A recent popular subject is an app released in December 2012: Talking Angela. Sharing similarities to the interactive app, Talking Tom, Angela is a cartoon cat who lounges around a Parisian cafe and interacts with the user. In her French voice, Angela repeats what the users say into their device’s microphone. If the device’s camera is enabled, Angela is able to read the user’s facial expressions and react; she moves and gestures in response to being poked or petted via screen taps and swipes. And if Child Mode is disabled, she can talk with users in robotic text chat.
There is a rumor making its way across the nation about this suspicious app. It is believed that this app is a tool for hackers or pedophiles to interact with children and teens. Thanks to word going around about the hoax, Talking Angela jumped to number three on iTunes top charts. With over 57 million downloads, this scare is not surprising to the app’s programmers and top chatbot programmers, Bruce and Sue Wilcox.
The Wilcox’s encountered several concerns with parents complaining about this application.
One said, “ATTENTION PARENTS & GRANDPARENTS! My future daughter-in-law just received this warning from a friend on her page. Do not let your child download the Talking Angela app! It is very creepy! Gracie downloaded it without asking to her kindle fire because it was free and a really cute cat. She brought it to me to answer the question it asked. I immediately noticed it had activated the camera. It had already asked her name, age, and knew she was in the living room! I immediately deleted it!”
This is just one of many, and appropriate, examples of complaints towards this app. This is a perfect example concerning children’s safety and the risks that come with using the internet. Technology is taken advantage of all the time, which means more and more children are using technology. Instead of strolling to the park or playing “house” for fun, children are favoring technological devices instead. And there are, what seems like, an infinite amount of things to keep young ones entertained. This is what causes some parents to worry about their child’s safety and development.
Antioch resident Holly Dinsmore is a parent of two. Dinsmore believes that technology can be a great tool to use for information and entertainment but that a person should also find a balance in their life.
“Just like with anything there will be, some people take advantage of the privileges they are given, but for the most part the majority of teens and children try to be responsible. Continue to monitor sites that their children are on, explain the dangers that could come from providing too much information or sending inappropriate messages or pictures out on the web, and have legislators make stricter consequences for criminals that use technology to hurt children,” said Dinsmore.
Most things in moderation is okay, but entertainment that comes from interacting with family and friends in person, instead of watching it on a screen, is a much healthier way to live.
Kimberly Dampf is an active member in the community of Antioch and takes pleasure in spending time with her children. Dampf said, “I think it’s great [technology/internet], in moderation. Kids are forgetting how to have fun outside or doing things with friends because they are so hooked on their electronic devices. They are also forgetting how to have real conversations with people because they are so used to just texting short answers. Internet and technology is not very safe. I feel its the parents responsibly to monitor their children’s activity on the internet.”
Dampf believes that age appropriate monitoring software would make the internet a safer place for all.
So, the malicious rumors about Talking Angela can be put to rest. There is no way possible for anybody to physically speak to downloaders through any app. However, the internet is still not all that safe of a place. The generation is in a whirlpool of technology; it is always important to stay safe while on the internet.
