Over the years, the iPhone has added more and more features that are appealing to adults and children alike. However, amid a growing perception that too many teens have become addicted to their phones, apps, and unfettered internet access, Apple has received backlash for enabling teens’ excessive smartphone use. Apple has responded with new parental monitoring features and options, but are these features really the best choice for parents? Do they go far enough in protecting kids from online dangers?
Smartphone Addiction
A loss of interest in activities your child previously enjoyed may be a sign of smartphone addiction.
Smartphone addiction is more serious than you may think at first, especially for children and teens with developing minds. Compulsively playing game apps, web surfing, or checking social media sites can interfere with schoolwork and distract children from other beneficial activities. Kids can also wind up isolated from friends and family when they can’t bring themselves to look away from their screens.
Smartphone addiction may also contribute to depression and anxiety in teens. Kids who have difficulty putting their phones down can also experience sleep disturbances, and lack of sleep can have its own negative effects on physical and mental health. Parents should encourage healthy boundaries and limits on screen and smartphone use in order to avoid these negative effects.
iPhone Parental Monitoring
Is Apple enabling screen addiction in children?
In response to growing concerns over the possibility of teens becoming addicted to their smartphones, Apple has rolled out new features to enable parents to better keep an eye on their teen’s smartphone usage and protect them from online dangers.
For example, Apple offers parents the ability to set screen time limits, disable some apps, restrict content, and change privacy settings. They also offer a new “Families” page which includes information on usage and parental monitoring features in one easy-to-find place.
Other Parental Monitoring Software Options
However, parents don’t need to feel restricted to only the parental monitoring options offered by Apple. Third-party parental computer monitoring software, such as that offered by WebWatcher, offer features or ease of access that Apple does not. What’s more, WebWatcher’s parental monitoring software may be used on Apple or Android products, as well as Windows, Mac, and Chromebook, which can be helpful for parents whose children have more than one device of different brands.
WebWatcher parental computer monitoring software lets you set up alerts for specific behaviors that you consider inappropriate or unsafe. You can monitor website history, app usage, and GPS location, among other things. Webwatcher makes it easy for you to log in remotely to see all of the activity that’s recorded in a secure account online. And unlike some third-party monitoring software programs, there’s no need for you to “jailbreak” a phone or other device in order to use Webwatcher’s services.
Protecting your child online is a big job, and parental monitoring software can help. To find out more about how WebWatcher parental monitoring software can help you protect your children, get our risk free trial.
