Author name: Jenny Nicole

Business Strategic Planning
Employee Monitoring

6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Technology

/

Many leaders think that technology is just an accoutrement that can help their employees perform better at work. But this kind of naïve belief can be very dangerous for the companies they lead. A research by MIT reveals that companies who have leadership promoting new technology earn 26% more profits First, entrepreneurs should realize that we are in the midst of a Technological Revolution that’s comparable to the Industrial Revolution. Successful companies don’t only focus on efficiency and productivity gains through advancements in technology, they transform their business operations using it. Second, leaders must recognize that a silent generation gap between younger and older employees exists. Digital natives (those under 35) are doing virtually more work as compared to their older counterparts because they grew up with technology and know exactly how to make use of it. This understanding by the company’s leadership is necessary to learn about how the younger employees are working, allowing them to work in most creative ways possible. Third, resistance to change is a management issue that leaders should look into. Usually the older employees show reluctance to technological advances. Whether it’s the introduction of a new production line or simply a Windows update on office desktops, some employers would just not accept the change. This is apparently due to the misconception that their productivity will fall while they learn to do what they have been doing in a completely new way. Entrepreneurs should foster this attitude that everyone should benefit from the emerging technologies. Fourth, your office equipment doesn’t need to upgrade as soon as it hits the market. At many times, there is a just a minor tweak, a strategy used by tech industry to rebrand their existing product as something new. If you ever want to spend something extra on the company desktops, tablets or smartphones, make sure you know how it will change the productivity of your workplace. Fifth, monitoring is not a phenomenon that is confined to over-the-head managers anymore. Entrepreneurs can save a big chunk of their capital by investing into other forms of monitoring like remote smartphone monitoring software, which are not only reliable but also very effective. Sixth, communicate with your employees not just through emails also but through face-to-face meetings. Try having a lunch with them or take them out for a holiday picnic. Be a proactive manager yourself!

Panicked on internet culture
Social Media

4 Times Moral Panic Over Internet Culture Was Not Unwarranted

/

Parents always find a way to criticize new technology and sometimes, their critiques seem reaching. For example, it’s always been suggested that violent video games somehow make children more aggressive. Yet you rarely find a case where a murderer was an avid Call of Duty fan. But sometimes, parents get it right, too. For example, kids sometimes integrate offensive slurs they learnt in pop music into their own lexicon. The internet in general has a bad reputation for being harmful to a child’s upbringing. And a lot of times, this stance is not unwarranted. That’s what we’re going to focus on today—all those times when the critique over internet culture turned out to be in the right. The Wisconsin Stabbing Earlier this year, headlines were made when a couple of 12-year-olds stabbed their friend within an inch of her life. And they did this all to impress an internet urban legend—Slender Man. It should be noted that this character is completely factious and stories that surround him have usually been fabricated by contributors. But the two young girls thought he was real enough and committed the crime so they’d get a pass to ‘enter his mansion’. This is what can happen when what kids are reading on the internet is left to cook on its own in their minds. When what kids are taking in is not being refereed. The parental neglect in this case snowballed into attempted murder. Online Dating Dangers You’d think the worst that can come out an online dating experience is getting catfished. But then you probably haven’t heard of Sean Patrick Banks; a 37-year-old man that used the dating website Christian Mingle to find his rape victims. He used false identities to lure young women into meeting with him. This is one of those instances where every parent’s worse digital nightmare seems to take a true form. And Banks isn’t the only one that has used an online platform to find victims. A few years earlier, the infamous show, “To Catch a Predator” uncovered just how willing online pedophiles are to reach out to underage girls for solicitation.     The Disturbing Snapchat People were stunned when a 16-year-old shared on Snapchat a selfie of him next to the body of a boy he had just murdered. When the story surfaced, it gave an entirely new meaning to the concept of social media gloating. Sure, kids these days like to show off every material possession or achievement on the internet. But when this phenomenon turned lethal—when this young man gloated about how he had just killed a classmate—it gave parents a reason to step back and rethink. This is an isolated case, yes. However, it also uncovered the degree of harm social media gloating can be taken to. Digital Kidnapping The strangest internet trend one would come across this year has to be digital kidnapping. It’s a phenomenon where young girls (usually between 12 and 16 years of age) steal photos of other people’s kids and repost them on Facebook as their own children. It is a form of digital make believe, playing house where you pretend you’ve got a loving family and the perfect child. So far, parents have no way of taking down these photos from the “kidnapper’s” social media pages. Stealing an actual child’s photo to create an online fantasy (or RPF as they call it) is slightly creepy. But what it does is make you want to take privacy settings and photo sharing more seriously. The internet culture has its way to toe out of line. When freed of the sense of accountability, kids—and adults—become reckless. So admittedly, moral panic over the internet is not always unwarranted. Sometimes, taking precautions through a parental control prevents bigger disasters than you realize. Recommended For You:  Parental Control App – Cell Phone Parental Control Software

eating-disorder-in-children
Child Monitoring

Everything You Need to Know About Eating Disorders in Teens

/

Finding out that your child has an unhealthy relationship with food can be extremely stressful. It is simply not right when children right out of middle school start to worry about having the perfect waistline or fitting into certain types of clothes. It is, however, a reality that some parents constantly have to deal with. Here are a few things you need to know about Eating Disorders. Although EDs are thought to be more prevalent in females, boys are just as vulnerable. It has affected around 1 million boys in the US alone. It is not just a physical ordeal; it is a mental illness. Normal weight teens can have an Eating Disorders Body image issues manifest into many different kinds of Eating Disorders Here is some more information from Behance: If you’re not sure if your child has developed an unhealthy relationship with food, look out for warning signs such as these: Skipping meals Eating alone or in secret Becoming reclusive or avoiding social situations Anxiety or depression Obsession/avoidance with food Seeking treatment for Eating Disorders is extremely important. Recognize signs and give your child the help they need to recover. But also know that recovery is a process. This infographic by Mirasol provides some insight: Even after you think your child has recovered, you will have to keep on monitoring them, and your parental control app will help you out more than you know. Recovery Record, an organization that works with treatment of Eating Disorders, found that even clinicians found that going mobile helps them stay better connected with the patient. This aids in their recovery. Take a look at this: With your monitoring app, you will be able to keep track of your child’s habits. You’ll know what sorts of websites they visit and sorts of images they view on the internet. You’ll know what they talk to their friends about and what apps they have installed on their device. This will help you to be more proactive should you find anything that may trigger their Eating Disorder again. Above all, treat your child’s Eating Disorder like a serious disease. A condition pertaining to physical appearance may seem inconsequential, even vain to you. But for them, it is an illness that could ruin their health, potential and future.

Competition Metaphor
Employee Monitoring

5 Signs Your Office Has a Toxic Work Environment

/

Unfortunately, you’ve got several jobs as an employer, one of which is making sure the people that work for you are happy. That feat is nearly unattainable because let’s be real; several personalities with several opinions and several ticks and buttons can’t all be happy at the same time. But if there is one thing you’ve got to control, it is that your work environment doesn’t become toxic. It is not only bad for your productivity and reputation, it is terrible for the employee’s health and well-being. Every business starts in good spirits but as the team grows, problems arise. It’s part of the process. Still, it takes more than just difficult personality types to make a work environment toxic. Go through the list and see how many boxes your office ticks. 1. Problematic Middlemen Many people who have worked in harmful environments will tell you that it isn’t the top management that causes them stress. It is rather the middle manager or the frontline supervisor. Because the people that work directly under them feel like they aren’t being recognized for their effort. The middlemen, being the face of a particular department get to enjoy the credit and benefits. This bars the employee’s communication with the top management, leaving them to feel like nameless, voiceless people. If your workers are unhappy, it is quite likely that they’re unhappy with the managers they directly report to. 2. Diffused Enthusiasm A happy, positive workplace will harbor employees that are excited about new projects and company achievements. The response and movement to attain will be visible. A toxic environment will harbor employees that has simply stopped caring, so they might as well be going through the motions. Think of the employee-workplace equation as an actual relationship. If they have fallen out of love with the office, they’re not going to invest any more effort or creativity into it. They’re only going to show up at work for the paycheck at the end of the month. Which is bound to plummet your company’s growth. Diffused enthusiasm is a clear sign that the workplace environment has become undesirable. 3. Clique Culture Another thing that is prevalent is most workplaces with a toxic environment—a clique culture. Misery loves company, and miserable employees will find solace in each other. It is not for teamwork, though. It is to bemoan all the things that make them unhappy with the office. This back and forth of negative energy adds to the already toxic environment. It reinforces the employees’ bad spirits towards the company. Depression Alliance has found that having a confidante helps office depression: 4. Every Man for Himself If spirits have turned sour, you’re going to find that it is an every man for himself kind of situation. When there is healthy teamwork, you find that people are ready to cover up for each other’s mistakes as long as the end result is good. Not in toxic offices, though. People will be willing to throw each other under the bus first chance they get. You will also find that tensions in general are high and employees don’t like to talk to each other much. 5. Absenteeism When the office is taking an emotional and physical strain on them, employees will take any excuse they can find to not show up. The unhappiest employee may not even find an excuse anymore but continue taking time off. And if the unhealthy environment doesn’t get any better, it is going to lead to a higher turnover rate. If you’ve checked more than 3 boxes on this list, it is time for you to give your office a makeover. You simply can’t keep on compromising your employee’s wellbeing and happiness in a culture that only causes damage. Your business won’t do well without employees that are committed to its progress. So if you want to learn to how to fix a faulty work culture, stay tuned! We’ll give you all the tips you need.

Internet monitoring App
Child Monitoring

It’s Not the Internet That Is Ruining Teenagers’ Minds, Probably

/

Any neuroscientist will tell you that the brain undergoes changes from whatever we do. So even if it’s the internet use, the brain will change in-response. However, it still doesn’t create any scientific logic because it’s not supported by research. Internet Use—Is It Really Bad? There are so many uses of internet and it’s difficult to conclude how they affect the brain. However, there are studies that do elucidate positive psychological effects of moderate internet use on teens like greater participation in sports and other outdoor activities. If it’s Not the Internet, Then What Is It? Internet can provide more so many opportunities for the formative years of kids to educate themselves. It’s a time when the real learning begins. There is not only a vast library of information but it’s also available in various means. If there is question going around in your kids head, they can simply search the internet to get their answers on the subject. But if the kid is left unsupervised around their smartphones and desktops, then I would say it’s more a parenting problem rather than the internet. Parents can monitor their kids’ smartphones and tablets using a parental control app when they aren’t around. Is Internet Bringing Physical Changes To Brain? Let’s get down to if internet is bringing any psychical changes to our kids’ brains. Mills say that the research is limited in supply and it mostly comprises of adults who are addicted to internet; online gamers specifically. These studies do show reduced connectivity and thickening of cortex but we are talking about gaming addicts then again. Looking Forward I would say there is a lot of misinformation and hype regarding internet use. As aforementioned, it’s more of a parenting issue rather internet as an entity. We need more follow up research. And even if internet is brining physical changes to adolescents, we should know that it’s always capable of a functional change.

Office Extrovert-Friendly
Child Monitoring

4 Ways to Make Your Office Extrovert-Friendly

/

A lot of offices these days still favor the cubicle setting. Many employees find it easy to work around, establishing their workplace privacy. But what about the extroverts? Are they happy with this transition around them? Nope! Extroverts rely on their peers for energy and motivation. Their productivity depends heavily on the open communication and collaboration. Working in a place that inhibits their outgoing and friendly behavior will only strangulate their survival. This can disengage them at work or even lead to a burnout quickly. Provide these 4 things in your workplace so that your extrovert employees can engage at work: Group tasks Assigning group tasks not only bring in new ideas from various employees, it’s also a great way to bolster your extrovert employees. Because they prefer to converse with other people, the overall productivity and results will improve. Extroverts can get bored very easily with individual work. Therefore, integration at inter-department or with different departments to execute a task will improve problem solving skills of everyone around. ‘Great Job Mr. Extrovert 123’ Writing a letter, telling your employees how much they have contributed to your company is a highly motivational gesture. Extroverts take praise more strongly than other employees and they are very sensitive to feedbacks and situations that calls for a reward Organize Social Interaction Events According to a study, 48 percent of the employees believe that a healthy relationship with co-workers is extremely important. This especially holds true for extroverts. It’s pertinent for entrepreneurs to organize social events that give an opportunity for extroverts to interact, passing on positive vibes and energizing atmosphere There should be an open environment where employees from different departments can interact and no one part is secluded from others. Workers who don’t typically work together can build better work relationships. Employers should also facilitate outside-work bonding amongst employees. They don’t have to pay for the outing rather ensure that every employee becomes part of it. An employee monitoring app can help put together tasks like these for employers. Provide Learning and Development Opportunities Mentoring your employees is vital for their long term growth or they may burnout within few years. Every new employee should be counselled using internal or external expertise. Extroverts can learn a lot from these opportunities, challenging their extremities, which can be beneficial for the long term success of the business. Once your new extrovert employee gets rugged, handover the mentoring job to them. Workshops should be conducted to bring in the outside expertise to the company, giving employees an insight to how they can perform their job better. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245660

teenage weapon
Child Monitoring

Study Reveals Bullied Teens Have Higher Chances of Carrying Weapons to School

/

I have always talked about how bullied teens face difficulties in their school, personal and social life and how the bullies have always been the villains of the story. But this new study reveals another horrible facet of the aggrieved bullied kids—they are more vulnerable to carry weapons to school (31 percent more chances) We have the bullies and the bullied and then we have the spillover effects of these two on other students at school. Putting it simply, bullying at school has other stakeholders: kids who aren’t even at either end of the spectrum may suffer from the consequences of the prevalent bullying phenomenon. Take the example of Columbine High School massacre, giving us a lesson that premeditated violence is not just a work of bullies, but their victims as well. Another study elucidates this phenomenon. Teens, who are bullied have higher chances of depression and suicidal thoughts. Dr. Andrew Adesman, senior investigator of the study explains bullying occuring in three main ways—face-to-face, electronic bullying outside the school, and dating violence. (agentrealestateschools.com) She emphasized the influence of cyberbullying that can be far more hurtful than playground bullying, consuming a student’s body and take over it like a wildfire. Lessons Learned What is the takeaway for parents in this discussion? Don’t take cyberbullying lightly! It may be difficult to sort out the issue of school bullying proactively because of too many participants and stakeholders. But for internet harassment, the solution is there and very effective. A smartphone parental control software can be installed in kid’s phones and tablets. Any behavior of harassment can be detected in a timely fashion, which can help minimize the collateral damage. Dealing with Teen Depression and Anxiety Only 1 in 5 teens receive help for depression. Parents may not be able to sense anything because they are unaware of the symptoms of depression in their kids. Have a look at some of the symptoms of teen depression: Problems at school including poor performance, absenteeism and hesitance to socialize. Running away from home or school. That’s a signal of help that parents should look out for! Drugs or alcohol abuse in an attempt to self-medicate. Unfortunately, substance abuse doesn’t help much. Internet addiction to lay off their minds from depressing thoughts. However it just fires the alienation. Violence, as aforementioned, results due to cyber bullying, where depression itself is a consequence of cyberbullying. This is the flow chart for cyberbullying: Cyberbullying→ depression→ violence Use these clues to identify if your kid is a victim of cyberbullying and provide all the assistance that they want to bring them out of the trail. Because while school shootings plague the nation and gun laws remain faulty, you’re the only one that can make a difference. Starting at home with your kid.

Parenting Hacks
Child Monitoring

10 Basic Parenting Hacks for Raising an Adolescent

/

How would you break into the barriers of adolescence? Use this 10 amazing tips to prevent any parent-teen conflict: Give Independence Give your kids space to establish their identity. Help them achieve that place in the world. This doesn’t include allowing your kids to hang out with the ‘wrong crowd’. One of the first few things that your teen would want is independence and privacy. Make sure they get that. Don’t Complain Too Much Parents can sometimes overreact to their teens’ newly adopted habits. A messy room and rebellious fashion choices? No need to whine. Pick your battles, and interfere when kids might make permanent decisions they they’re too young for, like getting a tattoo. Invite Their Friends ‘The enemy of my friend is my enemy’. Remember this and you will definitely like to reconcile your thoughts about your kid’s friends. Simply don’t reject them. At least make an overture to understand them. Invite their friends at your place for a dinner. When kids see how their friends interact with their parents, they can make a fair judgement about their friends because ‘you catch more bears with honey than with vinegar’. Predetermine Rules and Disciplines Set your rules first. Have a discussion with your kids so that everyone will be on the same page. If your kid does something wrong, they should know the consequences beforehand. Reconsider a punishment if your kid says that it’s too much. Tell Them to Check-In Give your kids autonomy if they show responsibility. Tell them to check-in at certain time of the day, if you feel necessary. Parents can also use a smartphone monitoring software for their kids’ phones. This intrusion-free tracking will make sure that your kid isn’t lying to you about their location. Recommended For You:    Employee Monitoring Software – Spy Employees Remotely Discuss Risks Many parents worry that their kids will experiment with drugs or alcohol. Tell them the risks associated with indulgences such as this. Explain to them why they are unsuitable. Make a Game Plan Sit with your kids and discuss with them how to tackle different inappropriate situations. Whether it’s bullying at school or some other potentially unsafe situation, premeditation will make them more conscious of an anomalous scenario. Don’t Interrogate, Keep the Door Open Make casual conversation with your kids a part of the daily routine. Don’t interrogate but discuss. Show them that you are interested in listening to them. How was your day? How was the date? Share tidbits of your day so to get them started. Your Kids Should Feel Guilty It’s healthy that your kids feel good about themselves but if they have hurt someone or done something bad, let them feel guilty. It’s important! Stand-Up As Your Kids’ Role Model Always remember, your kids follow your footsteps. You are their first role model and your actions are crucial in shaping their behavior and attitudes. Help your kids attain good moral standards by reflecting it through you. Recommended for you: Instagram Personalities Are Not Real Models for Kids Online Parenting Shouldn’t Be Frowned Upon SMS Tracking Was My Foot Through the Door to the World of Digital Parenting  

Teenage Kids
Child Monitoring

5 Practical Safety Tips for Parents and Teenagers this Prom 2015

/

So, Prom Night is just around the corner. For a lot of teenagers, it is a milestone they’ve been waiting for throughout school. For parents, they might as well never get to it at all. Because well, teenagers don’t exactly have the best track record. When you mix celebration with underage boozing, there’s not a lot of good that can come out of it. Look at these stats from Edgar Synder & Associates… I’m sure every parent would want their teen to have a safe and memorable night. Iron fist rules and boundaries would taint what should otherwise be something they’d always remember fondly. So we’re going to give you practical tips that you can actually apply. This way, both you and teenager can breathe easy. Communicate an Agenda for the Day First off, get into your best military discipline mentality and discuss an agenda. Plan the day out with your kids, talking about What group of friends they are going to prom with When do they expect to arrive at the venue Who is driving them to the venue/other places What other places do they plan to go Your parental monitoring app will come in handy because you’ll be able to track them and know where they are in real time. Discuss Dangers of Drinking and Driving Prom Night is notorious for being a forum for underage drinking. Around 90% students believe their friends will likely drink on the night at different parties. So, you’re going to have to find out what parties they are attending and if alcohol would be present there. You can use your monitoring app to read their WhatsApp messages and see what they have in store for the night. More importantly, discuss with them how careless and dangerous it is to drink and drive. And if they’re not drinking themselves, hitching a ride with a drunk friend is just as dangerous. Ask them to take care of their friends as well. Get Other Parents Involved Talk to other parents about the agenda their kids have for the day as well. Getting every parent in the know will be helpful because kids are less likely to indulge in risky behavior. Compare your safety notes with theirs. Encourage parents to tell their kids to look after their friends as well. Establish Boundaries It goes without saying, you are going to have to lay down some rules for your kids. Here are some that sound reasonable Respond to your texts anytime you try to contact them Stay away from parties where alcohol is available Be home by a certain time Volunteer Supervision A lot of school or venues ask for volunteers to help overlook prom night. Perhaps volunteering at your teen’s event would help put your mind at ease. However, you must know that to be a volunteer, you’ve not only got to be a chaperone, but know certain safety techniques, such as CPR as well. Another way you could volunteer supervision if not at school? You could have the after party at your place. You’ll be able to watch your kid and their friends closely, and in case anything goes wrong, you’ll be right there. And your kid could still have a good time.

Scroll to Top