Tellonym

Reviewed by Ryan: Tellonym is an app where you can “create an account to see what your friends are talking about and let them answer your questions”. Along with Askfm, Sendit and YikYak, Tellonym is an app that allows for anonymous messaging on IOS and Android. The app name is a combination of “Tell” and “Anonym” (which is German for anonymously). The app was created by three teenaged students in Germany.

With anything anonymous, there is a possibility for a wide range of inappropriate posts, comments, threats, cyberbullying and sexualized content/questions/themes.

Tellonym’s website boasts some safety settings such as language filters, custom word filters, safety codes, an extensive blocking mechanism, only receive “tells” from registered users and an ability to report messages.

The app is rated 12+ for:

Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes

Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor

Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity

By opening a simple account with not content, I was able to scroll through a host of concerning content from the moment I opened the app. Within a minute I was able to see harassment/cyberbullying, drugs and after scrolling a little more, youth being confronted with individuals offering youth money to be their sugar baby. If you aren’t sure what a sugar baby is, read this article.  See the screenshots below.

Here is an article with a bit more about how Tellonym that you should read before assessing if the app is appropriate for your child.

I would not recommend this app for anyone under 17. ~Ryan