Smartphones have completely changed the way we operate in our day-to-day lives. We now have the capacity to communicate on a scale that’s never 
There are a lot of apps out there responsible for causing drama, particularly with younger users. While Facebook is responsible for its share, newer apps like Ask.FM, YikYak, AfterSchool, and others are stealing the trouble-causing spotlight.
So what’s wrong with these apps? Are they set up to cause drama, gaining their popularity from the spectacle of watching the keyboard wars between teens? Not exactly. You see, while these apps are made for members to communicate with each other, the Internet offers the opportunity for users to be the invisible man. Even if users aren’t posting anonymously, though, people are a lot more likely to let fly with awful things if it’s done virtually, rather than if it’s done in-person.
In the old days, people thought of cyberspace as some imaginary world. It was like a video game, where nothing that happened really mattered. However, with so much of our lives happening in this virtual space, that kind of attitude isn’t one that can be maintained. Not when students can get their degrees, professionals can work, and couples can meet their future partners online. In today’s modern age, the Internet isn’t a separate world from the “real” one we live in; it’s just another method of expressing, meeting, and living.
Which is why apps like the ones mentioned are double-edged swords. Because they allow everyone, but especially teens, to keep in touch with the rest of the world. They let people communicate, make friends, and find peer groups to share their likes and interests with. On the other hand, though, these sites expose teens to negative influences. In extreme situations it could lead to trolling, cyber-bullying, and even stalking.
Keep Lines of Communication Open
It would make any parent nervous, exposing their teens to a potentially negative environment like that. However, while the first urge is to ban your tweens and teenagers from downloading apps like this, it’s important to remember that they have positive aspects as well. It’s more important to remember that, sooner or later, teens are going to have to make their own decisions when becoming adults.
That’s why it’s a good idea to sometimes allow access with various apps, but to keep an open and ongoing conversation on the subject.
Solutions
Again, honest ongoing conversations about staying safe and being kind online will do more to keep your tweens and teen safe and drama free more than any other action that you can take!
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