Talking Angela: Rumor Mill Still Ablaze About Popular App
It’s no surprise to anyone that the world of apps can be a controversial one. Such is the case with anything that shows up on the internet. However, the “Talking Angela” app has recently set the rumor mill ablaze, with some folks even claiming that pedophiles are pulling the strings behind the app.
None of this is true, of course, and a number of mainstream media outlets have shut these hoaxes down recently, including a previous report byThe Inquisitr. But that doesn’t mean the game doesn’t have some bizarre traits.
“Talking Angela” is a game that features a talking animated cat that can interact with players. Naturally, because the internet is a twisted place, people have attempted to “talk dirty” to Angela but nothing happened.
The problem seems to stem from the fact that there is no clear indication of whether or not “Talking Angela” is in “Child mode” and the app only responds to typed questions.
Available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, “Talking Angela” is wildly popular, with thousands upon thousands of downloads and a four out of five star rating. Numerous fake messages, most of which went viral, claimed that the app was illegally collecting children’s information.
As reported by The Guardian, Angela will not ask about children’s names or discuss changing clothes if the game is in “Child mode”. While the app does not intend for children to be able to utilize the text-chat feature, there also doesn’t seem to be any obvious way to turn the feature on or off.
Because this is the internet, the previously mentioned viral messages were the epitome of eloquence.
For example: “WARNING FOR TO ALL PARENTS WITH CHILDREN THAT HAVE ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICES, EX : IPOD,TABLETS ETC …. THERE IS A SITE CALLED TALKING ANGELA, THIS SITE ASKS KIDS QUESTIONS LIKE : THERE NAMES, WHERE THEY GO TO SCHOOL AND ALSO TAKE PICTURES OF THEIR FACES BY PUSHING A HEART ON THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER WITHOUT ANY NOTICES. PLEASE CHECK YOUR CHILDREN’S IPODS AND ALL TO MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT HAVE THIS APP!!! PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE KIDS!!!!”
The only thing the above message really proves is that typing something in all caps with lots of exclamation points clearly proves the validity of a statement, much like everything seen on TV must be the truth.
Of course, the real message to take away from this should be, “Don’t abuse social media.”
At the end of the day, the hoaxes surrounding “Talking Angela” are just that; hoaxes. While the app may seem a little strange, the game’s rating reflects the fact that consumers who have downloaded the app aren’t feeling overly threatened by it but if “Talking Angela” causes anyone any undue stress or anxiety, the simplest solution is to not download it.
