Police in Madill, Oklahoma have begun circulating a list of what they say are the 15 most dangerous apps for children, and among them are Snapchat, WhatsApp, and… Grindr.
“GRINDR is dating app geared toward the gay, bi, and transgender people,” the infographic, which was posted to social media this week, warns. “The app gives users options to chat, share photos and meet up based on a smart phone’s GPS location.”
Police created the list in response to growing concerns about online predators and human trafficking. They’re encouraging parents to check their children’s phones to see if they’ve downloaded any of them.
“We found in our review of these apps is a lot of predators… use them to endanger kids,” says police spokesperson Donny Raley. “We want parents to be aware of what the possibilities are.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
With school just around the corner, we wanted to share with Parents, 15 Apps you should be aware of on your child's phone/tablet .. and the dangers that come with some of them.
Posted by Madill Police Department on Monday, August 5, 2019
The list also includes a few other random dating apps, including Bumble, Skout, and Hot or Not, all of which they say “kids can easily create an account with a different age.”
“We wanted to be proactive with this,” Raley says. “We wanted to make sure we got a head of it and let parents know to check their kids’ phones or their tablets to see what they’re involved in.”
The added bonus, of course, is that if parents find Grindr on their kid’s phone, they’ll also discover that their child is gay since it’s the only app on this list that specifically mentions sexual orientation.
Obviously, kids have no business being on Grindr, and it’s important to keep them safe from online predators. But why police felt the need to specifically state that it’s an app for gay people, and why it was placed smack dab in the top center of the infographic, seems a little fishy.
Then again, Grindr is pretty toxic and tends to bring out the worst in people. So maybe the cops are doing future generations of adult gay men a favor by steering them away from it early?
What do you think? Sound off in the comments section below…
Mack
What do you expect from a “deep red” state. Granted under 18 shouldn’t be on there but at the same time it alerts the parents of those over 18 as well. I wonder if any Catholic apps are appropriate.
TheGregoryProject
‘Badboo’ … haha
Kieru
Informing parents about the potential privacy or safety concerns of an app is not the same as condemning the app.
Parents might not understand how Grindr works, that it is not designed for minors and would allow their children to view and send sexually graphic photos or even video calls. They also may not understand the location feature of Grindr or how it could be used to provide approximate location of their underage child.
Making sure that parents have a more complete understanding of the potential dangers of an application places them in a better position to well… parent. The most P-Flag mom in the world can still support her LGBTQ+ child while making sure that their use of Grindr isn’t putting them in danger.
PinkoOfTheGange
Why isn’t Tinder on the list then? It seems odd they left off the str8 portal doesn’t it?
Brian
“The list also includes a few other random dating apps, including Bumble, Skout, and Hot or Not”
Brian
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. No good can come from kids being on Grindr.
I’m not sure why identifying a gay sex app as gay is worthy of pearl clutching. It’s the only one identified that way because it’s the only gay one on the list, duh.
cubcmh
Have to agree with them. There’s a LOT of cat fishing going on on Grindr. I get asked for personal details and phone numbers on a daily basis. They “claim’ they’re having problems / not receiving my texts, and ask to switch to phone texting, WhatsApp, etc.
I’m aware of what’s going on and know how to protect myself (and not get into a situation in the first place.) But the mind isn’t fully developed until your late 20s, and minors just don’t have the wherewithal – no matter what they say – to avoid all the traps. (Heck, a lot of adults don’t either!)
PinkoOfTheGange
It is that the str8 version, aka Tinder, isn’t on the list is the issue. I don’t see anyone arguing kid should be using it, only the bias of the list.
Raybee
Tinder is OK, I guess.
Cam
Was there a warning about the bigots on ChristianMingle.com?
msfrost
Apparently not, FBI Stats show, that ~95%, of child predators are straight men, not gay men.
truthseeker
Oh yeah because all the teens are flocking in droves to ChristianMingle. Do you even think before you type?
GoGo
I see they left out Tinder….
Catholicslutbox
although it does not say much, bumble is safer than tinder…
Parents should also talk to their kids (under 18) about sending and receiving nudes- as sending and even being in possession of your own will land you on the sex offender registry.
Kangol2
Nope, kids should NOT be on dating or sex apps. Not. At. All.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Grindr does have the option to change the icon on screen to weather, time, or notepad….So chances are most kids are saavy enough to have already cloaked the app….
For some reason I get hit on by underage kids fairly often on Grindr. I warn them about the dangers. Give them link and phone number for the local Pride for Youth location tell them there is an option to meet kids their own age in a safe and welcoming place, and proceed to block them….
iminheatlikeacat
Can’t see the problem with this. The only problem I can see is your faux outrage and reaching excuses.
Clay83
This article really feels like you are trying to make something out of nothing! They are mearly stating the facts in a frank and honest way! Stop trying to whip people up over nothing.
scotty
well i just emailed them for the pdf. gonna look so nice all framed up. not.