Bullying Prevention Blog

Social Apps and Cyberbullying

Social apps facilitate communication and connection in valuable, life-enriching ways, but they can be hurtfully misused. According to I-SAFE foundation, approximately 25% of teenagers have been bullied online or through their cell phones and over half never tell their parents. It is helpful for parents and educators to be “in the know” about the latest social apps used in cyberbullying. In a recent Huffington Post article, “Yik Yak App Makers Do the Right Thing,” author and media psychologist Diana Graber mentions several popular social apps, including Yik Yak, Ask.fm, Kik and Snapchat. She specifically focuses on how Yik Yak, “a virtual bulletin board” where users can anonymously post thoughts about others, has recently been used in cyberbullying incidences. The article also addresses what app makers are doing to combat the problem and what parents and educators can do to monitor their children’s use of social apps.

 

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