from using Kik is not possible, as it would be frustrating for them. However, you can do something else to make their experience safe with Kik.
Adopt Parental Controls
Consider using parental control features on your teen’s device to monitor and manage Kik usage. You can limit app usage, block certain websites or apps, and even track their location. These controls can help you monitor what your teen is doing online and intervene if necessary.
Open Dialogue About Kik’s Dangers
Have open and honest conversations with your teen about the potential dangers of using Kik. Discuss the risks of talking to strangers online, sharing personal information, and accessing inappropriate content. Encourage them to come to you if they feel uncomfortable or threatened while using the app.
Use the FamilyTime Parental Control App
Consider using a parental control app like FamilyTime to monitor your teen’s Kik usage. FamilyTime allows you to view their chat history, monitor their contacts, and set restrictions on who they can communicate with. You can also set time limits for app usage and receive alerts if your teen encounters inappropriate content.
Block the Kik App
Suppose you’re concerned about your teen’s safety on Kik. In that case, you can block the app entirely on their device using FamilyTime’s app blocker. It will prevent them from accessing the app and chatting with friends. While blocking the app may seem extreme, it can effectively protect your teen from potential dangers.
Restrict App Installation
Consider restricting your teen’s ability to install new apps on their device without your permission. FamilyTime’s approved apps feature can help prevent them from downloading Kik or other potentially risky apps without your knowledge. Without your approval, the controls will not let any app be installed.
Use Web Filters to Block Kik Related Searches
Utilize FamilyTime’s web filters to block Kik-related searches on search engines. It can help prevent your teen from accessing Kik-related content or finding ways to download the app. By blocking Kik-related searches, you can further limit your teen’s exposure to potential risks associated with the app.
Our Verdict on the Kik App for Teens
As digital safety experts, we do not recommend Kik as a safe social media app for kids and teens. It does not meet digital safety standards nor provide enough control to parents to help them monitor their kids’ digital activities. Parents must guide teens about social media practices and digital literacy to let them use this app.
Even more than digital education, kids need to be alerted of cyber predators to avoid the issues linked with app usage. You can use the FamilyTime parental control app to make Kik safe. Using the right controls ensures safer Kik usage and improves the user experience.
