With the variety of social networks and apps currently available for kids and teens to use, it is more important to ensure that they know how much personal information is becoming available online. Just as parents had to teach their children not to give away their personal information in online chats and message boards, they now need to make sure they aren't giving away other information along the lines of location data.

It can be easy to blame the companies for making products that track users, but a lot of the responsibility should fall on the parents also. Although corporations have the options to make users "opt-in" instead of "opting-out," it is very unlikely that they will go that route. Parents need to take the responsibility of making sure their child knows about how much of their personal information is available online. Social media that tracks users personal information isn't going away, it will only multiply.

Kang, C. (2011). Parting with privacy with a quick click. The Washington Post. Link

When it comes to mobile apps there are two main schools of thought: that they either simplify or complicate life. Although they can take a while to get used to, I feel that mobile apps aid in making life simpler. In a nutshell, an app just allows you to access a select number of services directly from your phones main screen. It may not be cutting out a lot of steps in terms of connecting to the service, but it does weed out a lot of the "fat" that comes with having to search through a web page to find exactly what you are looking for. The apps are either pre-built with the most used services already accessible, or allow you to add and decide on which features you need the most.

The only way I seem mobile apps becoming complications is for those who rely too much on them. The people who keep their entire lives on their phones and the minute something crashes, it's the end. Mobile apps should be used to simply life, not to replace what is already being used. People need to realize that mobile apps are meant for what they say: to be used mobile. There should be no over-reliance or prompted complications brought about by thinking your iPhone is the only tool you'll need to manage your life.