Parent/Guardian Alert: Ask.fm (@sguditus Steve Guditus)
There has been an uptick in recent use of anonymous, unmonitored social media websites by adolescents. One website in particular, Ask.fm , is cause for serious alarm. What makes this website so dangerous is the fact that it provides a forum for adolescents, who may already be feeling isolated, to be victim to receiving and responding to anonymous messages - sometimes from strangers and oftentimes from peers they already know, but who want to post anonymous (and frequently hurtful) messages. Ask.fm is a Latvian-based company that requires users to create a homepage, which others can view and comment upon anonymously and without registering or logging in. This website allows anyone with internet access, anywhere in the world to view one’s Ask.fm profile, post information, ask questions, and communicate with users – all anonymously . Other social media outlets such as Instagram, Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter require all users to register, so communication is link