video chat app

SmartSocial.com's Omegle Guide for Parents and Educators: https://smartsocial.com/omegle/

What is Omegle chat?

• Users go to Omegle.com to instantly start a text or video chat with strangers
• Visitors can use keywords to find people with shared interests
• College students can enter a .edu email address (which the site uses for verification) to find other students
• There is also an “adult” section
• The website is free to use and is available in multiple languages
• A graphic on top of the website shows how many other users are online at any (it’s often 40,000+)

Where is Omegle available?

• Omele.com is available on any web browser
• The website shows users how to easily use add Omegle to the home screen of their phones to make it mobile-friendly
• Omegle’s Privacy Policy
• There are several apps, include Omega in Google Play and OKAY in the iOS App Store, that have similar logos and offer the same random chat features

Why should parents care about Omegle?

• Age verification is not required to use Omegle
  • The website says all users must over 13
  • It also says anyone under 18 should ask for parental permission
• Strangers can easily ask for personal information, share explicit messages, or appear on screen nude 
• Strangers often send usernames to connect on other apps, like Snapchat, Kik, and Discord
• Although your student might feel like their chat is private, anyone can record their screen or take a screenshot
• Omegle.com offers “moderated” chats, but says “Moderation is not perfect. You may still encounter people who misbehave. They are solely responsible for their own behavior.”

What can parents do?

• It’s important to not only tell your children not to visit sites like Omegle, but also to explain WHY
• You can use settings or a parental monitoring app to block Omegle.com, but kids can often find ways around that (For example, visiting banned websites at a friend’s house)
• Teach your kids to never share personal information with strangers online
• Remind them about the dangers of meeting up with someone from the internet in real life
• Tell them they can always come to you (or a trusted adult) if they ever feel uncomfortable about something that happened online

Learn from Smart Social's resources: 

• Join our free newsletter for parents and educators: https://smartsocial.com/newsletter/
• Register for a free online Parent Night to learn the hidden safety features on popular apps: https://smartsocial.com/social-media-webinar/
• Become a Smart Social VIP (Very Informed Parents) Member and unlock 30+ workshops (learn online safety and how to Shine Online™): https://learn.smartsocial.com/
• Download the free Smart Social app: https://smartsocial.com/app
• Learn the top 100 popular teen apps: https://smartsocial.com/app-guide-parents-teachers/
• View the top parental control software: https://smartsocial.com/parental-control-software/
• Learn the latest Teen Slang, Emojis & Hashtags: https://smartsocial.com/teen-slang-emojis-hashtags-list/
• Get ideas for offline activities for your students: https://smartsocial.com/offline-activities-reduce-screentime/
• Get Educational Online Activity ideas for your students: https://smartsocial.com/offline-activities-reduce-screentime/

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• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SafeSmartSocial/videos

WhatsApp is a free messaging app that allows students to use wifi to bypass their SMS/text messaging feature and directly communicate with other users on the app. The app offers free texting, voice calls, and video chats. WhatsApp can be accessed on a smartphone or a desktop.  WhatsApp is now one of the largest messaging apps in the world, with two billion users, according to Facebook.

Read Smart Social's Guide to WhatsApp for Students and Parents here: https://smartsocial.com/whatsapp/

Learn from our resources:

• Join our free newsletter: https://smartsocial.com/newsletter/
• Take one of our 30+ additional courses on the latest teen apps: https://learn.smartsocial.com/
• Download the Smart Social app: https://smartsocial.com/app
• Learn the top 100 popular teen apps: https://smartsocial.com/app-guide-parents-teachers/
• View the top parental control software: https://smartsocial.com/parental-control-software/
• Learn the top Teen Slang, Emojis & Hashtags: https://smartsocial.com/teen-slang-emojis-hashtags-list/
• Get ideas for offline activities for your students: https://smartsocial.com/offline-activities-reduce-screentime/

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• Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Ikvg45xcfqi3cz5vxy7vsryf3uq
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SafeSmartSocial/videos

Coronavirus keeping you at home social distanced from friends and family? Here are some apps you can use to better communicate and make use of your time while on COVID19 Quarantine.

Google Duo: https://jerad.link/duo
MarcoPolo: https://jerad.link/marcopolo
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The Yubo app markets itself as a way to make friends even though it’s mostly used as a dating app. This can be confusing for teens and tweens who join the app and are not aware of the intentions of other users. This app is nicknamed “Tinder for Snapchat” and “Tinder for Teens.” Yubo app users can join a live group stream or swipe through profiles. If two users swipe right on each other’s photos then they become a match and can chat or share Instagram and Snapchat usernames. The Yubo app is free, but users can pay for a premium subscription to up their visibility and get rid of ads.

Learn more: https://smartsocial.com/yubo-app-formerly-yellow/

Take our Digital Driver's Ed course to help keep your students safe on social media: https://learn.smartsocial.com/

Subscribe on:
Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1269872857
Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Ikvg45xcfqi3cz5vxy7vsryf3uq
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SafeSmartSocial/videos

Download the free Smart Social app: https://smartsocial.com/app

Learn the top 100 popular teen apps: https://smartsocial.com/app-guide-parents-teachers/

View the top parental control software: https://smartsocial.com/parental-control-software/

Learn the top Teen Slang, Emojis & Hashtags: https://smartsocial.com/teen-slang-emojis-hashtags-list/

Get ideas for offline activities for your students: https://smartsocial.com/offline-activities-reduce-screentime/

Schools & Educators: Schedule a free phone consultation to get ideas on how to protect your students and community: https://smartsocial.com/hire-us/

Free Webinar: "How To Navigate The Negative Effects of Student Social Media (And Help Your Student Shine Online)": https://smartsocial.com/webinar

Support the Smart Social Movement and get access to all of our courses with a membership bundle: https://Learn.smartsocial.com