MOKENA, IL — Administrators at Mokena Junior High School are warning parents about the possible negative implications of using a mobile app that allows users to talk via video chat with strangers across the world.
Earlier this weekend, parents and families from the school received an email from Mokena Junior High Principal Mike Rolinitis, who said that administrators believe many students at the school may be using the app, Omegle, which connects users and allows them to communicate over video.
The app randomly pairs users and allows them to communicate via text, video, or both, the email said.
Rolinitis told Patch on Friday that the school has not experienced any problems first-hand with the app. However, he said, that administrators were made aware that the use of the app could potentially create issues and wanted to make parents aware.
Omegle does not appear to have powerful moderation, the email to parents said. The app also does not require registration or have age verification, which makes young people a potential target for abuse online, the principal wrote. Its site states “predators have been known to use Omegle, so please be careful.”
Children and young people may be asked by strangers to share their name, age, and location, the email said.
“So, it’s important to talk to your child about sharing personal information online with strangers,” Rolinitis wrote to parents. “Even more concerning is that children can easily bypass any safety controls and enter adults-only and unmoderated video chat rooms where students are likely to be exposed to and be encouraged to participate in explicit content.”
In the email, Rolinitis told parents that the “vast majority” of negative interactions that take place at the Mokena middle school are created directly from the misuse of social media.
“(Students) send inappropriate and/or hurtful messages that they are often embarrassed about when they are found out,” he wrote. “There are many social media apps, like Omegle, that we recommend should be removed from your child’s devices, or at the very least, be heavily monitored.”