The Sendit app has exploded in popularity among teens and kids in recent years. As with any social media platform or messaging app that gains traction with younger users, questions around safety, privacy, and appropriateness invariably arise.
As a parent, you may be wondering—is Sendit safe for my child to use? What risks does it present? And what do I need to know about Sendit to make informed decisions about my teen’s usage? This guide aims to provide parents with a comprehensive understanding of what Sendit is, how it works, the potential risks it poses to young users, and actionable advice on how to keep your kids safe if they use Sendit.
What Is Sendit App?
Sendit is a social media app that allows users to anonymously send messages, photos, videos, and other content to classmates and friends. The app uses proximity and location to connect a user to others nearby. Here are some key things to know about Sendit:
- Anonymity: Sendit’s key feature is anonymity. Users create an anonymous profile and can then exchange content anonymously with others. Names and identities are not required.
- Proximity-based: The app connects you anonymously with others based on geographic proximity. You can see and exchange content with others nearby.
- Popular with teens: Although available to all ages, Sendit has proven extremely popular with teenagers and kids. Over 50% of its users are under 20 years old.
- Exchange photos, videos, messages: In addition to text, users can exchange photos, videos, and other multimedia. There are no filters or checks on the types of content shared.
Sendit provides teens and kids with an anonymous portal to connect and share potentially sensitive content with others close by. It removes typical social media guards around identity and behavior.
How Does Sendit Work?
When a user installs and opens the Sendit app, they create an anonymous profile. This profile does not require a person’s real name, phone number, email address, or any other identifying information.
The user then chooses a display name or handle. Sendit connects them via Bluetooth to other nearby Sendit users, displaying these anonymous users in the interface. Proximity ranges from within 500 feet to a few miles.
Within this radius, the Sendit user can exchange text messages, photos, videos and other files or links anonymously with all nearby users. Anything they send out appears under their handle. Likewise, they receive anonymized content from those nearby.
Each piece of content carries a proximity tag, showing generally how far away the sender is. For example, a photo might be tagged “250ft away” or a message “1 mile away.” Users can choose to share their general location with others on the app, or keep their location completely hidden.
The app also includes options to:
- React to content from others
- Star or favourite content
- Build connections with frequent contacts
- Browse content exchanges from across the app’s global user base.
This app removes identity ties from photo, video and messaging exchanges, while providing users context on the proximity of sends. This combination of anonymity and location has proven extremely popular with teenage demographics in particular.
What are the Risks of Sendit?
While many kids and parents may view Sendit as a harmless fun way to exchange silly content, it poses real risks ranging from inappropriate content to privacy violations to child predation. Parents should carefully consider these dangers.
1. Inappropriate content
Without filters or identity tied to posts, kids can easily send and receive inappropriate messages, explicit language, drug references, threats, disturbing images, pornography, and more, whether intentionally or unintentionally. This exposes children to content most parents would find inappropriate for their age.
2. Cyberbullying and harassment
Bullying is a major concern on anonymous apps like Sendit where typical reporting chains and accountability features are non-existent. The anonymity granted by the app can encourage cyberbullying, threats, harassment, racist/sexist speech, and other abusive behaviors.
3. Privacy risks
User privacy on Sendit is nearly non-existent. Children can accidentally or intentionally reveal personal information like location, school names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. to strangers. Beyond messages, privacy settings on photo and video sharing are limited as well.
4. Sexual exploitation
With anonymous profile handling and messaging combined with proximity-based connections, sexual predation presents a very real risk on Sendit. Adults with bad intentions can easily masquerade as younger users. Concerning trends of teens using apps to share intimate imagery also lower inhibitions.
5. Malware spreading
Links sent via Sendit messages or attachments could intentionally or unintentionally contain malware. If clicked or downloaded, this malware then infects a child’s device for motives ranging from data theft to device compromise to access other online accounts.
Clearly, while Sendit adoption continues accelerating among youth demographics, parents should balance its entertainment value with the array of troubling risks it introduces for underage users. But awareness of these dangers is only the first step to keeping kids safe online.
Is Sendit Safe for Teens and Kids?
With its anonymity features, lack of identity verification, proximity-based connections, potential for cyberbullying, and unfiltered content that can range from inappropriate to abusive, Sendit is generally viewed as unsafe for kids and teens. Child online safety groups universally recommend that:
- Sendit only be used by those over 18 years old in most countries
- Parents restrict access to Sendit for younger teens
- Children under 13 absolutely should not use Sendit under any circumstances.
Without oversight, Sendit exposes kids to inappropriate content they are not emotionally equipped to handle. It can normalize unsafe behaviors and erode privacy at a pivotal developmental phase.
And the anonymous connections introduce a spectrum of risks from online embarrassment or bullying all the way to predators targeting minors. Parents rightfully express hesitation about Sendit’s safety for their teenage and young users.
So is Sendit completely unsafe for teens and kids? Some parents may still consider allowing tightly regulated access, but all should directly engage with underage users around Sendit app risks rather than take a hands off approach. The next section explores specific parental advice in more detail.
Read Also: Monitoring Your Kids’ Online Activity: A Parent’s Guide
What Parents Should Know About Sendit
As Sendit use gains steam within youth circles, parents should take time to understand the emerging social platform and associated risks. Here are key things parents should know.
Set clear guidelines
If you allow your teen on Sendit, set clear rules covering how and when they can use it. Define off-limit behaviors like bullying and specify consequences for breaking rules. Outline expectations around privacy precautions, location settings, and content sharing. Request notifications when risky content appears. Ongoing dialogue is essential even with established guidelines.
Understand anonymity implications
Sendit’s selling point—anonymity—fuels much of its risk. Kids can hide behind anonymous profiles to send content they’d never post publicly. And strangers use anonymity to endanger kids online. Parents must grasp Sendit’s anonymity features and their behavioral implications to determine if it’s appropriate for their teen.
Recognize proximity dangers
The proximity basis of Sendit means kids aren’t just connecting randomly online, but specifically with others geographically close by. Local threats feel more imminent. Predatory adults can pinpoint minor targets. Anonymity plus proximity demands elevated privacy and safety awareness from teen users and parents alike.
Limit personal information sharing
While anonymity limits identity exposure, teach kids to still restrict sharing personal information on Sendit. Usernames, messages, media attachments, reactions, and metadata can still reveal phone numbers, addresses, school names, hobbies and more. Predators exploit such details. Enforce strict info sharing rules.
Manage app permissions
Upon installing apps, users generally enable all permission requests without a second thought. But Sendit requests location and Bluetooth permissions that each carry risk. Manage these settings item-by-item. Turn off location visibility. Rescind unnecessary camera, microphone etc. access when feasible. Give permissions judiciously.
Activate safety measures
Sendit includes a handful of basic safety features like opting out of location visibility, content filtering, blocking users and reporting abuse. Ensure teens use these appropriately when active on Sendit. Consider additional protections like parental monitoring tools and VPNs as well. Layered security delivers the best defense.
In summary, Sendit demands greater parental diligence thanks chiefly to its signature anonymity provisions and proximity based networking. Responsible teen usage starts with parental understanding of its functioning. Translate this knowledge into household rules, controls and ongoing communication tailored to your child’s needs and your family’s comfort level around risk exposure.
Why Is Sendit Popular with Kids?
Sendit succeeds in engaging kids for a variety of reasons. Understanding its appeal can further illuminate why unregulated use proves so problematic.
Fosters authentic expression
For better or worse, anonymity lets kids communicate more freely before they grasp longer term implications around privacy, permanency and identity. This unfiltered creative outlet resonates strongly with youth. But it lowers inhibitions that keep behavior in check.
Enables inside jokes
Sendit provides context like location and proximity that make inside jokes hit harder for kids. Anonymized interactions focused on people nearby foster stronger feelings of belonging within local peer groups. But this also amplifies the pain when anonymity enables attacks.
Removes social barriers
Young users often feel intimidated interacting with wider social networks on established platforms like Instagram or TikTok. But Sendit’s anonymity removes identity barriers letting shy kids engage free of social risk. Of course, privacy ultimately suffers in exchange.
Delivers instant gratification
Unlike more managed apps, Sendit sets no limits around sharing or messaging frequency. Kids enjoy unleashed creative freedom. Coupled with nearby users, it delivers delightful instant interactions completely unfiltered. However, children still lack the judgement to balance this freedom and instant gratification against core values.
Provides entertainment
Perhaps most simply, Sendit proves incredibly entertaining for the average child. Swapping silly photos, videos and jokes appeals universally to youth and humanizes proximity-based connections. But kids gravitate towards the fun unaware of the troves of data collected or broader dangers lurking behind the curtain of anonymity.
So in meeting a variety of age-specific needs around unfiltered self-expression, belonging and entertainment, Sendit wins over kids quickly. Parents must counterbalance understanding this appeal with education on why achieving these needs through Sendit’s anonymity features compromises longer-term child well-being in multiple ways.
How to Keep Teens and Kids Safe on Sendit
After weighing Sendit risks and appeal factors, some parents may allow limited, structured usage under their supervision. In these cases, maximizing child safety on Sendit is imperative. Here are proactive tips:
Set age guidelines
Experts strongly advise no use of Sendit under age 13 given elevated risks. Usage from 13-15 warrants extreme caution. Regular check-ins, household rules and location visibility enables safer navigation for younger teens should parents deem Sendit appropriate.
Establish usage rules
Create clear guidelines covering where/when Sendit gets used, content sharing, info sharing, notifications, privacy expectations, etc. Outline repercussions for violations like Sendit removal. Set scheduled check-in sessions to review profiles, messages, and process experiences.
Limit discoverability
Reduce visibility by toggling off location permissions, setting messages to disappear and enabling restrictive filters. Use nicknames rather than real names or handles with personal details. Set visibility toggles to “My Contacts” to cap broader exposure.
Model responsible usage
Parents should install Sendit to better grasp its functionality. Model mindful usage by navigating side-by-side with your teen highlighting privacy precautions as you go. Shape norms around appropriate usage through direct parent participation.
Maintain device access
Given anonymity risks, maintain full administrative access, oversight capability and usage transparency on any device where kids access Sendit. Review profiles, messages and media regularly to catch problems early and address them in ongoing conversations.
Link usage to values
Discuss family values like respect, responsibility and privacy protection. Highlight how Sendit’s anonymity features directly conflict with these values when misused. Connect appropriate usage back to value reinforcement and improper usage to value erosion.
Managed carefully, Sendit can offer age-appropriate entertainment. But it demands extensive guardrails and parental involvement to keep kids safe given heightened risks inherent to anonymity and proximity. Accelerating use among youth makes parent awareness, dialogue and action around Sendit usage increasingly essential.
Conclusion
As blindly permissive as app design and policies may be around underage usage of emerging platforms like Sendit, parents must evaluate appropriateness deliberately through the lens of child development and family values. Sendit warrants heightened concern given its anonymity-fueled risks like unfiltered content, privacy erosion, harassment, exploitation and more.
While its popularity booms among youth who view the app as a creative outlet facilitating authentic expression, inside jokes and barrier-free entertainment around nearby users, parents rightfully grapple with allowing access given limited protections and limited capacity among pre-teens and young teenagers to responsibly navigate anonymity risks.
Those permitting access must implement layered controls like guidelines, restrictions, access policies and ongoing review while focusing usage conversations on family values and long-term well-being. Sendit, in catering to youth entertainment needs over safety, makes vigilant parenting essential to prevent short-term thrill seeking behaviors on the app from yielding longer-term developmental harm.
