Harmful app
Not only do I think it is a bad app, I think it can actually be harmful and is not being used as intended. I believe it could have been a good app for community building and peer support, and I saw a few instances of people supporting each other, but most of it was negative, harmful, and at times extremely inappropriate. First, the app has some benefits. Peer-to-peer support apps have been shown to “have a positive effect on clinical and personal recovery outcomes” (Yuan et al., 2026). Many users of these support apps reported feeling more connected to others who may be struggling with similar mental health symptoms. It also reduced negative sentiment toward mental health professionals and encouraged treatment (Yuan et al., 2026).
Second, microtransactions negatively affected my view of the app. Microtransactions have been shown to be associated with gaming and gambling disorders, as they release bursts of dopamine and motivate the teen to engage more with that activity (Raneri et al., 2022). Microtransactions are also connected to novelty, anticipation, uncertainty, and reward seeking (Laser, J.A. & Nicotera, N. (2021). The adolescent brain is wired to seek new experiences, and microtransactions that boost your post to the top fit that pattern.
Next, the number of active adults is a concern for young people's safety on the app. I encountered many older people posting suggestive comments and pictures on the app, and where there is prolonged contact between adolescents and adults on these apps, there is always potential for cyber grooming. Many adolescents lack digital literacy and are very emotionally vulnerable, making them a population easy for predators to exploit. At least 1 in 10 young people experience victimization on messaging apps where adults are allowed, and this can have huge effects on anxiety, depression, and behavior challenges in the adolescents affected (Schittenhelm et al., 2025).
TalkLike has the potential to provide community and peer-to-peer support, but the negative aspects outweigh the benefits. The app could be used to help young people feel less alone and connect with others who understand what they are experiencing. However, these benefits were overshadowed by harmful and inappropriate content, the use of microtransactions that encourage continued engagement, and the presence of adults interacting with young users in concerning ways. An app designed for young people should prioritize their safety and well-being rather than encourage excessive engagement and expose them to potentially harmful posts and people.
Second, microtransactions negatively affected my view of the app. Microtransactions have been shown to be associated with gaming and gambling disorders, as they release bursts of dopamine and motivate the teen to engage more with that activity (Raneri et al., 2022). Microtransactions are also connected to novelty, anticipation, uncertainty, and reward seeking (Laser, J.A. & Nicotera, N. (2021). The adolescent brain is wired to seek new experiences, and microtransactions that boost your post to the top fit that pattern.
Next, the number of active adults is a concern for young people's safety on the app. I encountered many older people posting suggestive comments and pictures on the app, and where there is prolonged contact between adolescents and adults on these apps, there is always potential for cyber grooming. Many adolescents lack digital literacy and are very emotionally vulnerable, making them a population easy for predators to exploit. At least 1 in 10 young people experience victimization on messaging apps where adults are allowed, and this can have huge effects on anxiety, depression, and behavior challenges in the adolescents affected (Schittenhelm et al., 2025).
TalkLike has the potential to provide community and peer-to-peer support, but the negative aspects outweigh the benefits. The app could be used to help young people feel less alone and connect with others who understand what they are experiencing. However, these benefits were overshadowed by harmful and inappropriate content, the use of microtransactions that encourage continued engagement, and the presence of adults interacting with young users in concerning ways. An app designed for young people should prioritize their safety and well-being rather than encourage excessive engagement and expose them to potentially harmful posts and people.
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Power trip
Admins power trip and delete comments and posts which don’t even violate their rules. Mess with one of their buddies and make them look like a fool in a debate, you can cleanly bet everyone of your replies will be removed. Stupid British app taking on what the government like to do all the time. Silence legitimate criticism
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There should be no lifetime ban
So I got this app a few months ago and it was great, I could talks to people about things going on in my life as my life hasn’t been going good lately in the past few years. I am fifteen years old and I know that the app is for sixteen years old but I really need people to talk to. What I don’t understand is why it is a lifetime ban. Why not a ban until your account says your sixteen?
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Love it!
Totally what I was looking for in an app and I feel better already.
Weird panda glitch
Anytime I try typing pillow in the app it changes to panda. I will only type pil but the second l will suddenly change the word to panda. It’s not on my autocorrect and doesn’t make sense in context. Haven’t seen any other word do this and no other app I checked did this. Doesn’t change much just odd.
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