Online Dating Apps For Teens

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Technology has meant that a number of activities and social events that used to take place solely in the real world have moved online. Online dating has grown considerably over recent years and it’s not just available for adults. There are now online dating apps for teens.

It’s important to know where your teen is spending time online. This isn’t just to look out for cyber bullying and know the type of sites they’re visiting, but also to watch out for online predators and the dangers of the internet. You need to understand the ugly truths about online dating for teenagers and how to help your teens remain safe.

Teens Are Using Adult Sites

Despite a number of websites claiming to be for adults only, many teenagers are taking to them. Sites like Tinder, Baddoo and Hot or Not don’t check the true ages of those signing up for them. All the sites do is encourage people to tell the truth. And if your teen wants to be a part of the sites, they’re going to lie about their ages.

Adult sites are full of people over the age of 18. While many are looking for genuine relationships, there are others scouring the sites looking for the most vulnerable people. One look at your teen’s photos and they will work out a rough true age.

Some of these sites will allow teenagers under 18 to sign up for the sites. For example, Hot or Not allows 13-17 year olds to create profiles, but they’re not able to chat. However, there’s no age verification.

Dating Sites Are Moving Mobile

Teens

A major concern for parents is that many of the dating sites are now opening up to the mobile age. They have apps that people can use, allowing them to slide and chat on the go. While this is beneficial for adults looking for relationships, there’s a danger for teenagers. You will find it harder to know what your teens are doing.

TeensApps for teens to date

For teens, there’s an element of privacy. They don’t need to worry that you’re looking over their shoulder and they can feel more mature. However, they can find themselves in situations that you don’t know about.

Underage Teens Have Been Assaulted

There are horror stories of online dating apps for teens. In recent years, Skout, one of the more popular dating sites, has found itself in the middle of three cases of underage teens being assaulted by online predators. The good news is that this has led to some stricter controls from the site, but there are so many other online dating apps that don’t take this risk seriously.

It’s up to you as a parent to keep your teens safe. How can you do that when it’s harder to track the apps they use?

And then some apps are able to disguise themselves as something else. The names don’t always give the true intentions away.

Geo-Location Matches Are a Thing

Because of the ability to use through a phone, there’s now the ability to use geo-location. This is supposed to make local matches easier, especially since people around the world can use these sites. The idea is that adults are able to find local people interested in meeting up.

However, there is the danger that your teen can be tracked. First of all, your teen won’t understand the full details of meeting up with someone they’ve met online. There’s always the chance that your teen is meeting up with someone who has a more unsavory profile.

17+ Dating App

Second of all, there’s the ability to track through the geo-location. Someone with enough knowledge and skills about technology will be able to get to know more about your teen’s whereabouts, including where they live and where they go to school. This can put them in direct danger at times that you can’t look out for them.

Geo-location does have its benefits though. There are apps that will give you as a parent more control. You can hook up to your children’s phones, tablets, and PCs to monitor where they are and what they’re doing. You can also block access to certain apps and sites, helping to weed out some of the more dangerous dating apps for teens.

While your teenager may want to feel mature, they are at danger of online predators. Online dating apps for teens can be extremely dangerous, especially if you don’t know what they’re doing. While you may not want to ban the apps completely, knowing the dangers and discussing problems can help to keep teens safe while using them.

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Meeting and chatting to others online is a normal part of life for most teenagers, but using online dating services could put them at risk. Here, NCA-CEOP tells parents what they should know

Understanding why

So much of a teenager’s social life happens online and many feel really comfortable using the internet to meet people. The opportunity to meet and flirt with people outside their immediate social circle can be hugely exciting to a young person, particularly at a time where they are exploring their understanding of sex and relationships. It’s also not as awkward to flirt with people online as it is in school corridors!

Should I be worried?

The majority of online dating apps and websites are designed for adults, but even those which are for teens can present risks to young people if they choose to use them. As popular as online dating has become, it’s not a good idea for young people and isn’t a safe way for children to explore relationships.

Online Dating Apps For Teens

Some people who want to harm children use the internet to look for young people to target, and they use sites and apps where they know young people go to look for love, to flirt or to make friends. They may try to trick a young person into believing that they are trustworthy, that they are a friend or they may even pretend that they are the same age.

Many popular dating apps allow the user to share their location or chat to people in their area – this increases the potential for a ‘real-life’ meeting. The ability to make contact with strangers located nearby is exciting, but young people should never be encouraged to meet up with anybody they’ve only ever met online.

Online Dating Apps For Teens Like

Talk, and listen, to your child

If you find out that your child has been using online dating services, remain calm and try not to get angry with them. Talk to them about what drew them to online dating, what services they’re using and how they’ve been using them. Understanding and listening to their perspective might help you express your concerns.

If your child continues dating online, it’s important to have ongoing conversations with them about their use of dating sites to ensure they aren’t exposing themselves to harm.

Make sure they know how to spot the warning signs by discussing this age-appropriate advice with them:

Flattery

Online dating apps for teens adults

Who doesn’t enjoy being made to feel special or given lots of attention? We know this is a tactic that many offenders use to gain the trust of a young person quickly.

Online Dating Apps For Teens Girls

‘Remind your child that they should never do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable’

It’s much harder for your child to think critically about someone if they’re inundated with ‘likes’ or compliments about how sexy or talented they are. Offenders use this as a way to exert control over a child, often becoming very nasty if a child doesn’t do what they say.

Remind your child that they should never do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. If they are being made to feel this way, they should tell you.

Make sure they know it’s important not to trust everything you hear online, no matter how nice or flattering it sounds!

Let’s talk about sex

Ask your child about their online dating profile. What kind of first impression does it give? Is it age-appropriate? At NCA-CEOP, we’ve been told by offenders that another tactic they use is to look for young people who use a sexy username, post sexy pictures or talk about sex online. Young people might do these things because they’re naturally curious about sex and relationships, but it can make offenders think they’ll be open to sexual behaviour and could put them at risk.

Nude selfies

Make sure your child knows it’s never a good idea to send these sort of pictures or videos. If you do find out your child has shared something, try not to panic. Watch these short films created by NCA-CEOP which will help you understand why they might have done it, how to talk to them about it and where to get help should you need it.

Hook Up App For Teens

Keep private stuff private

Dating sites encourage users to share their personal information, but it isn’t a good idea for your child to do so. They should keep their other social media profiles and usernames private, and shouldn’t give out their phone number or location. Ask your child always to think about why someone would need their information before deciding whether to share it.

Real-life romance

Teen dating can be tricky, but remind your child that they are much better off looking for love in the real world. It might not always seem like it but there are lots of opportunities for young people to meet someone in school, through a sports club, hobby or youth group. This is much safer and it’s a better way to build a friendship and possibly a relationship over time.

Good to remember…

Teen Dating Sites For 13 And Up

Sexual communication with a child is a criminal offence. Make sure your child knows that adults who want to talk about sex are doing something wrong and should be reported.

If you’re worried about someone your child is in contact with online, it’s important to report these concerns to NCA-EOP. Make sure your child also knows how and when to report – you can find more information on this here.

Further reading

The advice published on Parent Info is provided by independent experts in their field and not necessarily the views of Parent Zone or NCA-CEOP.

Updated: ​May 2018