parental control apps

Online Kids safety
Parenting Tips - New

Internet Safety for Children – 7 Proven Methods to Keep Kids Safe Online

Internet safety is a relevant discussion even with today’s kids. With the availability of technology, not only are kids exposed to a wealth of information and communication opportunities but also exposed to material considered dangerous and even illegal. In some cases, the issue can affect their well-being, while, in other cases, it may affect their mental health as they continue to roam free on the Internet. This article will help you find answers if you have questions on how to keep kids safe online and how children’s internet safety can be improved. What Problems are Present on The Internet Currently? Computer safety for kids is a complex topic due to the risks attached to online surfing. Even kids younger than eighteen are freely allowed to surf the web. It is therefore highly possible to get exposed to issues such as cyberbullying, sexting, and even identity theft through the Internet. But online safety for kids should be everyone’s priority that can be made easier if you know the problems that come with it. So let’s take a look at the dangers present on the internet. These are: Let’s see how each of these affects kids, particularly their mental health and physical well-being. a. Cyberbullying Cyberbullying is a form of harassment done through electronic or digital media, including email, texts, voice messages, social media posts, etc. And the toxic culture of social media is to be blamed for it. Because anyone can seek the name of someone they don’t like and message them by making a phony profile, social media is one of the main causes of cyberbullying. Additionally, they can single out a specific person and comment on their appearance, physique, etc. People who struggle with body image and lack confidence should avoid these comments and threatening communications because they could reinforce their unfavorable opinions of themselves. It all starts to make sense if you look at the stats and realize just how prevalent cyberbullying has gotten over the last few years. b. Inappropriate Content Inappropriate content includes the following: Inappropriate content is one of the leading threats posed by the Internet to kids simply because of its abundance. Violent and sexual content can severely impact a child’s mental development as their minds are still developing, and such content can cause distress and wreak emotional havoc. Offensive language, racist remarks, hate speech and violent or sexual imagery can be especially devastating to kids because kids are sensitive to their environment and highly impressionable. More than 55% of tweens (kids aged 10–12) have been exposed to violent content on the internet, and almost 60% have come across adult content that includes sexual texts and images. c. Fake News The internet, especially social media is a primary source of false information in today’s society, due to its ability to reach so many individuals. Social media serves as a haven for false assertions and unsupported claims. As most social media platforms cannot fully control what gets posted, it is hard to stop fake news from spreading like wildfire. Kids reading fake information will most likely take it at face value and when others try to correct them, they will become defensive and won’t believe them. This causes confusion and mistrust and can push kids down the road of conspiracy theories and false rhetoric. d. Online Predators Online predators are quite common on the Internet. Online predators are adults who want to gain sexual favors from kids or exploit them for entertainment. And anyone who is not an adult can be a victim of online predators because they are good at hiding their motives and intentions behind a veil of lies and deceit. Girls make up the majority (78%) of young victims of online luring, whereas males make up the majority (82%) of online predators. And the scariest bit of all, 98% of online predators have never actually met the kids they prey on. It is terrifying because anyone can become a victim of these individuals. So what can parents do to improve children’s online safety? 7 Safety Tips For Parents To Keep Their Kids Safe Online Follow these tips to know how to keep kids safe online. 1. Minimize The Time Your Kids Spend Online Limiting your children’s use of their phones is one of the best methods to keep them off the internet. The majority of global online traffic is generated by smartphones. And 54% of all web traffic in the fourth quarter of 2021 came from mobile devices. Therefore, setting limits on how much time they spend on their phones is a good idea. Establishing time zones during which children can use their smartphones to browse the Internet will keep them under supportive eyes. This strategy allows parents to track how frequently kids use their phones. Arrange some activities on the weekends, such as picnics or pop trivia nights. It will help pass the time and take your thoughts off of the Internet. It helps kids become less dependent on their devices and instead participate in physical activity or spend time with the family. 2. Teach Kids Better Online Safety Social media has become a must-have for kids and teens. They use it for their daily communication, sharing funny posts, and keeping updated with current events. Talk to your children about good social media habits and online practices. Encourage them to be aware of their feelings before, during, and after using social media. Talk about how they’re feeling, whether it’s good or bad. You can assist them with resolving issues, setting social media limits, and utilizing privacy and content filtering capabilities. Teach them the ropes, lead by example and show what kind of content you post online and what security settings you use. So let’s help kids stay safe online by becoming more empathetic to their woes. 3. Use Parental Control Apps Monitoring apps are helpful since they offer a wide range of capabilities that can keep kids safe in several situations. They provide kids with online safety tools that parents

Digital parenting
Everything Else - New

Competing With A Screen For Your Kids’ Time? Battle It Out The Smart Way!

Have you seen your kids panic when they can’t locate their cellphone on their beds? Are your kids the kind to open their eyes to social media even before they get up to brush their teeth? Have you seen your kids lose their calm when they encounter the slightest of problems on their phones? If you answered yes, keep reading. I will tell you why and how you can limit screen time. While digital technology may have a lot of wonders to offer, we know that not everything that glitters is gold. And while parents want the best for their kids, they don’t want to see them absorbing harmful and damaging content.  An average person spends about 2–4 hours on their phone. For teenagers who have just hit puberty, it’s about a whopping 9 hours or more. You will often see them tapping, typing, and swiping on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Snapchat as they share every living moment of their lives on platforms open to all kinds of discourse. There was a time when our conversations started with an in-person greeting, but that time seems long gone. From the moment we wake up to the moment we close our eyes before bed, we are staring at our screens. Are there times you feel disoriented even in the presence of your loved ones? That is the power of digital reality. The hyper-social environments that these apps provide often come at a cost that has only recently become apparent. And as bad as it sounds, social media apps have become the kind we thrive on for some social stimuli, some validation. Be it a “like” or a “heart” reaction on an IG story or even a positive message from a loved one, or the very opposite; for instance, a degrading remark, hate mail, or nasty name-calling. What’s concerning is the increase in the number of teenagers falling into anxiety and depression, losing interest in other activities, sleeping less, compulsively spending time online, missing out on positive connections necessary to keep their heads above water, and worse, contemplating suicide. That is your cue to be more cautious of what your teens do online and effectively prevent these challenges from aggravating and causing irreparable damage. Do you think you know your child best? You have faith your kid is doing just fine, though they may seem detached. You worry; you think your kid needs some space which you will naturally let them take anyway. If this sounds like you, I have an interesting proposition for you. How about a social experiment? Get to know your child on a personal level. Picture this: a movie night in the comfort of your lounge, cozied up on the couch with your kids’ favorite snacks on the side table. The movie your kid picks will tell you the genre that interests them. The only rule that you, as a parent, will put forward is “no phones allowed during quality family time.” If at any time during the movie you see your kid is fidgety or not interested in keeping up and would rather watch it alone, this calls for concern. Why? Simply because, given the nature of the movie, they might feel uncomfortable watching it in the presence of parents but wouldn’t mind watching it alone or having a friend watch it with them. If the movie has some sexually explicit content and you see your kid grabbing for their cellphone and keeping themselves from watching those scenes with you, you should take notice. That is them expressing discomfort but sharing this supposed discomfort all too giddy with silly emojis with their friends’ group. Now, this might not happen at all, but it is possible knowing teenagers love to share every little detail of their lives. It doesn’t matter how illogical, boring, weird, or uninteresting it may be. It’s the reaction that matters to them. What’s worse during this age is that excitement and experiments could sometimes become too much to handle. Every now and then, there is news of teens falling victim to somebody’s malicious intentions online. Some even go so far as to lie to their parents, sneak behind their backs and meet with people they don’t personally know. Think about it. It’s not as if the process of growing up and hitting puberty and all that it comes with, is easy, to begin with. A cutesy text message here and there, a couple of compromising pictures once or twice, and boom! Your teenage daughter winds up pregnant or your son knocks someone up. Scary, right? Now, mindful monitoring is a good precautionary measure to take. For starters, you could have a serious talk on appropriate behaviour, get them counselled, or restrict their use of their cellphones altogether. But, remember, too many cooks end up spoiling the stew. Rather than hoping to see a positive change in your kids’ behaviour, you might just end up making it worse, causing your kids to be aggressive and rebellious. And you most certainly don’t want to tick them off, especially during this experimental phase. Instead, here’s what you can do: Managing work, kids, and other stresses can take a toll on your health. You don’t want your problems to reach the pinnacle, at which instead of assuming control over everything, you start to lose everything altogether. So, as a token of goodwill, I will recommend XNSPY to you. Opting for a good parental monitoring software will allow you to harbor good habits in your kids and raise independent, careful children who know what all the internet comprises. Yes, even its dark side. How can you appropriately monitor your kids’ screen time?  The content on the internet can mean different things, ranging from contact with online predators, scammers, and bullies to inappropriate content such as pornographic images and videos, violent attacks of assault, age-inappropriate language, and related malicious viruses. Many parents fear dealing with parental control software because they assume it requires expensive and expert technical knowledge. Thanks

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