We want the best for our children, whether it’s a chance at their happiness or ensuring their safety on the internet while they enjoy themselves. Whether they’re going away for a summer camp or just skipping out for a dip at the beach with their friends, or maybe going camping with their friends, it’s important to know what exactly they have planned and their exact location.
This is not because we don’t trust our children but simply because we know better even when their judgement may be clouded by the anticipated fun of something that may actually be reckless.
We need to make sure that they understand how to take care of themselves – with rational thought – and as a backup be fully aware of their whereabouts and who they’re spending time and their trust with.
”More than 30% of U.S. children first use a mobile device while in diapers, says American Academy of Pediatrics”
No Compromise on Safety – The Experts’ Advice
Simon Washington, the operations manager at mSpy – a company that provides top-notch monitoring and tracking software for your kids’ electronic devices shared a few tips related to how children and parents can make the most of their free time this summer by safe internet surfing.
1. Understand Cyberbullying and educate your children about it
Cyber bullies can threaten your child’s psychological health and can use sensitive information mistakenly or unknowingly shared by kids for identity theft. Teach your children to never share passwords, even with friends.
Regularly encourage them to discuss with you any cyberbullying by peers or strangers.
2. Regularly discuss with children how to use technology
With the increased use of smartphones, tablets, and laptops it’s difficult to have all your technology out in the open where you can monitor your children’s online activity.
Therefore, by helping children recognize the web as a public place, you can persuade them to be more cautious of their online behavior – just as they would be in public.
Setting time limitations and simple rules like no phone usage during dinner/family time or no internet usage after 10 pm can work for younger children but risks retaliation from teens so the best solution for them is parental control software.
3. Teach your children the importance of an ‘online reputation
The term “online reputation” refers to all the information available to you on the Internet, via search engines or social media.
Such personal information, if displayed in a compromising manner, especially through photos and status updates shared on social media can accidentally sabotage your children’s academics and careers as universities and employment firms often do an online search on applicants.
4. Talk to your children about their Privacy Settings
Children can unintentionally and naively share sensitive information and compromise photos with unrestricted privacy over the internet via social media. Such information can be used against them by pedophiles and cyber bullies or even in scams.
Photos can also be manipulated and maligned by use on porn websites and destroy your child’s online reputation. Regularly discuss the importance of privacy and discourage children from sharing photos and thoughts on the internet.
5. Tell your children to avoid clicking random links
Educate children about the dangers of responding to emails, advertisements, and online quizzes, especially when they’re from unknown sources. Often these can download viruses and spyware onto the computers and some can even be used for hacking personal information.
Related:
How to Monitor your Child’s Whatsapp Messages?
6. Establish and encourage communication
Convey to your children that they should be comfortable discussing their online mistakes with you – whether they’ve downloaded a virus, malware or even if they’re being bullied online. Build trust that the discussion would help them find a solution rather than earn your bad graces.
7. Save the day with Parental control software
Often it can be difficult to have children feel comfortable with discussing their online activity with parents, especially where teens are involved.
In such cases, it’s best to get help with parental control software like Mobile-Spy which allows you to set time restrictions on internet use and messaging apps. GPS location tracking panic and abduction alerts can also be very helpful to gather your child’s whereabouts.
Updated: September 2017!
What is mSpy?
It is one of the most powerful filtering and monitoring software available on the market and provides parents with an unparalleled level of control over their child’s phone or tablet usage.
You simply have to buy the desired package from the official website and install it on your children’s devices. Log into your online user interface and view your child’s online activity.
From your user panel, you can also select the time restriction settings you wish to be applied to your child’s device – we will discuss them ahead in our features section.
What mSpy is Offering here?
Features!
Time Restrictions
Indeed, this feature allows you to take full control of your child’s phone activity.
If your teenage children are developing the bad habit of uninterrupted texting even over dinner or during family time or even while you’re addressing them then this feature is designed just for YOU.
Put a stop to the phone addiction before it gets worse, you don’t want them to reach the point where they text/call even after bedtime and during classes – that presents a serious problem where their studies and health are concerned.
Use this remarkable feature to completely lock their phones or to just block certain apps and services like calling, texting and internet use during the hours of choice.
For example, after 8 pm and during school hours you can block internet usage and text messages to make sure your kids pay attention where they’re supposed to.
Related:
How Can I Monitor my Childs Text Messages Without them Knowing
Application, Contacts, and Website Filtering
You can block any apps on the target phone that you find inappropriate for your child’s use.
Same goes for inappropriate web content so you can take full charge of your child’s internet activity.
But that’s not all – you can also block any suspicious contacts by setting black and white lists so that your children cannot have any incoming/outgoing calls from those numbers. Simply apply these restrictions and save your child’s time and morals.
Profanity Alert
This is a very useful feature for parents of teens and pre-teens. This is basically a keylogger that notifies you whenever your child uses rude, abusive or sensitive words like alcohol, drugs, porn. This gives you full control of your child’s texting.
Remote Security Access
Receive alerts if any restricted activity is attempted on your phone. You can also wipe and lock the target phone remotely through your online control panel if you feel the need to do so.
Geofencing
Mark safe and restricted perimeters on a map on your online dashboard. Every time your child violates these parameters, you will receive alerts.
-Whatsapp and
-iMessage conversations,
-multimedia call logs,
-real-time GPS tracking and
-apps installed on the target phone
Compatibility
Available at a decent price of $29, mSpy is available for Android versions up to 5.x.x and iOS up to 9.x.x for iPhones. Windows phones, iPads, Android tablets and Symbian phones are also supported by this mighty software.