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byte - creativity first
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Free
- Social Networking
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that bute - creativity first is the latest app featuring short videos. It's very similar to the Vine, for those who remember it, but is now compared to TikTok. Users create six-second videos that loop endlessly until you scroll to the next one. While some can be quite creative, many go for shock value, using profanity, sexual references, drugs, or alcohol. Some try to inspire "pranks" that could be dangerous. And the comments on clips are unregulated and often insulting. There's an online forum that takes you out of the app where users can interact, but no direct messaging in the app. Also, users can only search for other users, not topics. In order to sign up to use the app, you need to use an Apple or Google account, which means they can collect more data. If you sign in using Apple and choose "hide email," however, you can use your device's passcode instead. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What's it about?
To use BYTE - CREATIVITY FIRST, you have to sign in using Apple or Google accounts. To create a six-second video, simply hold the record button down or do a series of quick cuts/scenes to create a story. Users can also import videos from their camera roll to edit and showcase. Once posted, the community can comment on the posts. There's also an option to participate in an online forum outside of the app, but there's no messaging within the app. Also, though you can block other users, you don't have much control over anything else, like comments.
Is it any good?
Just like the original Vine, this six-second video creator hosts a mixed bag of content, but it doesn't add anything new and might have trouble competing with similar apps (cough -- TikTok -- cough). While byte - creativity first is trying to steal audience away from that mega-popular app, it doesn't offer any new features to woo people over. The interface is largely the same. The tools are the same. But the audience is smaller. There's no built-in music to inspire users which might be less enticing to teens who are too young to remember the original Vine. And if you're hoping to escape the bot comments and fake accounts that have overrun Tik Tok, it's already too late for that.
Though there's no music with iffy lyrics built in to the app, a large number of users have embraced profanity, drug use, and crude humor to stand out. For instance, during review there were jokes about incest and masturbation, as well as 'pranks' that could hurt people in the real world. The comments encourage users to "Say Something Nice," but there was little evidence that people were following that advice. Comments are unregulated, as (apparently) is the video content. The lack of direct messaging within the app might ease some parents' concerns, but watch for the online forum where interaction happens. So, while it might eventually grow into a phenomenon like TikTok, and it lacks a few of the features that pain parents, it's still inappropriate for kids.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the line between humor and inappropriate behaviorin apps like byte - creativity first. While using swear words or making mature references might get someone more attention, what are the costs? Who might see these videos? Is there a way to have fun using it without creating mature content?
Talk about the difference between this app and other apps like it. How does the content compare? Do some have more risks over others? Why?
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Price: Free
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: January 27, 2020
- Category: Social Networking
- Size: 50.80 MB
- Publisher: Byte Inc.
- Version: 0.2.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 11.1 or later; Android 5.1 and up
- Last updated: January 30, 2020
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