Kik & Instagram

What is Kik? And is Kik okay for Kids?

BY 

JEAN

 – AUGUST 29, 2012POSTED IN: INTERNET SAFETY, MOBILE DEVICES

Sounds like a commercial for a sugary cereal – Kik for Kids!  But are all the kids using Kik really kids?

I’d been hearing about Kik Messenger, a free texting app available for iPhones, Android, Windows, and Blackberry phones.  Remember, you don’t need a phone to use iPhone apps; if your child has an iPod touch or an iPad, they can install iPhone apps.  Kik is just one of many free texting apps available in the App store.

I was curious about Kik so I went to the App store to download it.  I read the description and noticed there were over 40,000 reviews for the app.  That’s a lot and I was curious to see what people had to say.  It didn’t take me long to see what the problem is with Kik.

Here are a few screenshots from the reviews page.  I’ve removed and blurred the usernames.

  

Take a look – these comments were all left on just one day and there are thousands more like them.  It’s clear that some people blatantly use Kik to send and receive nude pictures.  Some call it sexting. Others call it child pornography.  I call it creepy.

While I’m sure that many people use Kik to simply send messages to friends, the fact that it is very popular for sexting leads me to believe it is not a good choice for kids.  Given that there are many other free texting apps available, including iMessage which is already included for iPod touch, I don’t see a need for Kik on a child’s mobile device.

Kik and Instagram

On Kik, you need to know someone’s username to start an online chat.  Some Kik users use Instagram to publicize their Kik username in their profiles or by tagging their photos.  You’ll see some users with “Kik me” and then their Kik username in their profile.  If your child or teen’s Instagram profile is public, and they use it to publicize their Kik username, then anyone who sees that on Instagram might “hit them up” on Kik.  So keep this in mind if you allow your child or teen to use Instagram.

Here’s another account from a concerned parent:http://www.hightechdad.com/2012/07/02/parents-beware-instagram-kik-messenger-are-a-dangerous-combination-what-social-dangers-to-check-for/

So parents, check your child’s phone or iPod touch.  If you see the Kik messenger icon, open the app and take a look at the messages.   If you don’t like what you see, discuss with your child.  Maybe he or she isn’t really aware of the potential dangers and consequences.

A recent review on the iTunes page sums it up: “This app is quick easy and fun, but too many pedophiles asking me for nude pictures which almost forced me to delete this app. But it is safe as long as you don’t talk to strangers.”