Children are using more social media than ever before! They can use an iphone or Android at two and three years old. They are so advanced when it comes to computers and any kind of tech, it’s actually amazing of what a child can do. The digital age makes so many things easier for parents from homework to having 24/7 access to our children. I remember my mom always making sure I had a dime for a phone call in case I needed to call her. Although all the available tech is wonderful, it also opens dangerous doors and can be scary. As parents, we need to be vigilant in making sure our children are safe when it comes to their phones.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says kids between 2 and 5 years old should only have one hour or less of screen time a day. For kids older than 6, media should not take the place of sleep or physical activity. Here’s their page on establishing a social media useage plan https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx
I was asked to be a part of a WebSafety campaign to help spread awareness around this topic. I was more than happy to join in and bring you this sponsored post because this IS an important topic. We have all heard or said, “There’s An App for That!”
Well there actuallly is an app to help parents protect their children and help then use their mobile devices safely! WebSafety (The App) monitors where our kids are going, who they contact and who’s contacting them on their phone.
We don’t want to control our children but rather teach them how to be responsible. After all, we teach them not to take candy from strangers, to look both ways when crossing the street, so why wouldn’t we teach them how to be safe with their mobile devices.
Problems That Can Incur with Phones
- Phone addiction
- Bullying through social media (either as the instigator or the victim)
- Objectionable/explicit content (sexting, etc)
- Predators or adult content/porn
- Depression, anxiety, and suicide
What Does WebSafety Do?
- Monitors text messages and social media use
- See what photos our kids are posting
- Sees what photos our kids interacting with on Facebook and Instagram
- Sends real time alerts when they see dangerous activities or cross boundaries we set.
WebSafety is available on Apple and Android devices, including tablets
Right now you can have a Free 30 day trial and after the trial it’s $5.99/month or $59.99/year – That’s one latte a month!!
How To Teach Responsibility
Create Rules and a plan that gives children a certain amount of usage time per day/week. You can also use the “time” as rewards and penalties. If your son finishes all his chores you can add time or if they break the rules, you take time away. Or maybe you want all cell phones and tablets off during dinner.
By teaching them they can shut their devices off and do things in “real” life, it lowers the chance of addiction.
- WebSafety, the lower cost most comprehensive tech to address smartphone usage for kids.
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Download the WebSafety app
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Try a #48hour
Use the app for 48 hours and tell us what you learned.
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