The concept of "stranger danger" is certainly nothing new - it's a concept that parents have been warning their kids about for decades, if not centuries. By a certain age, every child knows not to get into a car with a stranger or accept a gift from someone they don't know. But the major challenge of this generation that their predecessors didn't have to worry about can be summed up in two powerful little words: the Internet.
While parents still need to ensure their children are aware of the potential danger of random strangers, there is an exponentially growing need to safeguard them digitally as well. Fortunately, new developments in tracking software is helping parents stay involved in their children’s lives and safeguarding them from the perils that await online.
Advancements in Tracking Technology
A number of solutions have been released in recent years that allow parents to not only keep a better eye over what their children are up to online, but to take steps to proactively protect them from danger at the same time. One of those options is Circle by Disney, an affordable device that allows complete visibility into every device on a home network.
Parents can execute category-based content filtering, can cut off Internet access at bedtime and can even pause Internet access entirely at the push of a button - all with one powerful little device. Everything is controlled from a simple mobile app, allowing you to parent the way you feel most comfortable with - even in the digital age.
Another viable option is KidGuard, a service that lets parents do everything from read their kids' text messages to monitor their current GPS location and more. Parents can stay on top of issues like cyber bullying, online predators and even teen depression in a non-invasive way, stepping in when they feel comfortable and staying away to preserve their kids' sense of privacy when they don't.
Options like these (and others) simply didn't exist ten years ago, but have long become one of the best ways for parents to stay in the loop and protect their kids in the digital era.
Online Safety Considerations
On the one hand, the Internet absolutely represents a potential danger to the safety and well-being of your kids. On the other hand, having access to the internet has become far more than a nice thing to have - it is almost vital to any child’s education and research abilities; lack of online and other computer-based skills can negatively affect their university and career prospects, as well as their ability to compete in whichever marketplace they choose to enter.
On top of this, the Internet itself is evolving rapidly - making it difficult for parents to keep up. Ten to fifteen years ago, it was much simpler to monitor children's online activity - it could be as simple as setting up a nanny program on your home PC and blocking access to certain types of online forums. Today, mobile technology and the prevalence of social media makes it significantly more difficult, and children are at greater risk than ever.
Monitoring children’s online activity needs to take a much more sophisticated approach, and allow for remote and mobile access.
The Privacy Factor
But what about privacy? Do your children not have a reasonable expectation of personal space and autonomy? Well, that depends on what they’re getting up to. For example, one in twenty teenagers admit that they have made secret meeting arrangements with someone they only know through online interactions, while a staggering half of teens admit that they have shared personal information with complete strangers online.
But strangers aren't the only issue that parents have to worry about online. An incredible (and unfortunate) 52% of teenagers say that they have experienced online bullying from their peers in the past, with girls much more susceptible than boys in that regard.
Options like the aforementioned Circle by Disney, KidGuard and others go a long way towards helping parents strike a delicate balance - giving them visibility into what their kids are experiencing in a way that allows them to preserve their sense of privacy at the same time.
Say, for example, you wanted to know exactly where your child was but calling and asking might make them feel like you don’t trust them. By utilizing tracking solutions like KidGuard or Circle by Disney you could easily check instantly from your phone - all without your child ever realizing it happened at all. Or if you're worried about cyber bullying, you could quickly search for keywords in their chat or text history - just enough to give yourself the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing when intervention is (or is not) merited.
In the End
Thanks to the break-neck pace at which technology continues to advance, preemptive monitoring might be the best approach to take to parenting in the digital age. Simply put, you need to be aware of what your child is doing, who they're talking to and where they are - no exceptions.
However, it's also hard work to strike that balance between too much insight and the autonomy that your kids desire.
Unobtrusive tracking solutions therefore become one of the best options parents have in trying to be as aware as possible. Always remember that taking steps to prevent a situation like cyber bullying, though it may be an uncomfortable topic to broach, is always better than trying to cure a problem once it has set in.
Protecting your kids on the Internet has never been more complicated, and it will only become more difficult as time goes on. Thanks to these new advances in tracking technology, however, you now have options you need when you need them the most.