9 Most Popular Apps for Teens Kenyan Parents need to Know

It’s a fact, the fewer adults there are on a social media app, the more likely teenagers will use that app.

Your teenager knows you are on Facebook, and they will not hang out there.

Despite Facebook being the most popular app globally, teens would rather look for the hottest social media app that allows them to get into their world without an adult’s prying eye.

It gets worse.

You will not find your teenager on Twitter.

Keeping up with every new social media app would exhaust any parent. That is why Parenteen Kenya does it for you by sending informative emails about the current trends in the teen world.

The goal for you as a parent is to have a general idea of how these apps function, what they allow your teenager to do online, and the risk of exposure to strangers.

Social media apps are here to stay. Your goal is to help your teenager know:

• Which social media apps are appropriate.
• Which ones are the most dangerous apps.
• How much information to share on each app.
• Who to allow in their online inner circle.

You are about to get a head start in the social media game as you read on the most popular social media apps Kenyan teens are using.

Enjoy.

1. House Party

Houseparty is a live video chatting social media app that allows your teenager to engage in video chats with two to ten people at the same time.

It is more like having a real party but virtually.

Users can join more than one party, with the ability to move around between parties.

Houseparty became one of the hottest social media apps during the pandemic.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– It is hard to monitor what happens in a live video chat, especially with eight teenagers your teen may not know well and each in the comfort of their rooms. Inappropriate content can easily be seen.

– The attendees can take screenshots or send links of the live party to whomever they want. Cyberbullying stems from social media apps with such features.

– Houseparty has a default geo-feature that makes it easy for a stalker to pinpoint your teenager’s exact location. This feature makes it a potential child predator app.

2. Kik Messenger

Kik is a mobile texting social media app that allows fast sending and receiving messages with a unique feature of a bubble with the face of your chatting mate appearing on the side.

The app’s design gives quick access to send photos, designed cards, and sketches to your chat mate.

Kik permits users to have a group chat with up to 49 users.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– Age restriction is 17+, but anyone can download and use the app as there is no age- verification step.

– It allows you to use a username without revealing your true identity.

– You can send and receive messages from anyone outside your phone contact book. This feature puts it on the most dangerous apps list.

– Some Kik members use the app for sexting with friends and strangers. Adults can stalk your teenager for such engagements, qualifying Kik as a child predator app.

– Kik also has an integrated browser that takes your teenager to YouTube, HeyHey, SoundCloud, Flirt, and other browsers that have access to inappropriate content.

3. Bigo Live

Bigo Live is also a live streaming social media app that allows users to vlog their daily life, host their shows, showcase their talent, and stream live video gameplay.

You earn money if you post adventurous videos.

It is the most popular app for teens to spend time watching videos because of the exciting and dangerous stunts users upload.

It allows live commenting and searches for other users nearby to join the watch party.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– The prospect of earning money makes this app the most dangerous app for teens because teenagers go to extremes to produce risky videos that receive more views and likes.

– Age restriction is 18 +years, but the number of teens in this social media app is astonishing as there is no age-verification requirement.

– Bullying or getting negative comments on a live stream video can pose a serious mental health challenge for a teenager struggling with self-image.

4. IMVU (Instant Messaging Virtual Universe)

IMVU boasts of being the largest avatar-based social media app where you create and customize your avatar for a virtual world game experience.

The app allows you to role-play, go to virtual dates, dress up, party, and host an event.

Teenagers consider IMVU the hottest social media apps.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– Graphic content finding its way to the public arena occurs despite having a strong verification code for adult content access.

– Age restriction is 13+, but the avatars are highly sexualized for the teenage age.

– User profile is public to everyone making IMVU a potential child predator app.

5. TikTok

Hurray, you have heard of this social media app and seen some clips.

TikTok has over 700 million downloads, almost equating Facebook, joining the most popular apps for teens and adults. It recently surpassed Instagram in usage.

TikTok allows members to create and share short video clips.

The users express themselves through dancing, lip-syncing, singing, pranking, and comedy.

This social media app has given courage to more teens to create and post their content due to the ease of attaining the limited time of 15-60sec for every production.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– Age-restriction is 13+ years. Other countries like Ireland have revised their age limit to 16+ due to the increased incidence of improper language and content.

– Some songs, comedy, videos, and comments are inappropriate for teenagers.

– TikTok profiles are public. Anyone can view and share your teenagers’ videos and contact them in the app.

– The pressure and addictive nature of gathering likes, followers, and comments leads to psychological issues.

6. ASKfm

ASKfm “ask me anonymous questions” is a popular app that allows users to ask any question without revealing their identity; unless they want to.

Your teenager won’t know who follows them, but they will know the total number of followers they have.

Users log in to answer questions or view the answers to tons of questions.

Instead of likes, users earn coins by getting their friends or strangers to deposit coins in their account if they like their answers or posts.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– Some users abuse the anonymity aspect and post offensive questions or give inappropriate answers.

– Cyberbullying occurs because of the hidden user-ID.

– ASKfm has nine Suicide cases related to its use, putting it on the most dangerous social media apps list.

– This social media app allows the user to make friends with strangers within the user’s location.

– If your teenager happens to be popular, they will be advertised to other users to get more followers.

7. Tumblr

Tumblr is more of a diary where users record and post their life content in text, video, audio, and photos. It is the most popular app for teens because it allows them to keep a diary without writing on paper.

The content created, called tumblogs, can be shared to user’s private followers or made public.

It has in-built video, gif, and photo maker tools that help users express themselves and improve their online creativity.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– Age restriction is 17+, but there’s the ease of access to improper content not fit for a seventeen-year-old.

– It is a complicated task to choose privacy settings. Users forgo this process making their profile public to everyone.

– It is a dangerous app for teens because they can easily access violent videos and pornographic content.

– Tumblogs on self-harm, drug abuse, eating disorders, or foul language receives more attention.

– Your teenager’s content can be shared many times with strangers, especially if made public.

– Users are allowed to link to any website, including pornographic pages.

8. Snap Chat

Snap chat has been around for years but still ranks as the most popular app for teens because of the self-destructive nature of posts.

Once the time limit is up, the snap chat disappears from everyone’s feed.

Snap chat users find it easy to share embarrassing, weird, nasty, and inappropriate content.

In spite of the disappearing feature, other users have a window period of taking a screenshot of the post.

The members can video chat with up to 16 people simultaneously.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– The aspect of no one finding your texts or images can encourage users to get involved in sexting. Your teenager can be pressured to take part.

– In 2014, someone hacked Snap Chat and released conversations and photos to the public. The idea that the content disappears forever is false.

– Snap Chat integrates links that allow your teenager to go to articles, videos, magazines by major publications and celebrities. The likelihood of your teenager finding mature content is high.

– Snap map allows your teenager to share their live location or get directions to the live location of another user. Such a feature qualifies Snap Chat as a child predator app.

9. Viusasa

Viusasa is a Kenyan online digital platform with multiple features, including TV and radio streaming, gaming, shopping, and educational content.

Viusasa recently added a feature called Xpressionz where users create and share videos to earn money.

The top three videos of the week receive payments.

What Kenyan Parents Need to Know

– Age restriction is 18+, but Viusasa allows younger users to access content with adult supervision

– Your teenager can access content inappropriate for their age.

– Users need to buy bundles to enjoy the services.

– The promise of earning money caused the app to increase in popularity, and your teenager can be influenced to download and try their lack.

Other Social Media Apps

The list above gives you an idea of how the most popular apps for teens work. There are hundreds of other social media apps like Tellonym, Omegle, Whisper, Blendr, Voxer, Holla, Tinder, WeChat, MeetMe, Monkey, Yubo, and Amino.

Any new app labeled by teenagers as the hottest social media app will offer similar features or a blend of the above features. With this knowledge, you will be on top of the game in addressing one of the main challenges teenagers experience.

How Parents Can Protect their Teenagers from Dangerous Apps for Teens

• Have a meaningful conversation with your teenager regarding social media apps and give tips on how they can know and avoid the most dangerous apps.
• Have a general idea of the latest social media apps by typing “trending social media apps for teens” on your browser.
• Consider using parental control apps to help screen and monitor what your teenager is accessing. These apps include Bark, Netnanny, Screentime, Famisafe, and Quistudio
• Subscribe to ParenTeen Kenya, where we monitor social media trends and give you an update when new social media apps hit the market.

Have you tried any of these popular social media Apps?

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Jane Kariuki

Jane Kariuki is a devout Christian, Clinician, Psychologist, and founder of ParenTeen Kenya. She authored an exceptional training manual used in her teens’ workshop and an instructional guidebook for her parenting classes. If she is not training, blogging, or counseling, Jane loves to spend time with her sweet husband and three children.