Houseparty
- alicia d
- Oct 15, 2020
- 1 min read
Description
The Houseparty app is another social media app that has become very popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. This app provides users with the ability to send and receive chat messages, video conferences with multiple people at once, and recently users can play games with other users in real-time. Houseparty has a “beeper” function and audibly notifies the user when someone has either sent a wave or invited the user to a video conference. Through Houseparty, users are also able to leave video messages for other users to view later.
Warnings
The risks of using Houseparty are similar to the risks of using any video conferencing platform in which rooms are open to the public. In an article by Tidy (2020) Internet Matters warns that “if a child doesn't 'lock' their chat room and choose private settings, others can pop into the video chat.” This poses a threat to school-aged children because they might be exposed to inappropriate conversations, unwanted and uninvited company, or child predators. This compromise of privacy is especially alarming if the child is not monitored by an adult and if no adult is notified.
Safeguards
Houseparty has included several safeguards that allow the app to be safely used by students and educators to facilitate “information flow across geographical boundaries” (Botelho, 2018, p. 4). One safeguard that is included can be found in the locking function. Houseparty allows users to lock their rooms and prevent other users from entering. The Private Mode feature automatically locks every room that the user enters whether or not there is company. Switching off the “notifications” options allows the user to enter the Houseparty app without notifying other users.
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