By Shubhangi Shah
“My experience in the education space and working closely with teenagers taught me that they find it hard to gain acceptance in the digital landscape despite being digital natives,” says Saurabh Saxena, the founder, and CEO of Uable, a social media app for teenagers. “Teens spend a lot of time on the Instagram & Snapchats of the world and end up consuming information that might not always be relevant or useful to them,” he says about what prompted him to give you a platform
catering to these from ages 13-19. Saxena’s earlier stint was with ed-tech platform Vedantu, which he co-founded in 2014.
On the face of it, a teen app appears fascinating however difficult on the similar time. After all, what can Uable provide that Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube can’t? Answering that, the platform founder says, Uable presents a “space exclusively for teens to connect with like-minded peers and creators, explore their passions, interests via safe communities and build their profile.” The platform additionally lets customers be a part of interest-based golf equipment and hang around on chat servers just like Discord. The app additionally has an in-built social forex referred to as U-coins, which is given as a reward for prime engagement. It can be utilized to unlock premium content material and experiences, the creator explains. Uable can also be ad-free. Yes, all ages group has some particular calls for and expectations relating to their digital expertise. It’s particularly the case with teenagers, who’re seen as among the many most digital-savvy. The two pandemic years, when all the things received shut and colleges went on-line, additionally added to that. Hence, apps particularly catering to youngsters don’t appear far-fetched.
Learning on-line
Uable’s founder can also be the co-creator of Vedantu, an ed-tech platform. Although a number of such platforms have come up in recent times, Khan Academy stays the OG. Started by Salman Khan, not the actor, in 2008, it additionally has an app. If you’re a teenage scholar or a father or mother searching for methods to boost your youngster’s classes, the Khan Academy app is one thing you may contemplate. As a scholar, you could be spending a sure period of time self-studying. And at occasions, you absolutely encounter questions. With no serving to hand close to you, the query may go on the back-burner, solely to be forgotten and reappear in an examination as a nightmare or trigger hassle so that you can go forward together with your lesson. The subsequent time you face such an issue, go no additional than your smartphone and head to an app referred to as FILO. Click the photograph of your question or kind it on the app, which claims to attach you with a tutor inside 60 seconds. Its companies are at present out there for college students from courses 8 to 12.
Build abilities
Every age is the best age to study new abilities. However, it may possibly show to be particularly fruitful throughout your teenage as it may possibly assist you in attending to know your pursuits and abilities.
Learning new languages helps you join with folks throughout borders, learn literature from distant lands, and improve your employability. If searching for digital choices, Duolingo app presents programs in a number of languages within the type of small classes to apply every day. If considering of going inventive, Skillshare is an app you may contemplate. The platform presents content material on a number of inventive disciplines equivalent to portray, images, and so forth. Then there are particular person apps catering to particular abilities. Yes, the web has considerably democratised info and studying. What was as soon as held by a number of has now been delivered to the fingertips of many.
What about customers’ security?
There is an added menace relating to customers’ privateness and security, particularly on social media platforms which are utilized by many. Whether it’s an app particularly for teenagers or one masking all age teams, points equivalent to faux information, phishing, cyberbullying, and abuse are all-pervasive. On how Uable plans to deal with these, on condition that teenagers make up a weak group, Saxena says, “we ensure the safety of our teenage users by filtering out harmful, abusive, and disturbing content from the platform”. It, he says, is completed with moderation at a number of ranges. The app makes use of AI (synthetic intelligence) moderation instruments to stop customers from sharing undesirable posts. Explaining additional, he says, “every club on the app has a team of teen moderators. They check if anything shared within a club is relevant and appropriate for the club. They also have the power to remove posts or ban users from the club.” Apart from that, customers can report content material, which is reviewed after which taken down if discovered inappropriate.
Parental supervision
Every platform has its algorithm and laws to make sure customers’ security. But whereas navigating on-line, your teenage youngster may want better safety. Yes, as a father or mother, you must go all to your youngster’s digital independence, however in case you are involved about her security, there are some parental management apps you may contemplate.
Canopy is one such app that may defend your teen from publicity to express content material and inappropriate messaging. You also can block her entry to sure apps you don’t contemplate applicable. Qustodio is one other such app you may discover.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”