With technology seeping into every aspect of our life, keeping children away from social media is nearly impossible. Since the pandemic, children have been exposed to media and technology more so than ever before. With online classes and distance learning, children are more dependent on technology than we would want them to be. And while we’re hooked to the internet beyond limits, children will only follow our path sooner or later.
The best way to go about creating a balance for children online is to provide them with guided access to technology. There are safe apps for young children that provide them with the right exposure, however, in a guarded manner.
However, if you decide on giving access to the internet to children, make sure you have a safe and secure home internet. Internet service providers like Windstream guarantee a secure internet connection that guards you against cyber threats. You can call the Windstream customer service number to inquire about their packages and how to use parental controls.
If you’re also looking to introduce your overly curious kids to the world of social media, read on and get to know about the safest social media apps for kids.
1. Club Penguin Island
Designed by Disney, this app is highly kid-friendly and productive for kids. Club Penguin helps children learn basic behavioral etiquette of communicating in a social environment. Children get to experience the virtual world in a safe environment and chat or interact with their friends online by playing different games together. There are islands on which users are placed, from where they can communicate with their online friends and engage in various online games.
Children can earn points by playing games online on Club Penguin Island. Points that are earned as coins can be given to charity, teaching children a very important lesson of empathy and sharing their belongings with others.
This app also provides easy parental controls so children can socialize in a safe way. Parents can add chat prompts to help their kids learn to interact in a respectful way.
2. PopJam
PopJam is another very useful social networking app for children to help them practice their creative skills and also put them to use. PopJam allows users to create unique and engaging content and post it online for their friends. It is like a kid version of Instagram where content sharing is the main idea. Kids have a range of tools to create their artwork, such as stickers, animations, images, etc, and can comment on and like their friend’s artworks to engage with them.
But that’s not all. Kids can also play games on PopJam, and test their capabilities through online quizzes. The best thing about this app is that there is a time limit to when you can use the app. It only works between 6 am and 11 pm. Parents can also limit the data that their kids view through parental controls provided by the app.
3. Kinzoo Family Messenger
Want to stay connected to your kids when you’re off to work? You need a family messenger to contact your kids online. Kinzoo Family Messenger is child-friendly and allows them to stay in touch with their friends and family. There are no likes, follows, or comments on this app making it quite simple and specific to one on one or group communication online.
To make it more fun and engaging Kinzoo allows children to create their own unique emojis and stickers to interact with friends in a cool and fun way. Audio and video communication is also available on this app.
4. Edmodo
Want to combine education with socializing, Edmodo is your go-to app. This social networking app is perfect for 3-way interaction between students, teachers, and parents. Teachers can provide a code to students to allow them to access educational resources from their homes. Since distance learning has become so common, this app is a great way to stay in touch within an educational environment.
5. ChatFOSS
ChatFOSS is the perfect combination of a messenger, Instagram, and Snapchat, making social networking more fun and engaging. Kids can share their pictures, engage in a one-on-one chat, video call with their friends and family, and all that in a secure environment. What we love about this app is that no stranger can contact your children. You can only add users who are invited by your parents and other users who add you will only become a part of your friend’s list if your parents approve their request.
This is the safest way to let your children interact with kids online.
Wrapping It Up
All in all, social networking teaches children to engage with others and be able to express themselves in a healthy way. From learning to communicate and share content online, children get the confidence of opening up to others and being more sociable!