Worried your teen uses ghost apps to hide their online activities? Your Teen has tips to help parents monitor how their teen is using that smartphone. When a sexting scandal hit a Colorado high school late last year, many parents were shocked to learn that their teenagers used “ghost apps”... Ghost apps will appear to be one thing—like a calculator—but hide a secret functionality. Take, for example, “Audio Manager/Hide It Pro.” This app looks like it controls a phone’s audio settings, but once you enter a password, it actually provides access to a stash of hidden files. Similarly, Calculator% (not a typo) looks like a calculator, but lets users hide photos and videos from prying (read: parental) eyes. So what’s a parent to do? For starters, it’s important to understand that it’s normal for teenagers to hide some stuff from their parents. 1. Monitor, especially tweens and younger teens. 2. Educate yourself. 3. Talk expectations. 4. If you find something, stay calm.
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