Have you heard of the Gas app- your kids are probably on it

Parenting in 2022 is on another level thanks to the technology available at your fingertips! The days of Twitter, Facebook, and obviously MySpace are a thing of the past. While Tiktok is still holding strong, fresh tech takeover is on the horizon with Bereal. and the Gas app. In fact, there’s a good chance your kids have the Gas App and are active on it. Last night, I did a deep dive into this Gas app and was floored with what I found out.

Our son has a smart phone and the rule stands that my husband and I have full access to everything on the phone. Parental controls are on and while we stay diligent (or as diligent as you can be in today’s world), one of best ways for me to see the ins and outs is to hang out with my son and let HIM show me his favorite apps. The Gas app is the latest and greatest, and your kid has probably already downloaded it. Here is the scoop on the app.

• In the app store, its Tagline is “See who likes you”- which seems like a huge red flag, but after a little digging, I learned its not a bait and switch, drilling down who was the last to bash you- its actually the opposite
• It uses anonymous* compliments to “Gas” someone .. aka build them up. *There is a paid version called God Mode in which you can view the full name two times of someone who voted for you. There are additional features in God Mode but the subscriptions range from reoccurring payments of $1.99-$9.99.
• Of course it all stems around “crushes” (Gas is the slang for a person who tries hard and goes out of their way for someone they like), however not all aspects of the app are romantic
• Designed for High Schoolers, but like most everything else, has trickled to the upper middle school demographic, although users under 13 are not permitted on the app.
• You need to sync up your location* and select your grade. According to the app creator, locations are not stored on their server and are safe.
• You can also sync up contacts which can get a little harrier, however when my son was showing me the set up, he didn’t sync contacts.
• Once every hour you can access a series of 12 questions- referred to as polls with 4 friend options.
• There isn’t anything explicit in the polls and minimal information is provided about the users outside of the name they designated.
• There is no direct messaging or chatting.
• Overall the majority of the polls seem to be about pumping people up and recognizing friends to make them feel good about themselves.
• Example poll questions:
  • Always looks good in photos
  • Should be kept away from anything flammable
  • Cooler than anyone knows
  • Best dressed
  • Confident af
  • Wanna invite them over to my house
  • You miss seeing them at school everyday
  • Style you would like to steal
  • Didn’t realize until recently how amazing they are
• You collect “flames” for each poll you were selected. The ‘Top Flames’ are displayed on a user’s profile. This feature highlights the polls the user has been selected in the most.
• You also collect coins for answering polls. Coins can be used to put your name in friends’ polls.

Overall, the app appears to be harmless. It can be argued that uses can become dependent on affirmation from the app, however as of right now I would take this over Snapchat or Tiktok. I asked a handful of mom-friends about the app and many didn’t know their kids were on there. I would definitely suggest checking the app out with your kids, not only does it give you an interest in what they are doing, but you can get an idea of how they are viewed by their peers!

Did you check out the Gas app? Let me know your thoughts on the app!