What is worrying about Match & Chat is the ease with which a user can chat to others users of any age they want. Two such apps are Match & Chat and Flirt! Match & Chat works in a similar way to Tinder, matching users by ages, gender etc. These internal apps include stickers apps, meme generators, games and dating style apps that allow users to chat with new contacts which may be concerning for parents. Kik messenger also offers internal apps through its browser encouraging users to remain within the app itself. If your teen is using the app encourage them not to share their username on other open social networks for example on Twitter. The app recommends users choose a username that is hard to guess, this will help minimise contact from strangers or people that your child may not know or want to talk to. To add someone as a connection on Kik, you must know their username. This means details like email address or telephone number aren’t made public on the app. By turning off address book matching, your child can only talk to people who know their username. This option can also be turned off by going to settings > chat settings > and turning off address book matching. The app allows users to connect with people in their phone book/contact list who already have a Kik account. Note: The app currently has an age rating of 17+ on the app store.

If your child is under 16 and has created a Kik account, the messaging app encourages parents to submit a deactivation request by contacting Note: Use the subject line ‘Parent Inquiry’ and include your child’s Kik username and age in your message. If you are under 16, you must have consent of a parent or guardian to use services like social media networks. UPDATE: The Digital Age of Consent in Ireland is set at 16 years of age.

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