Real-Life Burn Book: Everything Parents Need to Know About the Controversial App

Whether your kids are old enough to have seen Mean Girls yet or not, you have probably heard of the original Burn Book made famous by the movie. It's a physical book filled with anonymous insults, rumors, and gossip written by high school girls.

Well, that fictional book that took bullying to an entirely new level has become a reality in digital form — the free, downloadable Burnbook app that plenty of kids across the country are already using.

Here's how it works: You download the app onto your iOS or Android phone, and then based on your location, the app will find the "communities" (schools) closest to you. You can then view the feed of posts in your community or create your own posts about any topic. The app's description suggests "Jokes, fails, wins, sightings, shout outs, revelations, proclamations, and confessions — they all happen on Burnbook. Together, we can keep a secret. Without further interruption, welcome to the future of social networking."

But as you can imagine, Burnbook is not exactly being used to promote fun, positive information. Here's what parents need to know about how kids are really using the app.

"This app was created to increase cyberbullying. There's no other reason it was created."
Paramount Pictures

"This app was created to increase cyberbullying. There's no other reason it was created."

This is what the current top review of the app on iTunes says. The reviewer continues, "The app has become popular at my school and is specifically targeting a small group of people. I wish I could repeat the evil things that were posted so I could get my point across, but I cannot bring myself to spread those gruesome things even further."

Upon downloading the app, each user must agree to 3 rules:
Burnbook

Upon downloading the app, each user must agree to 3 rules:

But it's become an anonymous platform for kids to say anything they want about anybody.
Twitter | thehamlife

But it's become an anonymous platform for kids to say anything they want about anybody.

And they're calling each other out with no boundaries — last names, harsh insults, and sexually explicit "compliments."

The app's official Twitter account has been met with tons of complaints.
Twitter | Burnbookapp

The app's official Twitter account has been met with tons of complaints.

And here's an example of a response.

Twitter | room0nfire

Jonathan Lucas, the CEO and developer of Burnbook, promised changes in the app when someone recently posted that they would bring a gun to Del Norte High School in San Diego. The CEO told NBC San Diego, "My immediate reaction is that's awful. The threat of any kind is not something we condone."

Some schools are holding assemblies regarding the app and its consequences, and parents across the country are too, no doubt. Have something to add to this story? Let us know in the comments below.