Musical.ly is a popular app that could expose kids to dangerous content

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Launched in 2014, Musical.ly is a launching pad for teens to make thousands a month with lip-syncing and comedy videos. Time

A screenshot of the social media app Musical.ly. (Photo: Musical.ly)

If you have teens or tweens in your household, chances are you've heard quite a bit about the mobile phone app Musical.ly. But maybe you haven't heard about the negative ways it can be manipulated.

Musical.ly burst onto the scene in 2014, allowing users, called "musers," to sing or lip-synch to songs and post the short videos on social media with fun filters. The app claims to have 200 million registered users, and is among the most popular apps in Apple's app store in multiple countries around the world.

"It's a tween kind of phenomenon," said Nolica Murray-Fields of the Center for Youth, who has three children – her ten-year-old son uses Musical.ly all the time.

But like many new apps or social media platforms, there are pitfalls to avoid with Musical.ly. Reported instances of predators contacting young children over the app's messaging feature asking for explicit photos is one of two red flags that have gone up about Musical.ly recently.

In one report from The New Zealand Herald, a mom in Australia learned her 8-year-old daughter received messages from someone pretending to be Justin Bieber.

Users can also enter code words into the app — think hashtag-like search words that can categorize information — that bring up sexually explicit content, or content about suicide or disordered eating.

 "At the local level, speaking to Monroe County, I have not been made aware of any particular (negative) instances (with Musical.ly,)" said Amy Scheel-Jones, the chief of planning for the Monroe County Office of Mental Health. "But what is known about the app through public mechanisms certainly raises a concern."

Musical.ly discourages people under 13 from creating an account, and offers resources on internet privacy and cyberbullying. The settings can be switched to private, which allows users to screen who wants to follow them before accepting or declining requests.

Mobile phones up the ante in terms of access to objectionable content, she said. Years ago, a child couldn't attend an R-rated movie without a parent driving them first, she said. Now, that content could be at their fingertips.

Also, children's brains aren't fully developed yet, which could harm their ability to process what they might see or read on social media, she said. Research shows too much screen time in general causes higher rates of depression and anxiety in children, regardless of content, she said.

"It's important for parents to be really aware of what each app has as options related to their child's use," she said.

Murray-Fields set strict parameters for her children's use of the internet in her household, as well as her child's specific use of the Musical.ly app. There is no internet use on weekdays, she said, and on Musical.ly, she must approve all videos her son wants to post, and all requests from friends and family members who want to connect with him. The app is downloaded on her phone, not his, so she receives all notifications as well, she said.

Parents should stay aware of warning signs of unhealthy uses of technology and address the issue with kids head on, said Murray-Fields.

"A child shouldn't be off somewhere with a phone and you not be aware of what's going on," she said. If a child is starting to hide their use of technology, that's when parents should jump in and discuss healthy habits and interactions with others over the web – because the question is, she said, "what are you not seeing?"

STADDEO@Gannett.com

Tips for parents: Fostering healthy social media habits 

• Computers or other modes of connecting to the internet could be stored in family areas, like the living room or the kitchen, to allow for more public use.
• Parents should download and use apps first if possible, before they give their kids the green light.
• Parents should consult their pediatrician for advice on media guidelines and habits for their children.
• Consider restricting internet use at certain times during the week.
• Keep tabs on your children's social media use by approving friend/follow requests or posts.
• Switch your child's social media profiles to private.
• Talk to your kids about what is appropriate and inappropriate content on social media, and what to do if they see something that makes them feel uncomfortable.

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