When people are asked how they met, the most common response is “on the internet.” It’s no wonder, then, that internet dating has spread to teenagers. While most people use Snapchat or Instagram to expand their social circles, some are interested in trying one of the many messaging applications that claim to help them “meet new friends.” While these applications are more geared toward casual conversation than prominent fee-based dating sites like Match and OkCupid, they make it incredibly simple to text, video chat, and share photos with strangers.

Most parents would exclaim “no way” at this point and stop reading right now. However, for many teenagers, these apps are a need (especially LGBTQ youth who may not have a supportive community at school). Even if your child does not use one, they may come into contact with one through their peers. Furthermore, the pleasure of meeting new people in an apparently risk-free atmosphere may peak the interest of any kid who believes that a hip new (boy-/girl-)friend is just a download away. That’s why it’s critical to talk about the very real dangers these apps offer. Here are a few examples:

• Although most “make-new-friends” applications aren’t designed for teenagers, it’s simple to get around age limits because most registrations only need inputting a birth date. As a result, adults can impersonate teenagers and vice versa.
• Most are location-based, which means they connect you with people in your area, increasing your chances of meeting a stranger in person.
• Because kids frequently use these apps to share several social media identities, strangers can gain access to more personal information and intimate interactions.
• Some of them contain mature themes such as drugs and nudity.
• The entry hurdle is quite low: they’re typically free and open to almost anyone.
• The overwhelming emphasis on appearance as a basis for judgment is less harmful but nonetheless disturbing.

So, what are your options? You can use parental controls or set up limitations that ban off-limit sites or force them to acquire consent for every applications they download to try to prevent your adolescent from using dating apps (learn how to do this in iOS and Android). These methods aren’t infallible, but they do add a level of complexity that some teenagers may find excessive.

If you find out your adolescent is using dating apps, use the opportunity to talk about how to use social media securely and responsibly, as well as what is and isn’t acceptable. Maintain open lines of communication, especially since kids may store these apps in “vaults” or apps that appear to be harmless (such as a calculator). Talk to them about how they approach dating and relationships, as well as how to build a healthy, meaningful one — and keep in mind that it usually takes more than a swipe to do it.

Teens are utilizing the following dating, “make new friends,” and hook-up applications. This is by no means an exhaustive list; there are many more apps like these available in the app stores.

• Hot or Not: This app started off as a website (and still is) and has seen numerous iterations. It’s owned by the same people that created Badoo, another dating app/site, and they share a lot of dating profiles. They are nearly identical in terms of appearance and functionality, relying on swiping left or right and location sharing.

What parents need to know: Both Hot or Not and Badoo allow you to check in with your email or Facebook account. You must submit a birth date that indicates you are above the age of 18 if you sign up via email, but there is no verification. When teens aged 13 and up try to log in to Badoo using Facebook, they are able to do so, but the Hot or Not app does not. However, because Hot or Not is a Facebook app, kids under the age of 18 can use it there. Teens can choose between 18 and 80 years old for possible relationships, and the majority of pairings during testing were roughly 50 miles apart.

• Kik: Kik is a text-messaging program and social network that allows users to communicate with both friends and strangers. It’s popular with kids because it’s free, and they can quickly and easily add entertaining stuff — memes, viral videos, photographs, and more — to their texts without having to worry about message or character limits. They don’t need to enter a phone number to sign up, unlike many other messengers. It also has public groups where you may find a wide range of mature content.
• MeetMe: “Meet, chat, and have fun with new people,” states MeetMe’s tagline. It’s also a website and an app. Users can share their profiles between Skout and MeetMe because they are affiliated. You can communicate with other users in a variety of ways: You can talk to individuals in your area, watch livestreams (or go live yourself), chat, or utilize the “Quick” function to “meet people face-to-face right now.” Users can even exchange real-money virtual presents with one another.
• MyLOL is owned by the same developers as Spotafriend, but it functions differently and is a website as well. Users must be between the ages of 13 and 19. You can add friends, check at profiles, and communicate with individuals, or you can go to the Shouts feature, which is a live feed of other users’ remarks, most of which are just “hmu” (“hit me up,” slang for “send me a message”). Teens can restrict who can see their profiles to only their friends, but they can only talk with people of the same gender and age.