We Know You Better! Parents (Article #2)

We Know You Better! Parents

Oscar Smith, Publisher May 26, 2021

PRIVACY IS FOR ADULTS—According to Nielson Research Group, society spends 121 billion minutes per month on social media. The largest users are age 13-17 and account for more traffic than all other segments combined. It would be impossible for you to monitor everything your child sees online; however, you should always have full access to all your child’s social media and internet activity.

Not sure where to start? There are a few programs that will help you monitor your child’s web and social media activity. There are hundreds of options, but we’ve found some that work well for parents on-the-go.

• QUSTODIO— can monitor up to 15 devices. Can also monitor & block text/SMS messages. Allows parents to monitor from their PC, Phone, or tablet.
• NETNANNY— Net Nanny’s award-winning technology filters, monitors, and blocks unsafe materials while allowing kids access to the Internet. Supports multiple platforms including Windows, MAC, Android, and iOS.
• SET BOUNDARIES—You should establish clear and consistent rules regarding the use of social media and the web for your child. The rules for usage should establish what you as the parent consider “ACCEPTABLE” and “UNACCEPTABLE” behavior online. We also strongly suggest you establish a time schedule and limit their activity to only those times you’ve established. Don’t let your child sleep with the device(s) in their room. You should have a designated charging station in your home for all devices that you can monitor and access. During the docking and charging times, is the best time for you to Troll & Scroll. Troll & Scroll is when you log in to your child’s device to see what and where they’ve been online. The best place to start in in their browser history.

Not sure how to access the browser history?

KNOW THEIR PASSWORDS— This may seem like a no-brainer, but we must mention this. Knowing their email password isn’t enough. You should know EVERY account ID and password. Test them regularly. Don’t take it for granted that it’s the same for all their accounts. If you can’t access the account, make them log in and give you their password. If all else fails, confiscate their devices and suspend their use. Internet service providers like Xfinity/Comcast offer services that can block all internet browsing on your home servers. Contact them for more information.

BEWARE OF GHOST/VAULT APPS

There are a couple of ways to identify if your child is hiding their social media apps from you — several of them are apps themselves! Here’s some info we found on TeenSafe.com

• POOF is an app that you need to be familiar with because it allows teens to make apps, they don’t want others to see, disappear. Although this app is no longer available, your child may still have it and use it. Also, similar apps are created regularly, so it’s a good idea to search online periodically for newer apps with these capabilities and see if your child has downloaded any of them.
• VAULTY is an app for Android phones that allows you to create a password-protected ‘Vault” in which media such as photos and videos can be hidden away from the main image gallery. Vaulty will also take a picture of any person who tries to access the Vault with the wrong password.
• HIDE IT PRO is like Vaulty but is available for both Android and iPhone smartphones. It allows you to hide media, and the app itself is disguised as an audio manager. Visit TeenSafe.com

Special Presentation (3)  we’ll tackle how to address pranks, challenges videos, and posts. Above all, we must absolutely maintain our power as the parent. Protecting our children is a great responsibility. Using these tips can help you protect our babies as they explore social media and technology. HIP Champaign Local Begins Here!

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