Social networking is constantly evolving, as we've seen going from the first days of MySpace to what we have in Facebook now. The younger generations are even more ahead of that with their constant social engagement over the phone using some of the hottest apps on the market. Check out some great interactive apps you can use to always stay connected to friends, celebrities, and all the hot happenings of the world.
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1. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is created by Facebook Messenger creators and has all the kids using it- not just for the text feature. WhatsApp also lets you post updates, send video, share your location and make voice/video calls over the internet. Since it is completely separate from Facebook you don't need to worry about your stuff overlapping. A great feature is you can use it on the phone or computer so you'll get even more use out of it!
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2. Snapchat
Snapchat is another extremely popular private messaging app for photos and short videos, which are automatically deleted after they've been viewed for a max of 10 seconds for pics and 30 seconds for videos. A lot of teens find this feature appealing, however, quick fingered people can still screenshot and there is a way to save texts in the chat convos so be careful when using! An added bonus to this app is the ability to send a receive money.
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3. Telegram
Telegram is interesting because it lets you do a lot more than your typical texting app, and it's completely free with zero ads. All of your texts and calls are encrypted and you can send absolutely any file type you want (even large ones up to 1.5 GB). This is totally unique to most messaging apps that just support image and video files. All your messages are synced across all the supported devices because your messages (and even files) are stored in the cloud. However, you can delete texts whenever you wish and even make secret chats that dissolve messages on a timer. Plus, if you have up to 5,000 friends, you can invite all of them into one single group message!
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4. Kik
Like WhatsApp, Kik has become an insanely popular messaging app for kids who like to chat. It's just one of the other fast and intuitive messaging apps used as an alternative to SMS texting, requiring only a username rather than a phone number. If you take a look on Instagram, you'll probably notice that a lot of profiles list their Kik usernames in their bios so that other Instagrammers have some kind of way to contact them privately.
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5. Twitter
Because of how big of a resource Twitter has become for getting real-time news and connecting with high-profile individuals and celebs (like musicians, bands, actors, politicians, etc.), teens have quickly taken a liking to this social network. Plus, because Twitter is so extremely simple to use from a mobile device, it's all the more convenient to access.
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6. Google+
Google Plus is almost difficult to avoid since it's attached to Google's other services like Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Play and Google Docs. Plus, since they're so intimately intertwined, it's easy to find friends who already have an account. Google's social network is a bit like Twitter yet completely different. You can made specific circles of certain types of people to follow so it's easy to only look through what you're interested in. Google Plus has a whole slew of other cool features backed into it that are worth checking out.
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7. WeChat
Sign up for WeChat from your phone by using your phone number. The whole sign up process is very simple and straightforward, after which you can call phones, talk with friends and even meet totally random people from around the globe. A unique feature with WeChat that isn't seen in most other messaging apps is it's Shake button. Use it to find other WeChat users in the world who are shaking their phone too, and you can immediately start chatting with them. A similar People Nearby section of the app lets you chat with people near your location. Add "Moments" to WeChat for friends to see. It's like a status update popular with these types of apps. There are also WeChat Games that you can play with contacts, plus the ability to send short audio clips, emojis, your location, favorited messages and whole albums.
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8. Instagram
Facebook may have ruled social photo sharing on the web, but Instagram arguably rules over it on mobile. Although IG doesn't openly share how many of its users are teens, it's not all that hard to see that this mobile social platform is absolutely infested with them. Just check out some popular hashtags to see for yourself.
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9. Tumblr
Tumblr is one of the web's most popular blogging platforms, and a lot of teens have admittedly traded in their Facebook accounts for a Tumblr blog instead. Like Snapchat and Instagram, Tumblr is largely dominated by visual content, and has become one of the number one platforms for animated GIF sharing. Although Tumblr allows its users to create blog posts in all sorts of formats like text, audio, quote and dialogue, it's arguably the visual content - the photos, videos and GIFs, that makes time spent on Tumblr worth it.
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10. AskFM
ASKfm is a Q&A-based website and app that lets its users take questions from their followers, and then answer them one at a time, any time they want. It gives youngsters another reason to talk about themselves other than in the comment section of their own selfies! Although ASKfm may not be as huge as Instagram or Snapchat, it's a big one to watch, for sure. With such a big interest from the younger generation, it absolutely has the potential to become the go-to place for Q&A content.
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11. AWS
Yes, that's us! And if you're only reading it on the web you're missing out! The app is super interactive and easy to use, you'll get tons of great info just like the web has, and seriously, who doesn't want AWS at their fingertips?! Filled with all the latest hot styles, fashion trends, dating tips, and more, AWS will be the best thing you download this year! (Okay so I may be biased-but seriously-do it!) :D
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12. YouTube
YouTube has become quite the sensation with younger ones across the web. Uploading videos trying to be discovered like the next Justin Bieber, or just hoping for your five minutes of fame, YouTube is a place for kids of all ages. The new thing with even younger kids (think 5 and 6 years old) is the toy tutorial videos! So it's truly a versatile app. I love YouTube for music. It allows me to watch all the old videos I love from the early 90's (okay that may have let my age show eek!) but it also allows for me to check out new music.
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13. Whisper
Oh Whisper! Increasingly growing among the social community because you can post anonymously which is great for teens and young adults to get their feelings off their chests without the fear of criticism. It has a MeetUp section where you can swap personal info (name and phone number) with other members and possibly find some new connections. Obviously use this with extreme caution!
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14. Tinder
If you're looking to meet new people then check out Tinder! The hottest dating app among young adults nowadays (although it's seemed to get a bad rap in recent years for only being a hook up site). Tinder allows you to connect with individuals in your area via messages. While it may be kind of shallow because you pick a person based on their photo, if someone "swipes right" on your photo as well you can message! Whether you use it for dating or finding new people in your area, Tinder probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
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15. Omegle
I am actually really surprised this one is still around because I used it with friends in high school (cough 10 years ago cough) but anyways, Omegle is a chat site that puts two strangers together in their choice of a text chat or a video chat room. Being anonymous can be very attractive to teens, and Omegle provides a no-fuss opportunity to make connections. Its "interest boxes" also let users filter potential chat partners by shared interests. It's all in good fun for the most part, just watch for creeps!
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16. HouseParty
My two sisters and I live in three different states, so sure, two of us could FaceTime or we could three-way call (which we do a lot) but sometimes it's just nice to see each other. That's where this app comes in handy. We can connect via live video, and all of us can use it together because it allows two to eight people to be in a chat together at the same time. If someone who's not a direct friend joins a chat, you get an alert, and you can also "lock" a chat so no one else can join.
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With our phones constantly glued to our hands, it's important to stay connected in this world. Whether you're looking to stay connected with the friends you have or current events, or aimlessly browse photos and interests, these apps are the hottest ones you're going to want to download.
