Parents' Guide to

Mappen - Make Something Happen

By Neilie Johnson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Risky, location-based app has inconsistent functionality.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free Social Networking
Mappen - Make Something Happen Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Mappen - Make Something Happen App - Screenshot #1
  • Mappen - Make Something Happen App - Screenshot #2
  • Mappen - Make Something Happen App - Screenshot #3
  • Mappen - Make Something Happen App - Screenshot #4

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

kimberval
kimberval Adult
January 11, 2019
age 11+

Great way for my kid Leyna to socialize

My sweetheart Leyna goes to middle school and at first I wasn't okay with the app but when I learned that you decide who you want to share your info with. Lot of people think it’s dangerous but if you don’t want some people to see where you are just turn them off. I check Leynas' app every day to make sure she isn't adding someone I have never heard about. Ever since she has gotten the app she has made 22 new friends at her school! I decided to keep my baby girl safe and got the app too. It's a great way to know where Leyna is at all time!

This title has:

Easy to play/use
nocarnations
nocarnations Adult
October 8, 2018
age 12+

We love the Mappen App and use it all the time in our family.

As a parent of 2 and in a couple of months 3 teenagers, this app has been invaluable. This is the only "social media" we let our kids have. My girls know to only invite friends who they wouldn't mind inviting anywhere. I love knowing where they are, when they will be home. I don't have to worry about them going for a run on their own- I know where they are. On several occasions, we have been out to eat, at the mall, at the bookstore or on a walk- and we've received notifications that friends are near us. This has been the inspiration for spur of the moment double-dates, friend get togethers, and shoppingf advice. I can't imagine having teenagers without it!
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

MAPPEN – MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN is a free social networking app that lets users create maps of their favorite places and share them with friends. It can can also share your real-time location with one or more friends, and teens can use a selection of emojis to enhance communication. Teens can only connect with people in their own contact lists and have full control over who they share their location with at any time. As teens try to add friends, the app asks if they want to "follow" that person in stead of "invite" them. If you choose to "follow," the app sends a text to that person to get them to sign up. The Friend function lets friends-of-friends attend your events, and a built in “hide” function lets you hide events from specific people. The Map function allows searches for specific locations and commentary on them, and provides directions to those locations via Google Maps and Uber. Invites/event announcements allow invitees to comment. The Meet-up function lets users suggest activities to friends, set specific meetup details, and designate “top” friends.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

This location-sharing networker does have some safeguards in place, but it's still a risky -- and technically glitchy -- choice for teens. On the upside, teens only choose people to add from their own contact list and can choose to be invisible if they don't want to share their location. However, if teens don't stay on top of the settings, they may continuously share their location which is a problem for a wide variety of reasons, including the fact that they might not make the best choices about who to add. The most likely problem, however, is fuel for teen drama, so if your kid can see friends hanging out but wasn't invited, there'll be hurt feelings. The "hide" feature, though likely meant to safeguard feelings, is another potential drama-creator if someone forgets to use it. And if relationships go sour or a significant other gets clingy, having your location on display is a set-up for trouble. In terms of functionality, the app's effectiveness varies across platforms; at present, only Apple users can create “favorites” maps. Android users can't add locations to maps without attaching them to specific events. Worse, because of the confusion around inviting others ("follow" vs. "invite"), many reviews indicate the app feels "spammy" because it texts people who don't yet have the app. While it seems fun and potentially safe to share location with friends only, the disadvantages of constant location sharing (even with friends only) outweigh the advantages. Instead of using Mappen – Make Something Happen teens can stick to finding out what's happening the old-fashioned way -- through text.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about apps that use your location like Mappen - Make Something Happen. When is OK to let an app know your location? When does that get risky?

  • Discuss when and how to create invite lists. How do you limit invites without hurting people's feelings?

  • Talk about the difference between in-person friends and online friends. Who in your contact list is it safe to share your location with? Are there people in your contacts that aren't really friends?

App Details

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