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Walkie Talkie App: Who is your Kid Talking to? (SmartSocial.com Guide for Parents & Educators)

Author
Josh Ochs
Published
Thu 12 Nov 2020
Episode Link
https://SmartSocial.com

What is the Walkie Talkie app?

  • The app lets people communicate from any location, in the same style as a walkie talkie or two-way radio
  • It only works using cellular data or a Wi-Fi connection
  • This is a voice-only app. Images and videos cannot be shared

Learn more by reading our app guide: https://smartsocial.com/walkie-talkie-app/

How does the app work?

  • Users can invite friends to chat on a specific channel or they can scroll through random channels by pushing the up or down arrows
  • To join a channel, push the stop button until it says “connected”
    • The number displayed on the top right shows how many people are tuned in to the channel at that moment
    • To talk, a user presses on the speaker area of the screen
  • The app must be open in order for the receiving person to hear a message (there are no notifications for Walkie Talkie)

Why do students like it?

  • The app is free
  • Teens can easily text a channel to friends or share a specific channel number on social media networks
  • Students can leave the app on, on a predetermined channel, wherever they go (including school) and communicate with friends without texting or making a phone call
  • Individuals or groups can chat on channels

What parents should know?

  • Ads pop up while using the app, including advertisements for other apps unless you pay $3.99 to remove them
  • Another in-app upgrade,  available for $0.99, lets users change the Walkie Talkie color
  • There is no way to make a channel private
    • This means anyone can listen in on a conversation
    • Users can also scroll through channels and try to find strangers to talk to
  • There is no way to monitor a child’s conversation or who they are talking to unless you know what channel they are on and constantly listen in
  • There is a risk of exposure to foul or lewd language since conversations are not moderated

What can parents do?

  • Explain the dangers of talking with strangers and ask your child not to invite strangers to chat with them on a channel
  • Remind your student to avoid giving out personal information or oversharing on the Walkie Talkie app
  • Since anyone could be eavesdropping on a channel, encourage students to refrain from discussing things they don’t want anyone else to know

Learn social media safety from Smart Social's resources: 

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