How to Monitor My Kids Phone to Protect Them?

For the past many years, technology has gone beyond our control and has also improved many aspects of our lives. But with its advantages come many risks. According to the latest research, about 76% of the parents are worried about their kids’ online safety and are concerned about the possible dangers that the kids face when they go online.

Kids are now growing up with technology and parents are finding the best possible ways to limit their use and make it more productive and less risky for them. With so many sources of information and entertainment flooding on the internet, there is an ever-increasing threat that makes children an easy target for the wrong sort of activities. That’s why being a parent, you should know ‘how to monitor my kid's phone.’

Tips to Improve Your Kid's Online Safety

There are plenty of things that you can do to keep your kid safe and protected from online dangers and threats. Here some of them briefly explained:

·Educate Your Kid About Online Threats

When you are providing them internet access and a smartphone, it is your responsibility to educate them about the possible threats that they are going to face. They are kids and this new internet world is a wonder for them. They might want to explore every corner of it, let them enjoy it. But, alongside that, keep them educated about what could be the threats there and how they can identify those threats.

Kids need to be able to identify the suspicious activity or invitation that might seem glittery but is a trap. The more you talk openly about it, the more they will be able to understand what is dangerous and what is not.

·Be Patient and Listen to Them

Staying online all the time and keeping a check on the activities your kids are performing can be daunting. Moreover, you cannot just know where the conversation is going and who is there with bad intentions. You might be judging their account from your perspective whereas they want you to know what they feel.

So, let them teach you. Listen to them about what they know about social media platforms. They will tell you about the latest features and the fun parts of using those platforms. Since they are using it now, they might know something that you don’t. So, listen to them when they are trying to tell you something.

·Install Antivirus Software On Their Devices

Kids are really curious about things. They might find something glittery and get on with it without thinking for another second. One click can take them to malicious viruses and websites that might corrupt their device.

So, install good antivirus software from a reliable company on their devices and educate them about its importance. Install the one that offers automatic updates, scanning engines, etc.

·Do Not Connect to Unsecured Wi-Fi Networks Outside the House

Your children might be safe at home, but with so many Wi-Fi connections available outside, are they safe outside the house? They might go outside and connect to any connection they find in the first place. Do they know if those connections are safe?

Make sure their smartphones are protected with some antivirus software so that their device is protected from any security breaches and exploits.

·Online Habits Have Consequences

A very important thing to teach them is that whatever they do online, it has real-time consequences. They are kids, they might do something due to peer pressure, share inappropriate pictures and stuff with each other, and try to explore the internet through all the ways possible. If they are not taught well in the very first place, they might not take care of their actions.

So, teach them that they shouldn’t share inappropriate stuff on these platforms that they might regret later in life. Whatever they do online stays there forever and there is nothing that anyone can do about it. So, it is better to be careful from the very start.

·Sharing Personal Information

Online predators are all over the internet and they are in the search of the kids who could be easily trapped in their trick. Once they make good communication, they start asking personal questions. Kids being enthusiastic start sharing private information with these strangers that can cause real trouble for them.

They must be taught from the very start that how they can keep their information private and that they can’t share that information with anyone over the internet. This is something that children often forget when they are in this glittery world where they meet new strangers who are nice to them. But, there have been many cases where those strangers have caused real harm after extracting personal information from the kids.

·Monitor My Kid's Phone

It is wise to keep monitoring your kids’ phones. You can keep an eye on their social media accounts and manage their screen time as well. Several parental control apps let you monitor your kid's phone with the best features.

While keeping an eye on their social media accounts and their activities, you can see if they are being trapped in any sort of danger or not. You can set some limits to their internet usage for their betterment. There are things that they might not be able to sense, but you can know them.

That’s why it is better to use a parental control app like SecureTeen to keep yourself updated on their activities. When anything wrong happens, you can jump in and help them manage the issue in a better way. This way, they will also learn how to manage such situations.

Also, keep them in your confidence so that they can share anything with you. They should be confident enough to share any sort of stress with you so that you can help them. Keep the communication open and listen to them whenever they have something to say. Kids want to be understood more than managed. So, let them confide in you and earn their trust.

Reference links:

https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/internet-safety-for-kids-10-actionable-tips/

https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-awareness/protect-your-children-online/

https://www.secureteen.com/parental-control/parental-control-internet