**This blog post was updated on November 20, 2024.**
Is Google Docs safe for kids? Many parents are familiar with Google Docs, Google’s online word processing app. It’s become a staple of the workplace — easily shareable, great for collaboration, and with a fool-proof autosave feature.
For these same reasons, Google Docs for kids has also become popular in schools, with many children using it for schoolwork, homework assignments, and group projects. But kids are incredibly inventive, and they’ve managed to turn Google Docs into a de facto communication and social media hub. Confused? We’ll break it down for you.
Using Google Docs as Chatrooms
When one person is typing in a Google Doc, it’s like a piece of paper. When you share it with a friend, however, it becomes one large text conversation. You can invite as many people to join the conversation as you want, and everyone can contribute in real time. How do kids tell who’s who? Little avatars in the corner show who else is viewing the document, with assigned profile colors that match that user’s cursor.
Kids have turned to chatting in Google Docs in class out of necessity. Schools often block stand-alone chatrooms and social media platforms with a firewall, and students know that websites for school work can’t be blocked. Classroom chats in Google Docs can then pick up right where they left off when kids get home. While parents may think their child is deep into a history paper, they may actually just be chatting with friends.
Bullying Can Happen Easily in Google Docs
We discussed how rampant cyberbullying is with today’s kids, and how it’s different from the schoolyard bullying parents may remember.
Here at Bark, we’ve seen kids ganging up on other children in Google Docs. They work in tandem to write mean or hurtful things in a shared Google Doc. In other cases, kids create private, digital “burn books” and invite others to contribute while leaving out the teased child. So in short, is Google Docs safe for kids? Not really.
Google Docs for Kids: A DIY Social Media Platform
A blank Google Doc can also become more than just a chatroom. By adding images and embedding videos, kids can make it into a repository for jokes, memes, photos, and more. Kids can comment on images and text, and create jokes and stories filling page after page. Like Snapchat, kids can post images and then quickly delete them.
Electronic diaries
Google Docs can be accessed on any device that connects to the internet. Many kids use it as a diary —a convenient one that can be pulled up anywhere and anytime, whether on their phone, tablet, school Chromebook, or home desktop. But unlike traditional pen-and-paper diaries, these new electronic journals are entirely private, leave no paper trail, and don’t have to be hidden under the bed. Kids often pour their hearts into Google Docs, keeping hidden the signs of depression or anxiety they don’t share on social media or in texts and emails.
How Bark Can Help
Whether Google Docs for kids is used at school, at home, or both, Bark can help monitor what they’re getting into. Our advanced technology scans Google Docs for potential issues like bullying, suicidal ideation, depression, and other concerning issues. You'll get an alert if something potential dangerous is found so you can check in and make sure everything's okay. You can even start a free, 7-day trial to see how it works first-hand — check it out today!
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Bark helps families manage and protect their children’s digital lives.
