In the olden days of land lines and family desktop computers, it was a lot easier for parents to monitor their children’s online activity, and to know who they were talking to. Now with the ubiquity of smartphones, children can carry the Internet in their pocket and communicate with friends 24/7. Along with these new technologies comes a variety of new parenting challenges–from sexting to porn sites to cyberbullying. In fact, 43% of children say they have been bullied online, but fewer than half of children say they would alert a parent if they were being cyberbullied.
It can be difficult to address these issues, especially if you don’t even know they exist. Luckily, there are variety of apps and online services that can help parents keep their children safe on their mobile devices and online.With features that allow parents to read their children’s text messages, monitor Facebook and Instagram accounts, and even see how frequently their kids correspond with certain contacts, these can help parents engage in productive conversations with their children about their mobile and online activity.
“If we can start this product early, we can still have the conversation with our child,” says parenting expert and author Dr. Michele Borba of the WebSafety app, which can alert parents to inappropriate activity in real time. Once children become teens and begin to pull away from their parents, “we can use this as an incredible conversation piece with our children as we help them,” Borba adds.
Ameeta Jain, parent and creator of the TeenSafe service mobile and web monitoring service, emphasizes that TeenSafe is specifically for minors–and is intended to “empower parents to parent.” TeenSafe, Jain says, was created for parents to use out of a place of “love, compassion, and respect.” “It’s not spying,” she adds.
We’ve rounded up a few of the latest and most sophisticated mobile and web monitoring and tracking services, so that when you hand your child that iPhone 6 he’s been coveting, you can do so with peace of mind.
TeenSafe is an online monitoring tool that allows parents to track their children’s online and iPhone or Android phone activity. By creating a TeenSafe account, parents can access their child’s mobile activity, without jail-breaking the phone, by logging in through teensafe.com. TeenSafe allows parents to see all Facebook and Instagram activity, as well as incoming, outgoing and deleted text messages, web browsing history, contacts, call logs, and location, as well as activity on WhatsApp and Kik. Free week trial available; $14.95 per month, teensafe.com
Web Safety is an app that helps parents to monitor a child’s Android phone, internet, social media and texting activity. The app has been specifically designed to alert parents to incidences of cyberbullying and inappropriate behavior. For example, parents can set real-time alerts for certain words or phrases in text messaging, and the app provides detailed descriptions of any recently downloaded apps. WebSafety can also provides parents with reports of a child’s daily, weekly, or monthly phone activity. Prices start at $3.99 per month for one device, websafety.com
With real-time tracking through phone GPS, as well as a Driver Safety feature which will send an alert if the phone user is texting or browsing the web while driving, Snap Secure allows everyone in the family to travel safely. Snap Secure also has a feature that allows you to set “safe zones,” and alerts you when a phone user has moved out of a a designated safe zone, as well as call and text monitoring. The service can be accessed by phone, computer, or tablet, and is compatible with Apple, Android, and Windows devices. Unlimited device, six person family plans for $4.99 per month, $49.99 annually, snapsecure.com
MyMobile Watchdog is an app for monitoring a child’s iPhone or Android phone activity. The app instantly notifies parents when unauthorized emails, text messages, photos or calls are received by your child. You can also see where your child is located through the GPS function, block certain websites and apps, and see your child’s synced contact list in real time. A time-use blocking feature is also available on this app too, allowing you to minimize your kid’s screen time before bed. Free trial available, $4.96 per month, mymobilewatchdog.com
