P3A052: Suggestive Ads, Sexual Content and Scammers: A Comprehensive Analysis of Comments and Reviews on Popular Teen Apps

Background: In recent years, smartphone usage has increased dramatically among teenagers in the United States: an estimated 95% of US teens have smartphone access, and approximately 87% of US teens have iPhones. Teenagers can search through myriad applications on Apple’s App store and choose apps of interest to them. While previous research observed the dangers of teen dating and friendship apps, it is currently unknown to what extent teen apps in general present safety concerns for minors. This study seeks to examine trends in reviews for popular apps marketed to teens on Apple’s App Store to identify potential pediatric safety concerns.

Methods: The top 30 recommended apps using the search term “teens” on Apple’s App Store were assessed. The top 10 “most favorable” and “most critical” reviews were analyzed for each app. The following data were collected: (1) app name and characteristics; (2) app category (i.e., games); (3) favorable reviews categories (i.e., high quality); (4) critical reviews categories (i.e., scams); (5) in-app purchasing features. Descriptive analysis was conducted in R.

Results: A total of 600 reviews for apps with 7,935,700 ratings were analyzed within the following categories: gaming (37%), social networking (20%), educational/professional (13%), health/fitness (13%), aesthetics/design (7%), entertainment (7%), and religion (3%) (Fig. 1). Favorable comments (50%, n=300) included fun (14%, n=41) and positive experience with friendship or dating/relationship building (10%, n=31). Critical comments (50%, n=300) included expensive (12%, n=35), scams (11%, n=33), and suspicious activity/sexually explicit content (6%, n=18) (Table 1). Of the comments discussing suspicious activity/sexually explicit content, 75% (n=12) occurred within reviews for social networking apps. Comments mentioning expenses/hidden costs most commonly appeared among health/fitness apps (34%, n=12). Among both positive and negative reviews, 17% of apps (n=5) noted the preponderance of inappropriate/sexually explicit ads (i.e., “shows ads for sexually explicit products”). In-app purchases were featured on 93% of apps (n=28), with prices ranging between $2.99 to $249 for a single purchase. Of these apps, 50% of reviews (n=14) discussed high prices and hidden credit card charges.

Conclusion: While many apps’ ratings were high overall, reviews present concerning reports on sexually suggestive content/predators, scams, hidden costs ($2.99 to $249), and expensive in-app purchases that pose threats to susceptible minors. Parents reviewing app content may be unaware of underlying risks from app descriptions alone. Though app content itself may pose minimal risk, featured inappropriate ads and adult users can put minors at risk for consuming sexually explicit content. Social networking had the majority of complaints regarding predators, further putting minors in danger of emotional and physical harm. It is imperative that clinicians emphasize the hidden dangers of apps marketed to minors and advocate for proper personal and industry monitoring of content, participants, and advertising.