App Review: What should parents know about Spotafriend dating app?

Introduction

Are you worried because your teen is signing up on Spotafriend? Then you’re in the right place. Today, the internet plays a massive role in our lives. Most people have constant access to the web, and most teens can’t remember a time they didn’t have access to the internet. The internet plays a significant role in most teens’ social development. Many teens spend their day live streaming or messaging their friends.

Therefore, it is no surprise that many teens would be interested in the Spotafriend app, a friend-finding app. Teens find it natural to make friends online today because of the widespread influence of the internet and the many online dating apps available. However, this doesn’t mean the app is safe. This Spotafriend review will inform parents all they need to know about the app and if it’s safe.

What is Spotafriend?

Spotafriend describes itself as a Tinder alternative for people aged 13-19. It allows teens to meet other teens around them. Spotafriend works by showing users pictures of other teens around them, and they can choose to swipe left or right on the teen. If they both accept being friends, they can begin to chat privately through the app. Everything about the Spotafriend app shows that it is marketed towards teens. It has over a million users, and teens usually need parental permission if they’re beneath 18 years to access the app.

You can choose the easy way by signing up with your Facebook account. You need to enter your username, gender, password, city, email, and birthdate to register on the app. The Spotafriend app requires users to submit a selfie with a pose they specify to verify that they are teenagers. This is an app dubbed ‘Tinder for teens’ because of the many similarities. Although the site states they’re not a dating app but a fun chat app to expand your social network, there are many blog posts about dating.

Although the Spotafriend app offers free membership to users, there’s also an ultimate member available for purchase in the app. This gives you access to more super swipes, and you can change your swipe if you accidentally swiped in the wrong direction.

App Review from Commonsensemedia

Parents have been sharing their views/opinions about the Spotafriend app on commonsense media. Below are some parents’ reviews about Spotafriend and its effect on their teens.

• User Booboomoh says

"People would ask for inappropriate pictures or videos. Although it says it’s for teens only and a place to find friends, people are always looking for more than friendship."

• Beachwaves119 Says

"It’s not a safe place to meet other teens because people are on the app to mess around and not take you seriously. Also, not everyone on the app is a teen."

• Elendra4545 Says

"There are so many safety concerns on the app. Do not sign up; there are rumors of teens disappearing."

Is Spotafriend safe for teens?

Is the Spotafriend app safe for teens? It doesn’t seem that way. There are so many side effects to using this app. In this section of the Spotafriend review, we’ll be exploring some of the dangers parents should be wary of when their teens join the Spotafriend dating app.

Cyberbullying

One of the dangers you should expect is cyberbullying. Teens have a long history of picking on one another. However, it doesn’t stop at school. Some teens tend to bully others on Spotafriend. Sadly, there have been multiple accounts of teens committing suicide due to cyberbullying. Research shows that most cyberbullying victims are 1.9 times more likely to commit suicide.

Play this video to explore the impact of toxic friends.

Online Predators

Although the Spotafriend app uses age recognitions software, there have been several instances where adults bypassed this software. Therefore, there’s a risk of online predators on the platform. Many adults pose as peers in this app to try and connect with their potential victims. They use dating apps like Spotafriend to groom teens for sexual exploitation or human trafficking. Your teen might fall victim to believing they’re conversing with fellow teens.

Privacy Concerns

This app allows people’s information to be leaked easily. Also, users can share other users’ profiles on social media platforms. The profile owner doesn’t receive notifications about their shared information. This makes it challenging to stay private on the app. The pictures and videos you share on the app may not remain confidential. If their photos or videos go public, teens who swap pictures on the app might suffer from reputation damages.

Security Issues

Spotafriend app uses geo-location, which is quite a dangerous feature. It encourages users to chat with strangers in their area. Therefore it shares users’ locations with strangers. Online predators can use this information to target victims close to them. Predators can use this to track other teens. You should never share your exact location or information that online predators can use to track you down. The Geo-location feature puts you at risk of identity theft, kidnapping, and other dangers.

How can Parents reduce the risks of teens’ using Spotafriend?

Once you understand the threats that the Spotafriend app poses to your teen, you can take some actions to minimize these risks. Below are some tips on what parents can do to reduce the risks of teens using the Spotafriend app.

Talk About it

Communication is key to keeping your teens safe online as they use the Spotafriend app. Speak to your teenager about internet safety and why it is crucial. Inform them about the online threats you’re concerned about and explain how they can steer clear of them. When you begin a dialogue with your teen about online safety and the dangers lurking in Spotafriend, it will make it easier for them to come to you if they experience something strange or scary on the app. You should also be a safe space for your child and stay nonjudgmental when they share their thoughts with you. Listen to them and focus on validating their feelings in every conversation.

Set Ground Rules

When your teen starts to use Spotafriend, you can reduce the risks of using the app by setting ground rules. Outlining your expectations and safety rules will help to protect your teen. Inform them that they should never share their personal information online, including an address. They should also report and block any user trying to bully or exploit them sexually on the app. Inform your teens to be wary of strangers on the app asking to meet in private places or getting them to act inappropriately, like sending suggestive chats or nudes. Teens should avoid sharing such photos online as strangers could use them against them in the future.

Watch Out for Signs of Trouble

Despite all your efforts to protect your kid from the risks of using Spotafriend, bad things can still happen. It’s always an excellent idea to watch for signs that things are not going so well. Some warning signs can be losing interest in friends or activities, secretive behaviors like hiding screens when you walk into the room, self-harm, strong emotional response after going online, etc. These signs and many others will indicate if your teen is in trouble.

Put Protections in Place

One way to keep your teen safe while using the Spotafriend app is to put protections in place. Ensure you use a parental control app to limit their exposure to inappropriate content on the app. These parental control apps can provide you with crucial intel on their activities and alert you when there’s a potential red flag. The best parental control apps usually don’t violate their privacy. Instead, it watches out for dangers like inappropriate videos and pictures and informs you about them. Ensure the privacy setting are also functional on all devices that your teen uses.

Wondershare FamiSafe—Best App to Ensure Kids’ Online and Physical Safety

Wondershare Famisafe is an award-winning parental control app. This app will help parents protect their teens from inappropriate online content. It doesn’t invade teen privacy and simply enables you to keep watch for any inappropriate content on their device. Famisafe can help protect your teen from every potential risk of the Spotafriend app. It comes with many unique features that parents can use to safeguard their children. Setting up Wondershare Famisafe is easy; below are the steps to get it done.

Step 1: Install Wondershare FamiSafe

FamiSafe works on macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and Kindle Fire OS. However, it is not yet compatible with video game consoles. You can install the app from the official website or use Google Play Store, App Store, or Amazon Appstore. Alternatively, you can scan the QR available on the website on your device to start downloading the app.

Step 2: Register on the App

After downloading on your device and your teen’s phone, the next step is to create an account. When setting up an account, ensure you choose ‘parent’ as your identity. This allows the app generates a code you can use to link your device to that of your teens.

After developing this code, launch the app on your teen’s device and select the ‘start’ option on their screen.

The next page will allow you to enter the code generated on your device.

Step 3: Set Controls

After pairing the devices, you will need to grant permissions on your teens’ phone to be able to use the features available on the Wondershare Famisafe app.

After granting permissions, you can set controls of what your teen has access to on the linked device. Below are some of the top features you will need to keep your teen safe on the Spotafriend app.

• App Blocker:With FamiSafe's App Blocker feature, you can regulate your teen’s app usage. Famisafe groups most apps by age, so you can easily eliminate inappropriate apps. Also, you can block some apps, making them invisible on your teens’ devices. Wondershare Famisafe also allows you to block an app for a given period to limit distractions when studying for your teen or promote better online habits.

• Screen Time:This feature allows you to visualize how much time your kid spends on their device. This data is grouped per day, week and month. Once you discover their favorite apps, you can also learn the time of day they’re mostly online. This allows you to set rules that will promote healthy online habits.

• Web Filter:Famisafe can help restrict access to dangerous websites. It will notify you when your teen tries to visit such sites. Famisafe provides you with different categories you can add to the web filter. You can also choose to add exceptions in any of these categories.

Conclusion

Online dating can be quite the minefield. Spotafriend has many dangers that parents need to be wary of when their teen signs up on the app. This Spotafriend review provides insight into all the risks of using this app. We also cover tips parents can use to minimize the potential risks of Spotafriend, including using top parental control apps like Wondershare Famisafe.

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