Sit With Us

It would be hard to find an app with more honorable intentions, and it's sure to do a lot of good; however, as with most things, some are sure to find loopholes to use it for negative purposes as well. Sit With Us is focused on combating isolation and encourages teens to make their schools an inclusive environment. To the app's credit, it makes it easy to do so. Adding an event (which people in your ZIP code can see) is simple. And the app acts as a social media hub as well, letting you chat with any new friends you meet at a lunch you attend. Better still, shy kids who don't want to risk rejection by asking if they can sit with someone new can unobtrusively find a place to sit and socialize without the face-to-face risk when walking up to a table of strangers.

There are some risks, though relatively small. The app doesn't verify user information or age, meaning people with less-than-kind intentions could use it to spot potentially vulnerable children. And while there are ways to report inappropriate behavior and block users, some teens are bound to find ways to use the app's features for unintended and negative purposes. Because of this, it's important for parents to discuss the potential risks as well as the advantages of such an app before letting their kids use it. Overall, however, it's an overwhelmingly positive use of the typical social media model with a practical, empathy-building purpose conceptualized by someone who understands the need -- a teenager!