Hi Boox Popular Magazine 2024
Nowadays, more and more children start using smartphones from a very young age, which means that they start using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as well. And, since the kids have more social interactions every day, it is normal that the parents started being concerned about the safety of their kid.
This is one of the reasons why you might want to monitor how they use these platforms, especially since you might feel like it is your job to protect your child from the dangers of the Internet. If you are in this situation, this article can help. Let’s take a look at the 6 ways that you can monitor your children:
Choosing The Right Time is Critical
In the end, it is your decision whether or not you’ll allow your kid to use a smartphone, as well as join whatever social media platform they think they need to be on. Why is this important? Well, some kids are not mature enough for these sites, hence, determining whether your kid is mature enough is crucial.
If you do allow them to have a smartphone, as well as join these sites, then you must talk with them about what they can and cannot do. By explaining everything to them, you’ll ensure that they truly understand the dangers they might be facing, which means that they’ll be careful about whom they talk to.
Adjusting The Privacy Settings
Now, there are two things you’ll need to adjust. Firstly, the privacy settings set on the social media pages, and second, the privacy settings on their browser on the computer. By changing the settings entirely to private, no one will be able to see the content your kid posts without first following them or adding them as a friend.
Doing this can add an extra layer of protection, which is something every parent wants. Additionally, you’ll want their account connected to a computer browser, meaning that you can access the browsing history any time you want to randomly check what your kid has been up to.
Purchase Monitoring Apps And/or Programs
Utilizing monitoring apps and/or programs will provide you with an easy way to monitor the activity on your child’s smartphone. For instance, there are various platforms such as phonetracker.com that allows you to download contact, see the GPS location, as well as monitor activity.
You should know that these apps are most commonly ‘hidden’, which means that you can install it without your kid ever knowing. The installation process is usually quite simple and easy, hence, you won’t have any problems with installing it on any device that you want to have it on.
Tell Them What The Web Actually is
Children and teenagers do not understand the fact that the things they post on the Internet basically stays there forever and becomes their digital footprint. This is why the most crucial thing is to explain to them what the Internet actually is. You should talk about what they will post, as well as how they communicate with other people via their phones.
You might want to consider talking to them about cyberbullying, especially since it has been on the rise in recent years. Additionally, explain how they should react if they ever come across this form of bullying and teach them how to delete or unfollow someone, as well as how they can block someone from accessing their account. This is all extremely important if you want your child to be safe, and if you want to make the monitoring easier for yourself.
Regularly Check The Activity
We mentioned earlier that it is important for you to have access to the browsing history of your kid, however, you should keep in mind that you should frequently check the activity. Now, you should be aware that we are not talking about the sites he or she visits, but, you should check who they have been talking to and searching for.
In return, this will allow you to see whom they are friends with, hence, you’ll know with whom they are probably hanging out with. Randomly checking it a few days a week can ensure that they are not talking with strangers that might harm them, so, ensure that you do this as often as you can.
Set The PC or Laptop in a Common Area
To make things even easier for you and your partner, you can choose to place the computer or laptop in the living room or other, common areas, This will ensure that they do not get involved into something that might harm them, and it will also hinder you kid or kids from browsing the Internet for things that you do not want them to. Additionally, it is likely that they want to talk to strangers while you are around, hence, it can keep them safer.
Bonus Tip – Talk to Your Kid or Kids Frequently
It is quite easy for you to sit down, browse the history, and learn what your kid has been up to. However, that is not enough. You’ll definitely want to talk to your kid about what they have been doing online, what they are searching for, and more importantly, whom they are communicating with.
It is extremely crucial to ask what websites they are using, what social media accounts do they have, how frequently do they use it, as well as who are their friends on these said platforms. This will not only help with keeping your child safe but, it will also provide you with peace of mind when it comes to their online activity.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a wide range of ways that you can monitor how your child or children use their smartphones, as well as the applications installed on the devices. Although all of these monitoring strategies are available to you, you should know when you should stop monitoring your kids’ phones and Internet activity.
So, now that you know what you can do, you should not waste any more of your time. Instead, go back to the beginning of the article, determine what strategy might be best for you, and then start browsing the Internet in order to find a monitoring tool that will help you keep your child safe.
