Parents Tips: Is Whisper Safe for Kids to Use?

What is Whisper?

As an anonymous social networking application that is extremely popular with teens, Whisper allows its users to create posts by superimposing text on pictures or images. The posts may be facts or fiction. Users get a random nickname when they join the network, making them anonymous. Further, Whisper protects the anonymity of its users via its photo and font gallery. To communicate with someone, you will need to respond to their Whisper. Available on most mobile devices, the app also reminds users to activate location services.

Given these attributes, is Whisper safe to use? Can you trust your kids with this application? Founded in 2012, Whisper grew quickly to be valued at over $200 million in just two years. TechCrunch estimated that the app had at least 17 billion monthly page views on its publisher network, websites, and social channels by 2017. At the time, it boasted 250 million monthly users from 187 countries. Before a parent allows their children to use apps like Whisper, they should know why these platforms have attracted so many users quickly. Continue reading to find out whether this app is safe for your kids and what you can do to create a safe environment in your family.

Is Whisper safe for kids to use?

Whisper creates a wonderful environment for teens to share their hidden thoughts without the fear of judgment. Children could also find others who are in the same situation or have similar feelings. The anonymity factor puts off all shyness, allowing kids to express themselves freely. The platform also allows teens to block users. They can also flag inappropriate content. Some users share trade advice, which can be helpful. Sadly, that's where the positives of Whisper end.

While so many teens have joined Whisper because they find it fun, many people have raised concerns about the app. The most attractive feature on this platform for young adults is user anonymity. Is Whisper safe to use then? One of the basic online safety rules is that users shouldn't have hidden identities. Predators love platforms that encourage user anonymity. Kids use Whisper to express their emotional distress and sexually explicit thoughts. This information is enough to help sex predators identify and manipulate susceptible children. These criminals can text such young people and get more details about them since it is hard to maintain one's anonymity once the private messaging or chat function has been enabled.

Worse still, the absence of parental controls on Whisper makes it a very dangerous app. Kids can find sexually suggestive words and images while using it. While you can set Whisper to show inappropriate content in its Home feed, it is impossible to lock this setting. Moreover, you can't monitor apps like Whisper with traditional web filters such as OpenDNS. The app also compromises your family's safety and privacy by revealing the location of your children. Enabling locations services allows the user's whispers to show up in nearby user lists. This means the person responding to your whisper is likely to be a short distance from where you are.

Whisper use can also influence your child to think that drug use, self-harm, and violence is okay. These themes are common among teens on the platform. Children can either search this information or stumble across it

Apps like Whisper:

If you thought Whisper was the only app that a parent should worry about, you're wrong. The worldwide web has a lot to offer, both positive and negative. Here are some apps like Whisper you should be aware of.

Anonymous Chat Room.

As the name suggests, this app allows children to chat with strangers. Anonymous Chat Room allows for online dating with strangers, something that should concern every parent. It also has tips on how teenagers can start a conversation that leads to a love relationship.

Stranger chat.

Stranger Chat allows users to interact with strangers and know them more intimately. The app doesn't require signing up or logging in. Stranger Chat's chat history clears automatically moments after the conversation, making it difficult for parents to see what their young ones are up to.

Sarahah.

Sarahah boasts allowing users to share their honest thoughts. On the surface, this is a great idea. However, a second thought about it means children shouldn't be honest with the people they interact with physically.

Me.

Apart from chatting, Connected2.me allows users to make new friends around the globe. Its shuffle feature makes it easy to know when someone is online.

Chatous.

Chatous users can find chat rooms that interest them with a hashtag. They can also create their chat rooms. In addition to the anonymity of users, Chatous also gives you the flexibility of changing your display name.

What parents can do if kids use this kind of apps?

You have checked your child's phone and found that they have installed some anonymous apps on it. Your reaction shouldn't be harsh. Calm yourself down before saying or doing anything. One of the best starting points in protecting your children is to ask yourself, Is Whisper safe to use? You should also talk to your child about the risks of conversing with strangers online, regardless of how good those people seem to be. Make them understand how you expect them to behave on social networks. Besides talking to your children, here are some options you can employ to keep them safe?

Option 1: Uninstall or block such applications

It is highly recommended that parents keep apps like Whisper out of reach of children. If you are doubtful about the safety of any app, then it's better to block or uninstall it from the devices your kids have access to. However, the downside of uninstalling Whisper is that your curious children can find a way of installing it again.

Option 2: Use FamiSafe to protect your kids：

If uninstalling or blocking the apps doesn't seem like a great idea, then you may want to look for a more flexible solution. In this case, the best option you have is to use FamiSafe to shield your kids from dangerous apps that are similar to Whisper. The parental control software has several features that will ensure all-round protection for your kids. Want to know the best part? The app is available on most devices, including iOS and Android. Additionally, it gives more flexible options. FamiSafe is a surefire solution for protecting your kids whenever they go online. Here are the benefits of using the app.

1. Block unwanted sites

FamiSafe enables parents to filter sites by categories on their browsers. With the software, you can also remotely view your child's browsing history even after they have deleted it secretly. Additionally, you will get notifications when your child tries to access a blocked site. This way, your child won't be able to access website versions of Whisper and like apps. Besides, they can't find out more explicit content on the web once they have stumbled across it while using the apps.

2. Detect suspicious photos

When kids come across inappropriate photos and other content in Whisper and similar apps, it can create curiosity for them to start browsing about what they have seen. Besides, they can make explicit images on their devices to superimpose text on them for sharing. FamiSafe helps you detect suspicious images, photos, and screenshots on your child's smartphone or tablet and send instant alerts to your device.

3. Detect and monitor suspicious text

Using your device, you can create inappropriate (offensive, rude, demeaning, or insulting) words and FamiSafe will detect them on your child's devices. You can group such words in categories like Sex, Drugs, Violent, and Bullying. The app monitors messages and tracks dangerous keywords from the search history in social media apps. FamiSafe also raises red flags when it detects signs of porn addiction and cyber-bullying.

4. Block apps and monitor usage

FamiSafe's App Blocker blocks apps rated by age. You can also use it to block Whisper and other similar apps. FamiSafe allows you to restrict or block specific app categories, including social media and entertainment. It also sends instant alerts to your device whenever your child tries to access Whisper and other blocked apps. Besides, FamiSafe lets you see a list of apps your kids have used and how much time they have spent on each of them per month, week, or day.

5. Get activity reports

You may agree that monitoring what your kids are doing with their smartphones isn't one of the easiest tasks to do. With FamiSafe, you can check your child's online activity by timeline and know the kinds of apps they have used recently or uninstalled. The good thing is that you can monitor all these remotely. Therefore, you don't have to check your kid's phone daily to know what they are up to. FamiSafe also raises alerts when your child has received threats or been a victim of bullying on these apps.

Every parent needs to ask the question, Is Whisper safe to use in a family setting? As one of the many anonymous apps on the web, Whisper raises several concerns about its safety. Children who use these apps are likely to fall prey to sexual predators and are at risk of Internet addiction, drug addiction, and violence. The best way to protect your child from the dangers of using apps like Whisper is to use FamiSafe. Install the software today to be sure of your children's online safety.