20 Apps Parents and Carers Need to Know is a free printable PDF designed to help parents, carers, and professionals understand common apps children and young people are using. It highlights popular social media, messaging, gaming, live streaming, and video chat apps that many children, teenagers, and young people access daily, often without adults realising the risks involved.
This child online safety resource explains, in clear and direct language, why each app can be risky. It covers issues such as disappearing messages, anonymous accounts, location sharing, contact with strangers, grooming through games, unmoderated chats, live streaming, exposure to sexual or adult content, bullying, pressure around appearance, and hidden apps used to conceal photos and messages. The information is short, factual, and easy to understand, making it suitable for busy families and frontline professionals.
The resource supports safeguarding conversations with children, teens, and young people about online behaviour, digital boundaries, consent, and staying safe on the internet. It is particularly useful for parents, foster carers, kinship carers, social workers, teachers, youth workers, and family support practitioners who need a quick, reliable overview of current apps and online risks affecting children and teenagers today.
This printable PDF is intended for awareness, prevention, and early intervention work. It helps adults feel more confident starting calm, informed conversations about social media, gaming, messaging apps, and online safety with children and young people.
