Computer Monitoring Software

Discord is an app that allows users to set up their own servers where they can chat with their friends or with others who share their interests. The site is most popular with online gamers, but there are also a number of other types of interests represented among Discord’s many servers.  There are servers set up to function as online book clubs, fan groups for television shows or podcasts, and science discussions, to name a […]

According to a 2019 survey, over half of the children in the United States have a smartphone by the age of eleven, and 84% of teenagers have their own smartphones. That means that when parents are thinking about how to monitor their children’s internet use and communication, they need to think in terms of mobile devices, not just computers and laptops. And it’s not just internet communications that can be a concern, it’s SMS text […]

Parents often worry about the kinds of people their children may meet online, and for good reason. For a long time, parents have warned their children to avoid talking to strangers, but internet culture has made it much more commonplace and acceptable to get to know a stranger intimately before ever meeting them in person.  It’s not unusual for people of all ages to make these kinds of connections and to be fair, sometimes they […]

At this point in technology history, most members of the younger generation are true digital natives. They’ve had access to computers, tablets, and smartphones since they were old enough to hold the devices or operate a keyboard and a mouse.  Parents have genuine concerns about certain dangers that their children may face online, but they may not be concerned about their teenagers falling for online scams. It’s easy for them to assume that their children […]

Teenagers have always had their own takes on language. It’s not at all unusual for adults to be confused by the slang that the younger generation uses, and this can sometimes lead to humorous misunderstandings. However, in other cases, adults who don’t quite understand what the kids today are saying when they speak miss out on clues that could alert them that a teen is in trouble.  And teens know this – it’s common for […]

Chromebooks have only gained in popularity in recent years. When the first Chromebooks appeared on the market nearly a decade ago, many predicted that they would flop in the marketplace. The initial concept of the Chromebook seemed to focus on stripping down the features that most other operating systems relied on, and that created an operating system with limited capacities that was frustrating for many early users.  But as the capabilities of the cloud expanded […]

Most of the popular social media networks require that users be at least 13 to join. That means that once your child reaches adolescence, there isn’t much to stop them from signing up to spend their time on one of the many social media networks available.  As a parent, of course, you can make your own rules regarding when your child will be allowed to use social media, but many parents find that it’s difficult […]

Parents know that they need to be cautious about their children’s internet usage. The internet is changing all the time, so it can be tough to keep up, but for the most part, parents know that they need to monitor how their children interact on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, what types of things they share on message boards, and what kinds of apps they download to their phones and other mobile devices.  […]

Parents of today’s teenagers may remember that during their own teenage years, they had to find a pay phone or borrow someone else’s phone if they needed to call their parents for a ride home. Such a scenario would be unimaginable to today’s teen, who is usually equipped with their own smartphone. Most of today’s teens have phones in their pockets, which means that they can easily contact you whenever they need to. That’s good […]

Good parents help their children with their homework, feed them a balanced breakfast, and spy on their children’s smartphone use and online behavior. Or do they?  The reality is that good parenting varies wildly between families, cultures, locations, and specific situations, so it’s really hard to tell at a glance what is or isn’t good parenting without knowing more context. Most parents are honestly doing the best they can with the information, resources, and abilities […]

Today’s children and teenagers can’t remember what life was like without the internet, and most of them probably wouldn’t want to. After all, their smartphones, tablets, and computers give them endless outlets for entertainment and instant access to their friends no matter where they happen to be.  But while there are many reasons for children to find the internet enjoyable and useful, there are also downsides. Kids who don’t know how to protect themselves are […]

Nearly all teens have smartphones within their grasp. For parents, these devices make connecting easier as their kids and teens are a phone call away. But those same devices allow teens to have access to a world that isn’t always safe. Cyberbullying, inappropriate content, violence and the selfie allure of fitting into the cyber social world all rest within the apps and features of that phone. Parents may be oblivious to the accessibility that the […]