5 Things Parents Need to Know about Location-based Applications

With Twitter’s recent announcement that they are integrating Foursquare and Gowalla technology so people can give exact locations of their tweets, parents need to think about whether or not this is a good thing for their kids.

Here are 5 top tips for parents to know regarding their kids’ use of these applications that disclose their location, provided by SafetyWeb, (www.SafetyWeb.com ) a website that launched in May, dedicated to helping “give parents an opportunity to intervene if they suspect their kids’ safety, identity or online reputation is at risk,” according to a recent press release.
1. They are easy to sign up for and access.
Just like any other social networking site, location-based applications are very easy for children to sign up for to begin participating immediately.
2. Participants may not reveal their true identities.
Any individual can sign up for location-based apps, but they do not have to post their real photo or reveal their real name. Someone who is participating anonymously may be doing so to cover up suspicious motives. Some of the apps provide an easy way for your child to meet up with someone in their vicinity, and they could be meeting up with a stranger.
3. Traditional ‘safe places’ like schools and churches are up for grabs.
Anyone participating in locations based apps can put safe places on the map to be explored, and provide information about those places. Also, if your child or someone else posts the coordinates of their residence, and then posts at a time when they are not home, it can be an open invitation to burglars.
4. If your child is on a family plan, you can block the app from your child’s phone.
There are services available for parents to block anyone from downloading applications on any telephone under their service agreement. This is not only for location-based games. For instance if you are concerned about your child spending money to buy apps and different games, you have the ability to stop it.
5. It can be addictive.
Just like video games can be addictive, so can location based apps. Interacting with friends in a different way, ‘earning points’ and exploring new places are exciting things that are all concentrated in one place. The excitement of participating can dominate a child’s free time.
Foursquare is a location-based game in which participants can unlock badges, and earn titles like ‘Mayor’ and ‘SuperMayor.’ Points are earned and interaction is generated by participants divulging their locations in their cities as they explore. Other popular location based applications include: Gowalla, BrightKite, Friends Around Me, Whrrl, WhosHere and GoogleBuzz.
Here are some pros and cons to consider as well regarding location-based applications, according to SafetyWeb:
Pros:
-As a parent, you can learn about where your child likes to hang out and what they are doing there. Some of their location-based activities may be new interests and hobbies, and you can potentially bond with them about those things.
-You can learn who your child’s online friends are and trends within their social group.
-You potentially know where your child is all the time; should they encounter danger, you will have a good piece of information to assist the authorities in locating them.
-Your child can learn new things about their neighborhood or hometown.
Cons:
-Bullies or cyber-bullies have more information to target your child; they may not have a safe refuge from undesirable characters if bullies know where to find them at all times.
-Stalkers or pedophiles have access to the information just like everyone else and may target popular hangouts for kids.
-Burglars and/or muggers have the latest information about your child’s whereabouts. They will know when nobody is at your home and burglarize it, or show up to a location where you and your child are and take valuables from you in a public place.
-The more time a child spends ‘living on-line’, the more apt they are to blur the lines of private vs. public information. It is imperative that parents take the time to educate their children about what information is okay to share on-line, and what information they should keep private.
It goes back to you, as a parent, have the life experience your child does not have. You can explain, in a supportive way, the risks they are taking by disclosing this information. You could even explain to them that in the “old days” you had to bring a quarter with you if you ever needed to call your parents!
Let us know what you think about these applications by commenting below. We’d love to hear about your experiences and your children’s reactions to any controls you’ve put on their activity.
About SafetyWeb, Inc. SafetyWeb is the leading service simplifying online safety by helping parents guard their children’s online safety, identity and reputation. The service monitors the web to deliver reports and immediate alerts on irregularities and dangers associated with kids’ and teens’ online activity. Because SafetyWeb acts as an online guardian angel, they arm parents with information to determine acceptable and healthy online behavior. The company was founded in 2009 by Michael Clark and Geoffrey Arone, who have worked on web sites that combined, serviced over 200 million register users. For more information on online safety made simple, visit: www.SafetyWeb.com