Overview: According to one survey, 73 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds reported having been victims of school bullying in their lifetimes, and 34 percent have experienced cyberbullying. Thirty-two percent of respondents reported bullying others. This article discusses behavioral changes that may signal that a teen is being harassed or harassing others online and what parents can do to stop or prevent online bullying. Cyberbulling Definition: When someone repeatedly threatens, harasses, mistreats, or makes fun of another person (on […]
Remote Monitoring
21 posts
Overview: Teens who regularly use online platforms should be careful about what they post. Many types of online activity can work against them when they’re ready to apply to colleges or get that first full-time job. Parents can help their teens understand that most online activity is permanent, even if they delete every questionable post on their platforms. There are steps teens can take to clean up their social media presence, but it’s nearly impossible to […]
If you have a teenager who has a cell phone, you’re probably accustomed to seeing them taking a selfie, texting rapidly to their friends, or laughing at a video that someone has shared with them. This is the way that most teens communicate with their friends and peers in the digital age. However, while there’s nothing wrong with innocent texts, selfies, and videos, all of this digital communication does have a darker side. Cell phones […]
Over the years, the iPhone has added more and more features that are appealing to adults and children alike. However, amid a growing perception that too many teens have become addicted to their phones, apps, and unfettered internet access, Apple has received backlash for enabling teens’ excessive smartphone use. Apple has responded with new parental monitoring features and options, but are these features really the best choice for parents? Do they go far enough in […]
Teens can make positive use of their phones, but they’ll always need guidance. Nothing about teens is “set it and forget it,” and that’s especially true of teens and their smartphones. Even if your future adult is well-behaved and never breaks the rules, and even with parental control apps keeping an eye on the big picture stuff, the developers behind the apps they love may have different ideas about what “the rules” are. Here’s how to […]
Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that occurs over digital devices. This can be anything from a smartphone to a computer. Through these devices, cyberbullying can take place via text message, SMS, social media platforms, apps, or gaming forums where people can openly share content. Cyberbullying often involves posting, sending or sharing harmful and negative content about the person who is being targeted. This can include sharing private information that can serve to humiliate or […]
Free apps and digital games can provide hours of entertainment for kids. And while you don’t want them to spend too much time absorbed in their screens, it can be convenient to have that kind of entertainment available while you’re busy cooking dinner or when you need your child to be entertained during a long drive. At least, it can be convenient until you end up with a huge bill that you weren’t expecting. But […]
Teens seem to be geniuses and can absorb technology at a far faster rate than their parents. For parents, this can be quite scary as there are plenty of people trying to take advantage of naïve teens online. There are obvious dangers of your teen talking to a predator that wants to harm them physically. Teaching your teens about never meeting someone they met online without a parent present is important. Plenty of online friendships/relationships […]
As technology continues to evolve, many systems are being developed in order to track and monitor family communications and activity. These systems monitor family member activity, detect suspicious activity, and immediately alert you of results. Thousands of families around the world have noted this technologies ability to identify cyber-bullying, online predators, suicide prevention, inappropriate or unfaithful behavior. For a relatively low-investment and simple installation process you can equip these systems to monitor the digital activity […]
Boredom is nothing to be afraid of. These strategies can help parents help their teens learn to deal with boredom without resorting to smartphone use.
If your teen is like many of their peers, they probably spend every spare minute with their smartphone in hand, texting and messaging, talking, playing games, or scrolling through social media apps. Do you ever wonder if anyone else is paying attention to what your teen is doing with all that time they spend on their phone? The answer to that question is probably yes. Take a look at some of the ways your teen’s […]
Many parents have concerns about their children’s screen use, and especially with how young children are when they first start using screens these days. These concerns motivate many parents to put limits on when and how their children can use screens, starting very early in life – even in the preschool and toddler years. However, as children get older, parents tend to relax those limits, and many parents find that once their child reaches the […]
Once you’ve decided that it’s time to allow your teen to have a smartphone, the next question is, which phone? Your teen likely has some ideas, probably based on what kinds of phones their friends are using or what features they want. You may have some ideas yourself, based on price or the limits of your existing phone plan. But one question you shouldn’t forget to ask yourself is this: which phone is safer? Which […]
Many parents of teens feel that once their teens get a smartphone, the device quickly becomes almost a new part of their bodies. Some teens seem constantly glued to a screen, even when they should be sleeping, eating, or studying. And unless you’re constantly looking over their shoulders, it can be hard to know what exactly teens are doing on those screens. How do teens really use their phones, and what should you be doing […]
For teens, getting a driver’s license and the keys to the car for the first time can be an exhilarating experience. Many teens see the ability to drive solo as an important rite of passage. Parents may also see driving as an important milestone for their teen, but it’s often a frightening one as well. It’s well known that inexperienced teen drivers are more likely to have accidents than most other groups of drivers. There […]