"Wizz" is an app targeted at 12+ on the App Store, it is an app that many people use in order to make friends with people that share similar interests with you and who are the same or a similar age as you. This app is a dangerous place for people to be as many people will not know who they are talking to, it is not only the start of friendships but it's also the main place that young people go to find people in order to start a relationship with- the app works like tinder and other dating apps where it shows the individuals profile and users can choose to either swipe right (to add them) or swipe left (to ignore) which is the main reason that so many individuals begin relationships with others they find on this platform. This leads to meet ups and long term communication which is extremely worrying for 12+ individuals as there are no background checks, verifications or even safety procedures put in place to protect those who join or prevent anyone from using the app. 

I began using the app when I was 16 alongside some of my friends in school to see what the hype was about, once you make your profile you can instantly swipe through other users and begin to chat with those you meet. The majority of people using the app were very evidently trying to find a more serious relationship as oppose to what the app intended for (just friends), I have included below (bottom of page) some images that I took when downloading the app again to show the nature of communication used within the app which clearly shows how many people are using it for sexual, intimate intent. 

Unfortunately upon using the app, which only started as something to do with my friends, I stumbled across a profile that stated the boy was 16 and I friended him. Not long after I received a message from him saying "hey", the conversation wasn't concerning in the least and he seemed very polite and nice during the conversation. He asked for my Snapchat (which is usually what people do on the app so that they can communicate easier/ on a more familiar platform) and I gladly sent it to him. A few seconds later he added me on there and we began talking and shared interests to get to know eachother, we remained in communication for a few weeks and began FaceTiming and going on the PlayStation together to be able to have more fun with one another. 

Even more weeks went by and me and this boy  had many nights playing games together while on FaceTime and talking and it was evident that we did indeed like each other more than friends, after a few months we decided to meet in person and once again talked all day and became close. Long story short I dated that guy for 8 months, the relationship was amazing and we did I fact have sexual intercourse and a close relationship throughout the entirety of it. He obviously met my family however we did hold off on meeting his as he was a Muslim and we weren't too sure if I'd be accepted so we decided to wait a year into the relationship before meeting his which I was completely fine with as he had assured me his mum wouldn't mind however it was his stepdad that would have most likely had some concerns and disprove. This ultimately never happened and it was revealed very quickly as to why.

Towards the end of the relationship I began to notice some things and a lot more activity that had been present throughout the whole relationship were coming to light and not seeming right, I discussed with my friends that he would turn off his location when going to school, a few days before this he had forgotten the year he was born and had to think about it, the school he had stated that he was attending sixths form at didn't actually seem like it actually had a sixth form and many more things that had over time been noticed however stupidity not been taken into consideration the best it could have been. I took it upon myself to research the Sixths form that he had stated he was at- there was nothing- I emailed the school and made a fake enquiry that I was moving to the area and asked them about their "sixths form" as someone I knew had suggested it, to which they responded there was no sixths form there. My heart dropped, I spoke to him that night and discovered that this boy I had been dating for almost a year was in fact 21 and not 16 like I was, and like he had said he was as well. This is when the relationship ended and everyone was as shocked as I was to discover that he was in fact 5 years older than he had said as he acted very young for his age and also looked it. With all of this taken into consideration, there was almost no way I would have known about this if I hadn't of emailed the school. I have recently found out that the same person who did this to me has once again set up an account on Wizz and has tricked another young girl into thinking he was 17 this time. She has been made aware by me of all the things he had done, I believe that she is still deciding to communicate and see this individual which is so unbelievably unsafe as he targeted a 17-year-old and made her believe that he is also 17 when in fact by this time he is now 22. If I hadn't of got involved I really doubt that he would have told her the truth and once again someone like me would've had to find out on their own after God knows how long as I'm sure he wouldn't continue the same strategy as he used on me since he know it caught him out last time. Despite apologising to me not long after I found out about what he had done to me and assuring me that he didn't tell me the truth about his age purely because he didn't know how to get out of the lie he had created as it had gone in for so long and not for any other reason, he is clearly doing this on purpose and targeting younger girls as he has done it once again with someone else.

This is an extremely awful thing for anyone to deal with no matter what age, however "Wizz" is increasing the chances of this happening and allowing adults to lie about their age on an app intended for children and teens to find friends. Anyone using this app is at risk of something similar happening to them and it is a danger that needs to be stopped, with no safety precautions in place like providing secure age verification in order to make sure that individuals using it are in fact the age that they are stating (despite stating that the app includes this), no actions towards known sex offenders or anyone with similar criminal records being prevented from using the app as well as many more things that are allowing anyone to join this app and chat with as well as form a friendship or relationship with a more serious implementation, this app is a big problem when it comes to online safety. 

It is so important that we keep children and teenagers safe and this app is not helping in the slightest, it is unknown how many times this or similar situations to mine have occurred but considering it is so easy for this to happen unfortunately it would have happened many more times than just this. We must put an end to this app!!!