To: Parents/Guardians
From: Mr. Edwards, Principal: McGlynn Middle School
I would like to alert you to a website that is causing us great concern here at MMS. The website is known as Ask.fm We have discovered that this application is commonly placed on the “About Me” section of Instagram accounts. This site has become very popular in a very short amount of time.
Why is it popular among middle school children?
Ask.fm has one purpose – users ask other users questions and they in turn can answer questions. The major concern is that this process occurs completely anonymously without any means to track the origin. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, there are NO privacy settings. Children must be at least 13 years old to signup, but they do not need to be truthful about their age when registering. The site only asks for a name, email address and date of birth. Here at MMS, we have experienced three cases where this website has caused tension and emotional distress for several students. Basically, anyone can contact your children, remain anonymous, and say or ask anything they want. We have uncovered some extremely distasteful and nasty dialogue.
This website concerns me greatly and should concern all parents. Please monitor your children’s use of communication websites at all times. Ask your middle school child about Ask.fm – if they are using it, get them off it immediately and have them delete it. The company that created this website is based in Latvia leaving us very little control.
One sure way to combat companies who create these dangerous types of websites is to ensure that their products become unsuccessful through lack of use. It is crucial that we work together to ensure the safety of our children. Here at McGlynn Middle School, my staff and I are committed to the safety of our school community each and every day. We cannot accomplish our goal without your support and participation. I am confident that parents will pay close attention to this warning and join us in our effort to eliminate this threat from their lives of our precious students.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation.
Mr. Edwards, Principal