It only takes one bad app: 5 tips for monitoring kids’ mobile devices

    Read reviews, parent guides and content advisories to make sure movies are age appropriate. Check out their friends and followers on social media for strangers. Teach them to be aware of their surroundings and not to put themselves in harm’s way.
    Parents and guardians have a full-time job of keeping their children safe, and the dangers are ever-changing. When it comes to internet usage — primarily on phones and tablets — the risks can be especially difficult to keep up with.
    Parents of young kids, don’t stop reading now; this isn’t a concern only for those with teens in the house. A recent study by Common Sense found that among children 8 and under, 42 percent have their own tablet device. In that same age group, kids are spending an average of 48 minutes a day on those mobile devices.
     Though it takes extra effort, there are five key areas to consider when monitoring a child’s mobile device usage.
    
Look for hidden apps
    Most adults have a working knowledge of which apps to definitely avoid. The trouble is, there are apps out there to hide what’s really there. A cursory look at the home screen might not reveal anything out of the ordinary, but that doesn’t mean all is clear.
    Every device is different, and there are countless apps out there to hide or disguise what’s really going on. If an ordinary-looking app gives a prompt to enter a password or PIN, dig deeper. Sometimes a calculator is not just a calculator.
    
Be aware of sexting
    Though sexting can happen with even the most basic text messaging feature on a cellphone, there are certain apps that make it more enticing to young users. With apps like Snapchat, kids might be persuaded to send nude photos thinking it’s safe since they “disappear.”
    Such apps can be used for regular communication, but their presence might indicate it’s time for a conversation with a child about responsible usage.
    
Check for bullying
    Some apps, such as Whisper or Ask.fm, set the stage for bullying by promising anonymity, and of course parents don’t want their children on either end of a bullying issue.
    Granted, kids shouldn’t be putting their personal information out there for the world to see, but if these kinds of apps are present on their phones, parents might want to check it out and set some guidelines.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.