It’s no secret that technology has changed our world. The internet
and smartphones have brought us closer together and given us access to
information that would have been unthinkable before. It’s great, but there’s
also some not so great stuff on the internet, especially for kids. Even though
our son is not old enough yet to have his own phone, I’m already thinking about
how to introduce him to all the good stuff technology can give us, while
keeping him from the harmful stuff as much as possible. A friend of mine
recommended the phone monitoring service TeenSafe and after giving
it a look, it seems like a really good option for keeping kids safe. I
wanted to give a quick rundown of the service for those interested.
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Message and call features
One of the big things I worry about with smartphones is that our son
will come into contact with the wrong kind of people.
It’s sad but true that there are plenty of people online who are seeking to
prey on unsuspecting children. After they’ve established a relationship of
trust, they’ll often move communications to text messaging to achieve their
goals. The monitoring service allows parents to see both received and sent
texts and even gives access to deleted texts. It also gives access to phone
call logs to see incoming and outgoing calls.
The service also gives parents the ability to view messages sent via
third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp and Kik. This can be really useful
because a lot of times people will prefer to not use texts as apps can provide
more anonymity. Monitoring these types of communications can give another line
of defense against unwanted contact.
Location tracking
This is another important one for me. As my son takes more and more
steps towards independence, I want to support him while also knowing that he is
safe. Being able to view his location, and a map of where he’s been, allows me
to know that he’s not getting into trouble. If I see he’s in an unknown place
or a place he shouldn’t be, it would be an opportunity to chat with him about
the importance of communication and respecting boundaries.
Website history viewing
I want my son to explore the world and a big part of that
exploration can come from exploring the internet, which I support. But
realistically there are a lot of websites that I don’t want my son seeing, as
they can have explicit content. Being able to see what sites he’s visiting
again provides an opportunity to talk about what he’s viewing and to make sure
he’s keeping his online exploration as safe as can be expected.
Using a phone monitoring service can be a really great tool for
parents who want to encourage their kids to use technology in a safe and
productive way. After checking out its features and reviews, TeenSafe is the one I’ll be
using when the time comes. If you’re worried about the potential harm that
could come from access to technology, give the service a look and think about
if it may be right for you.
More about TeenSafe at www.teensafe.com/blog