Young people are glued to their computers, tablets and smartphones for longer than ever. Did you know that the amount of time kids spend using IoT devices nearly doubled because of the pandemic? Children are now in front of a screen for 7.7 hours a day, on average—a huge jump from an estimated 3.8 hours before COVID-19.
As a parent, you’re probably wondering: What are your kids doing online? What kind of content are they consuming? How do you keep them safe?
The good news is that you can use Child Safety App to keep an eye on how your children are using IoT technology. But first, it’s important to understand what threats affect kids who go online these days.
- Phishing – Some hackers specifically target children, enticing them to click on links that lead to malicious websites or open compromise attachments. These cybercriminals lurk in websites and social media platforms that are popular with kids.
- Posting private information – It’s very easy for kids to inadvertently post personal pictures, videos, and information like their school and home address online, especially on social media platforms.
- Cyber predators – Pedophiles are stalking and grooming their victims by interacting with them in multiplayer video games, chat apps, and social media.
- Cyberbullying – With school lessons moving online, cyberbullying has become more rampant. Cyberbullies may send, post, or share false/negative information about your children with the intention of humiliating or embarrassing them.
Threats faced by different age groups
Kids of different ages are exposed to different types of online threats.
- Children 2 to 4 years old often get their first experience of going online and interacting with IoT devices at this stage. It’s very easy for them to stumble into inappropriate content.
- Children 4 to 7 years of age usually start exploring the internet on their own. It’s important for parents to restrict their access only to appropriate content.
- Kids 7 to 10 years old start to become more social, looking outside the family unit for information and validation. Aside from encouraging their kids to pursue interests outside of the digital world, parents also need to start monitoring and limiting their screen time.
- Older kids 10 to 14 years old will start to demand more independence. They might start using online chats to communicate with friends—and sadly, even strangers. This is the time to set rules on acceptable online behavior.
- Teens 14 to 17 years old are old enough to understand that they need to be vigilant when using IoT devices. Their online interactions may start to extend to the real world, so they need to be able to exercise good judgment in every situation. An Android parental control app will allow you to discreetly monitor your teen’s activities while giving them the freedom to grow into responsible adults.
Parental control features to help keep your kids to safe
If you’re thinking of using a parental control app to protect your kids from the threads of the digital world, be sure to look for these two essential features:
- Location tracking – Choose an Android parental control app with location monitoring and geofencing features. It should allow you to determine where your children are exactly at any given time so you can come to their rescue should they get into trouble. Geofencing features allow you to set geographical boundaries. You will be alerted right away if there is a boundary breach.
- Usage monitoring – The best free child tracking app can generate reports showing how your children are using their IoT devices—what websites they visit, what apps they use, and how much time they spend on them. This will allow you to intervene if they are accessing inappropriate content or spending way too much time staring at their screens.
Child Safety App has both features and more. It even has an emergency alarm button that your children can quickly press if they are in distress, making the app blare out a loud alarm to notify adults nearby.
Download the Child Safety App for FREE.
