Benefits from iPhone app have yet to ‘BeSeen’

Social media is a touchy subject when dealing with children.  Internet predators, cyber bullying and identity theft are around every corner in the Internet, something is waiting to harm children.  However, Carnegie Mellon University and the Web Wise Kids Organization are striving to give children some protection.

The MSNBC article "Game app teaches kids social networking safety," stated that these two groups have created the BeSeen app, in which players create an online profile—similar to Facebook—and must deal with friends who make bad choices online by solving puzzles during a condensed school year

The app is currently available on the Apple marketplace and will be available soon on the Android marketplace in December.

"It's hard to be a good friend," the app's opening scene says in the iTunes store.  "Are you up for the challenge?"

It continues with "You're entering BeSeen, the online hangout of North Central High School.  Help your classmates, and show them how to use technology to be a good friend and get ahead. You'll gain friends if you do, as well as play puzzles and earn awards."

But wait, there's a catch: "Trouble comes if you forget your manners or fail to look out for others."

And while such a game could be very beneficial in aiding kids to learn what situations could lead to problems on social media, the problem most inherent with the game is that it is too simplified.

For example, the next screen shot on the iTunes store shows a list of posts by several computer classmates, the top one flagged in orange, a red circle with a white exclamation mark half-covering the blonde girl's face.

The post reads: "Awwww, one of the seniors who I've never even talked to friended me just to wish me a happy birthday!  Who'd have thought ppl you haven't even met could be so nice!!"

A blue textbook drops down, saying "Keep your friends from trouble by giving them helpful advice."

The only reason I was really drawn to the top post was because of the orange coloring and the danger indicator.

People friend others who they don't know all the time.  How else do people reach upwards of 400 friends unless some of those people are only known passingly in life or only on Facebook or other social media outlets.

In real life, kids aren't going to get that danger indication that the game provides.

Instead they will get a post like: "I f--king hate my life."

What is a kid meant to do with this phrase? Is the friend suicidal? Angry?  Embarrassed? Lovesick?

There is no way to tell. No indicator.  No elaboration.

Kids have to navigate these types of posts, not knowing the exact circumstances under which the post was written.

And then of course, there are posts like this one I just pulled from my Facebook newsfeed:

"Shakespeare, I hate you...and I hate your pretentious-ass sonnets...and I hate cold rain...and I hate wind....and confusing men, and hearing about everyone's relationship problems, and I hate that's it's only Wednesday, and I hatethisshirt, andIhatethatIhatethingssomuchandthiskeyboardandmyfaceandaggablahblaggablahBLAHBLAHhatehateBLAH.....hate."

Knowing this person well enough, I know that she is being darkly comical, not suicidal or homicidal, for that matter.

But under the game's premise, her language should be a red flag for me that she needs some type of intervention.  

Some word of encouragement, saying that she needs to be happy without really solving the underlying issues that resulted in the post.

The thing to take away from this is that, while the BeSeen app can be a useful tool, it is just that.  A tool.