We live in a world where social media has become our everyday life. We all spend a lot of time behind our laptops and smartphones, absorbing loads of information. Although the Internet and social media have their positive sides, we now want to take a look at the negative ones, because they are becoming a huge problem today.
The use of social media is harmful and dangerous for adults, and it is much more for children. Children use social media in excess and don’t understand. For them, all this is fun and entertainment, but more and more often nowadays children come into situations that can be very dangerous, and also harmful to their mental state. We believe that the safety of our children must be tracked, so their mental health doesn’t get affected in silence. We must, as parents, protect them at all costs.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying involves all those activities that happen online that aim to provoke negative emotions in another person: anger, fear, sadness, worry, or something else. It is characteristic of such actions that they are repeated and carried out intentionally. They can include posting embarrassing photos, sending inappropriate messages, spreading negative rumors about another person, etc.
Cyberbullying has become very common. Nowadays, everyone has the right to express their opinion. However, people often abuse this right and make very negative, offensive comments to other people online. The fact that everything happens in the virtual world makes the whole process easier for attackers, because they can always hide behind a fake profile. However, the emotions that such comments, attacks and insults evoke in children are very real. And they can lead to endangering the child's health and lasting negative consequences.
Track your child’s phones to make sure they are not victims of bullying. People are quick to body shame, write sadistic comments and make remarks that might hurt your child’s mental state. Using phone spy technology helps to make sure your child has not become a victim in the mad world of social media.
We agree that there is a fine line between being a responsible parent and violating a child’s privacy. But as long as you approach it objectively and with the sole purpose of protecting your child, you have nothing to hesitate about. Every parent should be aware of what content their child consumes while online. If you notice even the slightest sign that something is wrong, it is crucial to react right away. This way you will prevent a certain situation from going too far and seriously harming your child.
Identity theft
Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a large number of people to draw a clear line between their personal, private and online lives. Most of them are more and more free to share information about their lives in public, without thinking that someone can misuse it. We don't think you should become paranoid and hide every little information about yourself. However, it is certainly advisable to carefully filter the information you are going to take out there to prevent some dangerous situations. This is especially important to teach your children if you want to prevent anything negative from happening to them.
Children, without thinking, put content related to their personal lives—anything from having a pet to their address or phone number. Everyone does that, so why shouldn’t they too. After all, this kind of information can help them attract more people and make new friends. However, on the other hand, there are not only those who wish them well. Social predators or identity thieves thrive on such information. They’re gaining information served with a few clicks on the social media pages.
Talk to your children about such dangers as it can lead to an unwanted result. Children in most cases are simply unaware that their actions that seem so innocent may have a very negative outcome. And that is why it is necessary for you as a parent to educate them in time. Using the spy phone app helps you keep track of your child’s activities. Children make mistakes and learn from them. Sometimes, it gets too late and you, as parents, can make sure it doesn’t happen at all.
Phishing
Most of us find ourselves in a situation to ‘win’ the award because we are Google’s millionth visitor. All it takes to pick up the prize and agree to the terms is to click the ‘OK’ button. It seems so simple. We, as adults who have already met many times with this attempt at fraud, know that we should not fall for it.
Another great example is the following: Chandler, in the hit show FRIENDS, clicked on an email he received on Ross’ computer. It installed a virus on the computer that deleted files on the hard disk. It’s the truth. Adults understand through multiple warnings from every source not to click on such files or go to a link that says you’ve won a lottery. Do our kids? Online predators and many hackers created such malware and viruses, so they could gain access to sensitive information. And it’s all very carefully packaged, so it doesn’t give the impression that anything bad is hiding behind it. But the truth is completely different. We must help our children understand they shouldn’t click on such links.
You can:
- 1. Browse with them and study harmful links and websites that are dangerous.
Show them a few examples of such websites and point out the main features that will help them understand that something is wrong. Just as we teach children not to take candies from strangers on the street, we also need to educate them on how to avoid ‘candies’ online.
- 2. Ensure they feel safe to approach you to ask about a link that looks suspicious, and explain why they can or can’t click on it.
One of the main things in this whole process is to make sure that your child trusts you. What does this mean? Even though you may be afraid for your child's safety, this does not mean that you should have any sudden reactions. Or worse, to yell at your child. It is important to create a secure base for them to communicate, so that they know that they can always consult with you if they are in doubt or do not feel safe.
It is also important to thoroughly explain to them why it is not a good idea to click on that link and what it can lead to. Kids just want to understand, so that’s exactly what you need to provide for them.
- 3. Gain more knowledge yourself by reading such articles to learn more, so much that it becomes intuition.
Are you educated enough on all these topics? This is the first question you should ask yourself as a parent who cares for their child and wants to know more about what happens while they are in their online world. Every parent wants only the best for their child, but do you really know what is best for them? That is a completely different topic.
You are probably right in most cases when you’re reacting to something your kid is going through online. And this is the part when you need to explain to a child what they may or may not tolerate. But you may sometimes exaggerate, and not be aware of it, because you are not well versed in the subject. To prevent this, we suggest that you educate yourself on this topic in time. Read articles about cyberbullying, consult with experts and try to be as objective as possible. Lastly, make sure you have all the communication skills and know how to explain to your children why something is dangerous for them and how they can protect themselves.
- 4. Try using a spy phone app.
If you need additional confirmation that your child is following your instructions and staying out of trouble online, a good idea is to consider getting a phone spy app. This is a great tool that will give you an insight into what your child is doing online and whether they are a victim of cyberbullying.
Once again, this does not mean that you should violate your child's privacy and use the app to gather information from the child's life just because you are curious. This is not right and we advise you not to allow yourself such actions. But if you suspect something is wrong, it’s a good idea to have this kind of help to reveal to you if there’s something you need to do to protect your child.
Everything You Wanted to Know about Online Child Safety Laws in your State
The tenets of online child safety laws are rooted in the federal law COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) of 1998. The act was enacted on 21st October 1998 and came into force on 21st April 2000.
What is COPPA?
The law defines children as any person below the age of 13 residing within the geographical boundaries of the USA or children of US citizens living anywhere in the world. This specifically pertains to the gathering of personal data of a child by any establishment or individuals that come under the jurisdiction of the US.
The portals that violate the content can be easily filtered by parents using gadgets and advanced software solutions.
Responsibilities of Parents and Websites
The law applies to the branch of a US entity functioning in another nation too. The act has specific regulations on the below activities:
- i. The content of a website's privacy policy.
- ii. The mode of operation for requesting approval from a parent or a guardian. It may be verified later.
- iii. Onus on the part of the website to safeguard the personal data of a child available with it.
- iv. Limitations for advertising children online by the website.
Millions of responsible parents use technology to protect their children. These spy phone apps provide the following services on your smartphones:
- a. Remote viewing of contacts to know who all are communicating with your child.
- b. Real-time location of the child.
- c. Reverse phone lookup to know who the contact is.
- d. The panic button feature allows the child to send SOS messages.
- e. The phone recovery feature aids in locating the phone in case of theft or loss.
Compliance by New Jersey Establishments Receiving Funding for Internet Access
All schools that receive E-rate funding should certify that it has placed all stipulated online safety measures to protect children. The same applies to public libraries too, and they need to put into practice content filtering guidelines.
CIPA and Certification by Schools
The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was passed by Congress in December 2000. The law aims to make it the responsibility of the educational institutions to apply filters using technology to block certain content from entering their computers and devices. Under the law, schools should certify that they have put these blocks in place and have a policy that ensures effective supervision of online activities by children.
Is the Law Applicable to the Systems used Only by Adults?
Yes. All computers within the library and school premises, whether used exclusively by an adult or not, come under the purview of the act. The people who use computers can include:
- i. Members of the public.
- ii. Employees.
- iii. Administrators of the institution.
All online child safety laws require successful implementation by adults. These laws should be put into the best practice at homes. There are many efficient spy phone apps that will enable you to monitor your child to ensure his or her safety. The phone spy technology is a boon for busy parents who worry about the dangers of the internet.
Final Words
The dangers of social media are grave. It doesn’t mean that your children shouldn’t be allowed to use them. Social media has its benefits too. It always helps if you’re aware and you learn about the benefits and dangers. Technology is great if we use it well. Try our spy phone app and protect your child. It’s easy to uninstall too.