It is no secret that we live in a technology driven world. Raising a child in a world, where the world is at their finger tips can be a challenge and the ability to shield your child from inappropriate content becomes more and more difficult. However, it is so important, as parents, that we monitor what our children are accessing on their mobile devices and prevent access to sites, games, music and content that is not appropriate for their age.
Helpful Tips
- Create "Device Free Zones" - Make a rule that devices are not allowed at the breakfast or dinner table. Maybe implement a 30-minutes family chat time before bedtime.
- Limit Screen time - set a limit to how much time your child is allowed to spend in front of a screen each day. Screen time includes time spent on phones, tablets, and TVs.
- Monitor their chats, games, and music - Periodically look at the games and music your child has downloaded. If you allow your child to utilize the chat feature in apps, monitor who they are chatting with and what is being discussed.
- Utilize child friendly apps - instead of allowing your child to download apps which would possibly expose them to inappropriate content, check to see if a child friendly version is available. For example, instead of downloading "YouTube", download "YouTube Kids".
- Interact with your child - there is no better way to monitor what your child is doing on their mobile device than to interact with them. Play the games with them, listen to their music and (if your child has a social media account) follow their account.
- Block your child's personal content on social media and game accounts - your child's personal information should NEVER be shared over social media or in apps. If you personal information is required for an app, use your own. You can also check to see what protection is available.
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Parental Controls for
iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch Apple's parental controls allow you to block or limit specific apps. It also allows you to block explicit music or content. |
Parental Controls for
Android Devices Control what content is downloaded and played on Google Play. |