YOLO App Review for Parents: Risky Anonymous App

How Kids Use The YOLO App?

The YOLO app is quite easy to use and popular among teenagers. Little wonder, young ones like to get validation from friends and admirers. Within a week of its release, it topped the charts for most downloaded apps on apps stores.

To start using the Yolo Snapchat anonymous app, follow the steps below:

• Go to your app store and download and install YOLO on your device.

• Open the app and sign up. You can either use your phone number to sign up or log in directly with your Snapchat account.

• Now you can instantly create a question so your friends can answer anonymously.

• You can also customize your question box with stickers, texts, and bitmojis before hitting the share button.
• Finally, your question box pops on your Snapchat account, and you can then share your story. Yolo collects the answers and responses, and you can also reshare to your story.

It was built to help people to share their thoughts without giving information about their identity. Kids enjoy the app because the anonymity makes it all the more fun and thrilling.

Is Yolo App Safe?

YOLO founders (French start-up Popshow Inc) did not anticipate its exponential success. However, as with other anonymous apps, it poses several risks to its users. This includes:

1. Cyberbullying: One aspect with most anonymous apps is that they can be misused as platforms for online bullying. Teens post malicious comments on the Yolo platform with no fear of being caught as their identity can be unknown. Your kids or teen could be harassed easily by strangers, all in the name of anonymity.

1. Sexual Harassment: This online app normally provides awesome social experience along with Snapchat. However, your kids could be sexually harassed. They could receive 18+ videos from strangers and malicious texts targeting their sexuality. This, in the long run, may demean them and reduce their public self-esteem.

1. Addiction: The world anonymous messaging is such a thrilling experience for any teenager. The fact that they can get opinions, comments from various people whenever they post a video or picture makes them stay glued to their screen and expecting more. The worst part is such a teenager could be holding back on their academic performance and damages their social perspective.

1. Social Anxiety: Too much time spent on the Yolo app can lead to social anxiety disorder. This is a case of social phobia, where a teenager gets scared of been rejected or receives a negative evaluation from Yolo users. This could lead to depressing thoughts whenever any negativism is received in texts or when they feel rejected by the online Yolo community.

Here are some reviews from parents about the YOLO app:

1. highly inappropriate - This app allows people to ask questions anonymously and answer like who’s your crush would you kiss me if I asked you. It brings on highly inappropriate behavior because of the belief you are anonymous.”
2. Vile Website - I think this website should be stopped. I know not everyone abuses it, but vile people are using this site to bully others. My son is in remission from cancer, and there are people on this site, making jokes about this fact, which is disgusting.”
3. Don’t go there- Random thoughts, questions, and opinions from unknown people. This could open up a world of hurt... isn’t there enough of that?”

YOLO app, however, follows Snapchat community guidelines that do not condone bullying or harassment. Users can report any case of bullying, and YOLO has the responsibility to reveal the person’s identity if required.

How Old Do Children Have To Be For Yolo App?

How do you know if you should allow your kids to download and use the app? YOLO Snapchat anonymous app was first appropriated for 12+ years old at launch. However, it is now rated for 17 years and older. On the Google PlayStore, it is rated for 18 years and older. Predators, in reality, have no age, and they can easily attack users via the anonymity of the app. If your kids are less than 17years, they may have a harder time dealing with abusive words or harassment.

How to Ensure Your Child Is Safe

Children and youths should not be exposed to cyberbullying as it is hurtful and unkind. How do you ensure the safety of your child?

1. Teach them how to handle cyberbullying: A person that bullies others says more about themselves than who they are attacking. Letting your kids know this, educating them on the dangers of saying hurtful things to others can help immensely. Also, they should immediately report all cases of bullying to their parents or guardians.
2. Let them be share aware: Educate your child that not everything is needed to be shared with others, especially strangers. They also do not need outside validation to feel whole or accepted. They can also set the ‘view story’ to friends only on their snap so that strangers do not comment on their story.
3. Install a parental control app on their device: You can be in full control of your child’s activities on Yolo Snapchat anonymous app with a control app. FamiSafe is a parental control app you can trust to get the work done. FamiSafe main features include;

• Suspicious Text Alert & Cyberbullying Preventing
• Real-time Location Tracking & Geo-fencing
• App Blocker & Activity Monitor
• Web Content Filtering
• Screen Time Tracking and Control
• Flexible Remote Control & Personalization Setting

App block and Usage

FamiSafe allows you to block suspicious apps on your kid’s phone. If you notice any form of harassment or bullying on the YOLO Snapchat anonymous app, you can easily block the app through FamiSafe. You can also check for their frequently used app, newly used, and uninstalled app so that you have a view of what they spend their time on.

Activity Report

FamiSafe also sends a list of daily activities on your child device so that you can monitor it. You won’t lose track of anything when you use FamiSafe. From videos they watch and messages they receive on their device.

Browser History & Web Filter

You can monitor your kid’s browser history on FamiSafe. Even when they browse on incognito mode, FamiSafe curates a list of all their searches. Know when your kids search for YOLO and block certain keywords from their web search.

FamiSafe is available on both PlayStore and AppStore and is easy to download and install. To start, download on both devices (your mobile phone and your child’ss). Register on the app with your correct details, then link your child’s account to your own via the app. You will immediately have access to all your child’s activities and control right from your device.

The interface when signing up on FamiSafe on iOS devices is quite different from Android devices. However, the steps are easy when you follow the prompt.

Conclusion

Technology is bound to grow as the years go by, and with its growth comes many threats. Teach your child the useful skill of navigating the internet so that they can enjoy all its goodness. Another way to protect your child from harmful content on the Yolo Snapchat anonymous app is to set who can view their stories on Snapchat to friends and contacts only. This way, you will reduce the chances of cyberbullying occurring drastically. Go the extra mile by installing FamiSafe on their device so you can monitor and watch out for harassment on the app.