Buyer Beware: What is your daughter downloading on her Smartphone or Tablet?

Have you heard the latest?  Growing as fast as Angry Birds, a new IPhone App called Top Girl is catching fire around the nation.  The name itself may cause you pause, but the content and action should cause you to ban it from your household.

Here is the description of this girl targeted app from the ITunes store:

  

Are you addicted to shopping? Do you dream of being a supermodel? Love to date guys? Become the TOP GIRL!

 Do gigs, shop, dress, go clubbing, and flirt with HOT guys! Create FABULOUS outfits and have fun with your new boyfriend. Kiss him, buy him gifts, and go on exciting dates! Capture and save photos of all your special moments together!

 Features:

    - GET THE PERFECT LOOK with 600+ unique shoes, purses, accessories & clothes!

    - FLIRT WITH & DATE 250+ hot guys of your choice!

    - STRUT YOUR STUFF and kick off a blazing hot modeling career!

    - GO OUT & PARTY at over 20 fabulous parties and clubs!

    - JET SET from LA to NYC!

Players get to shop and pick out their own fashions before doing modeling jobs, working, and finding a boyfriend at a club, but the player can't get into a club or keep a boyfriend if they are not dressed "hot" enough.

Stereotyping girls into fashion crazed, boy obsessed and promiscuous avatars is of no advantage to today’s young women.  Yet the app is selling like gangbusters.   Where is the Healthy Media 

Commission on this one?  Why has it been strangely silent in the media?

It is a buyer beware on this one and serves as a grave warning to all parents to consider these tips, compiled by Cyber Safe Family, to consider when buying apps:

·         Have a parent account: Have a "parent" account for apps on iTunes. Do not share the password with kids. When they want an app, they must ask you to type in the password.

·         Try app first: If you are not familiar with the app, try it out before agreeing to download it for your kids. Find out how players move ahead in the game.

·         Know privacy features: Find out what private information is shared with other users.

We know the adversary can use bright pink colors and cute illustrations to attract our daughters and then indoctrinate them with ideas that are far from the tenants of our faith.  Protect your daughter and be aware, helping her to be the top girl in God’s eyes. 

Father God, help me to be a discerning parent.  Grant me the time and resource to thoroughly investigate my children’s media choices.  Create in me a hunger for righteousness and a disgust for that which is not of You.  Protect Your sons and daughters from the adversary and help me to share my concerns with other parents in a loving, respectful manner.  It is in the name of your Son that we pray, Amen.

Until next time,

Patti