Schools

Is Your Teen On the New Social Media Website Ask.fm?

The site is gaining popularity among middle and high school students, but it's also being criticized for allowing bullying and anonymity.

Article written by David Mills

You might want to check to see if your teenager is a regular visitor to the website ask.fm.

At least that's what critics of the growingly popular social media site for middle school and high school students are recommending.

A Los Angeles Times article says the site had 6.3 million unique visitors in July, up from 3.7 million in June.

The site is used by teens to discuss their friendships, struggles with getting good grades, wild weekend parties with no parents at home and other common topics of high interest to young adults.

However, the Times reports, the site has come under criticism for allowing users to be anonymous and then bully other teens on the site. Critics have blamed ask.fm for five teen suicides worldwide.

Hannah Anderson, the Southern California teen who was kidnapped by a family friend, went on ask.fm after she was rescued by FBI agents. She discussed her ordeal but then deleted her account.

On Monday, officials at the Latvia-based operator of the website said it will now allow users to opt out of receiving anonymous questions. The site's operators added they will hire more employees to monitor comments and make it easier for users to report bullying, according to the Times.

What do you think? Is ask.fm a relatively safe site for teens to discuss issues important to them? Or is it dangerous turf for young people who may be sensitive to taunts and criticism? Tell us below.


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