An Illinois school put out a warning to parents surrounding a social media app that school officials believe many students are using and could be putting them in dangerous situations with strangers.
The free app, called Omegle, randomly pairs users with others from around the world to talk "one-on-one" anonymously. Users can add interests that will allow the app to pair them with someone who shares similar interests.
Mokena Junior High School said it was made aware of the "concerning" app, which it believes "many of our students are actively using," and issued a warning to parents this week.
"Omegle does not appear to have powerful moderation. It also does not require registration or have age verification, which makes young people a potential target for abuse online," Dr. Mike Rolinitis, the school's principal, wrote in a letter to parents.
The school warned that children and young adults may be asked by strangers to share information like their name, age and location.
"Even more concerning is that children can easily bypass any safety controls and enter adults only and unmoderated video chat rooms where students are likely to be exposed to and be encourage to participate in explicit content," the letter read.
Omegle's website states that it aims to "provide a platform where people could connect with other people of diverse backgrounds and experiences that may differ from their own." And while the website states "video chat is moderated," it also notes that "no moderation is perfect."
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"Users are solely responsible for their behavior while using Omegle," the website, which says it is for use by those 18 and older, states.
While the app does not directly provide parental controls, it does note that "parental control protections (such as computer hardware, software, or filtering services) are also commercially available and may assist you in limiting minors’ access to materials that may be harmful to or inappropriate for minors."
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Still, school officials say parents should "do some of your own research about Omegle and the other aps that your child uses and make decisions about their use as a family."
"It is important to note, the vast majority of the negative interactions we have at school causing children undue stress and concern come directly from the misuse of social media," Rolinitis wrote. "Children often do not have the maturity to understand how to properly use social media for positive communication. They send inappropriate and/or hurtful messages that they are often embarrassed about when they are found out. There are many social media apps, like Omegle, that we recommend should be removed from your child's devices, or at the least, be heavily monitored."
