Kasey
Prater, Marketing Intern
For
many incoming freshmen, college is the most freedom they have yet to experience.
While this new found independence can be exhilarating, it also comes with a
great deal of personal responsibility and decision-making. Since most incoming
freshmen own smart phones, it is important for them to think before they
download the latest popular apps. Like Facebook in its early stages, most of these
apps are geared toward the college demographic. But be careful: Many of them require
that students submit sensitive personal information, and require phone users’
Facebook or location services to be accessed by the app. Before downloading
controversial apps, it is crucial to consider how much you are willing to share
and how important privacy is to you.
Snapchat
One
app that practically all of my college friends (and yes, even my mom) use
frequently is Snapchat. Given that my mom graduated from college about 20 years
ago, she still sends some pretty hilarious snaps. Snapchat is an app that allows
Android and iPhone users to send photos and videos with optional text and
illustration to a controlled list of recipients. Snapchat users can set a limit
to how long their images will be seen, ranging from 1 to 10 seconds, after
which they are deleted. However, if you thought these snaps could never come
back to haunt you, you are wrong. There are some Facebook pages for “Adult Only
Content” snaps. These pages feature screenshots of photos that some Snapchat
users thought would be gone forever. So next time you send a risky snap,
remember that you could be one screenshot away from becoming internet famous.
If
we can thank Snapchat for anything, it would be the decline of “selfies” on my
newsfeed. Not everyone wants to see how excited you are about the upcoming
episode of Pretty Little Liars.
Tinder
I
have to admit that this app sparked my curiosity. I was surprised when my
friends started talking about an app that allows you to scroll through the other
users’ pictures, and either “pass” or “like” a person based on what you see.
The app even pairs you with singles who are your age and live within a certain
radius. Tinder is considered a dating app; if you like a person’s picture and
they like yours back, it gives you the option of a message introduction. Sounds
a little creepy considering all you have to base your “pass” or “like” on is a
couple of Facebook photos and a short bio. Also remember that Tinder pulls personal
information and selected photos from your Facebook account through the terms
you agree to when downloading the app.
Some
people say you should never judge a book by its cover, but not Tinder. If you
are considering creating a Tinder profile, always remember that appealing
angles matter when taking photographs of yourself.
Lulu
This
females-only app allows women to anonymously, yet publicly, rate and objectify
men (from what I understand). These men, via Facebook, are ranked on a scale of
1-10 based on their romantic and even sexual value. For example, an
ex-girlfriend or “hookup” may rate a man a “4,” including hashtags like
#BadBreath and #Womanizer for further explanation.
If
you are an angry ex who wants to vent about a crappy boyfriend through ratings
and hashtags, Lulu is the app for you.
In
summation, it is all too important that you research an app before downloading it all willy-nilly. Just because an app is all the rave (and not to mention,
free), it does not mean you have to get it. Think about your privacy and the
issues that could arise before agreeing to the terms and conditions of an app.
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