Is YouNow Safe for Children? A Full Review for Parents
Overall Rating: ⭐3/5
YouNow is a live-streaming platform that helps users to interact in real-time. While YouNow has community guidelines and moderation practices in place to ensure a safe environment, safety on the app still depends largely on individual users.
For instance, the app has an age restriction that prevents users not up to 13 years to have an account. Furthermore, it has a filter and banning feature to prevent inappropriate features. This article delves further into the app and how it functions, especially to ensure children's safety.
YouNow allows users to broadcast themselves and engage with audiences in real-time through chat. Since it was launched in 2011, it has gained popularity among content creators, especially for younger audiences. However, the app is only recommended for users aged 13 and older.
YouNow's appeal to teenagers and young adults can be traced to its virtual gift feature. This feature allows viewers to purchase virtual gifts for broadcasters, which can be redeemed for cash. It is also preferred because of its dynamism. It offers a different experience to the more popular streaming platforms like Discord, YouTube, Twitch, etc.
To better understand how this app works and if it is safe for children, we will examine its features. These features will be examined and rated to show general opinions about their features.
Community guidelines and moderation features are used to prevent explicit content like nudity, pornography, and porn. It is clearly stated in the rules and terms of use of the platform that such content is prohibited. However, due to the live and interactive nature of the platform, inappropriate behavior can still occur. The platform has an anti-abuse system that manages content like this.
Different measures on the app are used to combat cyberbullying and online predation, including reporting tools and moderation. For instance, users can report an incident. Alternatively, they can block another account already showing signs of bullies. Users can even use the Silencing feature to mute participants from engaging in the chat during a broadcast. Also, there is a detection system used to flag such activities.
YouNow collects personal information from users, including location data and content posted on the platform. The possibility of private information leaking during live sessions is another privacy concern that users need to be aware of.
YouNow offers positive value by allowing users to express creativity, connect with others, and build communities around shared interests. Many users find the platform enjoyable and rewarding for showcasing talents and interacting with like-minded individuals. The app is well-functional with the possibility of assigning a broadcast referee.
YouNow provides safety settings such as blocking and reporting users, filtering content, and restricting chat interactions. While there have not been major complaints of hacks or data loss, the safety of the platform can still be questioned. In other words, the security measures are not military-grade or impenetrable to attack.
The app is good for streaming and interaction with fans. However, users have complained of sometimes encountering inappropriate behavior in the chat.
While YouNow is a safe app, it is not unlikely that some of its security and privacy policies are violated from time to time. Hence, parents need to make their kids safe on the app. This section discusses some tips parents can use to keep their children safe.
Parents should speak with their children about the risks and safety of the internet. Also, they should proffer solutions on how to use the YouNow app responsibly. For instance, they should not share their personal information, especially with strangers. They should encourage them to use the safety settings and features such as reporting any inappropriate behavior or content.
Parents should be aware of excessive use of the app by their kids. In such a case, they should use app blocking and screen-limiting tools. We recommend that reliable solutions such as AirDroid Parental Control should be used to block YouNow if need be. The app has monitoring and blocking features. You can even use it to set screen limits for the app.
Parent should show proper awareness and take responsibility for their kid’s use of the app. That way, they will intermittently supervise the content that the child is posting, engaging, and the kind of friends they are making on the platform. For instance, if an external link is shared to a website containing inappropriate content parent should take charge of the account or guide their continued usage.
Livestreaming an event, game, or video podcast is fast becoming rampant. YouNow is one of the ways teenagers and young adults are ensuring they are not left behind. To ensure that parents can trust their kids to use this app unsupervised we have thoroughly examined the app.
We considered the app's tolerance of explicit content and inappropriate behaviors and its approach to curbing such. In addition, we have offered parents helpful tips on how to manage their children using YouNow.
Please share your experiences of using the app in the comment session below. You can also leave tips on how other users can maximize this app.
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