Parents should then screen capture any evidence and notify both Houseparty and their local police. Make sure your child knows it is not their fault if this happens to them and that they should report it immediately to their parents. They may eventually ask for nude photos or ask for private information. They tend to strike up conversations designed to build up trust through pity or self-loathing. Sexual predators and data thieves are increasingly finding victims on social platform chats.

Warn your child about online predators.

Opt-out of emails, texts or notifications about Houseparty offers.

Providing a fake birthday and fake name (or nickname) helps protect your child’s identity from data theft. Houseparty requires a birthday during setup. It should already be off by default in the permissions section, but double-check.

Turn on private mode to lock every ‘room.’.

How can I make Houseparty safer for my child or teen? (They make money through in-app purchases)

Houseparty has also positioned itself as more socially-responsible than the Facebook group, promising not to monetize through data and advertising.

This Wall Street Journal video where a couple of young users explain Houseparty to their parents demonstrates this generational divide well. They see Facebook as something for their parents.

Teens also like that the Houseparty app is not Facebook, or owned by Facebook.

So as long as there are not already 8 people in the conversation and they are friends with someone already in the conversation, and the room is not locked, they can jump in.

The app notifies them when their friends go into the app and shows who is talking to whom. There is no need to plan in advance or send invitations.

On a similar note, teens love the spontaneity of the Houseparty app.

It’s a lot like studying together at the library which is kind of ironic for a party app!

Teens turn it on while they are doing their homework even if they aren’t talking.

In today’s social landscape in which touch-ups and ‘perfect’ lives abound online, Houseparty is more authentic.

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