How to Tell If An App or Website Is Safe for Your Kids 2024
The average age of children receiving their first smartphone has now got down to 10. Have you ever thought about what your children do on their smartphones? You may be clueless to the fact that children are easy victims on the internet. The reality is so shocking that it’s important to keep a constant watch on your child’s smartphone in order to ensure his online safety.
Certain websites and apps are extremely harmful to teens. Even inappropriate content on social media platforms can be unsafe for your child.
Do Your Children Use Risky Apps or Websites?
In this age of rapid digitalization, children receive their first smartphone at a very early age. If not guided properly, they can easily fall prey to a wider range of online hazards. Not all apps and websites are safe for children and the unsafe stuff can pollute their minds in different ways. If you have no idea about the risky apps and websites for your child, here are some information for your careful consideration:
- Anonymous social networking applications including Whisper, Ask.fm have been allegedly linked to cyberbullying. These apps provide users with a safe space to raise a storm over sensitive issues. Unfortunately, the platform also offers safe coverage for bullies in order to allow the users to post threatening content with miserable consequences.
- Saharah is another anonymous messaging app widely used to write negative and even racist comments about some specific issues.
- Some apps such as Kik Messenger allow your child to get in touch with strangers. As these apps don’t have an age verification system, therefore it’s fairly easy for your child to register via his username. This particular app is linked with predators who try to establish a relationship with minors with the goal of a face-to-face meeting at a real location.
- And then, there are dating apps. Though many of the popular dating apps verify age before registration, many teenagers have their accounts on these apps as these are not properly policed.
4 Ways to Tell If An App or Website Is Safe for Your Kids
It is a common behavioral pattern that most of the children use harmful websites, apps and games even after knowing that these are not right for them. They easily get drawn to the dark sides and suffer tragic consequences. Therefore, as a parent, you need to be more careful about your child’s Internet use. How do you know if a certain app or website is good or bad for your child? Here are 4 ways to ensure that:
Beware of Malware
The word ‘malware’ means malicious software. It is actually programmed to steal sensitive data, damage hardware components and create a mess. Apps or websites containing malware are dangerous for your child as these may introduce him to fake profiles, strangers, strange emails and many hazardous elements.
Check Reviews
Relying on the PEGI rating is a good idea but not enough to safeguard your child. Check reviews about games or apps before downloading those. It will tell you if the game or app is safe to use for your child.
Read User Agreements
Before downloading games, apps or browsing websites, go through the user agreements to know everything in detail.
Check Common Sense Media Review
Common Sense Media is a wonderful app having a dedicated section for reviews of different apps. You can visit the app to check the educational value of any particular app and what other parents think about it.
How to Prevent Your Children from Dangerous Apps & Websites?
After you get to know that many websites and apps are not safe for your little champ, it is natural for you to be concerned about your child’s online safety. There are several ways to monitor your child’s online activity. Here are some ways to prevent your children from hazardous websites and apps:
Educate yourself more about online apps and games
Though some parents are becoming more knowledgeable about the Internet, it always makes sense to learn more. You should educate yourself about the threats that some apps and websites pose for your child.
Surf the Internet with your child
Remember your childhood days when the entire family used to sit together to watch a movie? Bring the same culture back to your life by joining your child during Internet surfing, website browsing and playing online games. It will help you identify the kinds of games and apps he loves watching.
Discuss the Dangers of using unsafe sites with your child
Discuss frankly with your child to make him understand that it is better to avoid some websites and games. If needed, scare the crap out of him. Ask him never to talk to strangers online, not to reveal any personal information and not to agree to a ‘face-to-face meeting’ proposal.
Use a parental control app
By using an effective spy app for your child’s Internet use, you can prevent him/her from bad stuff online easily. Parental control app like iKeyMonitor offers multiple monitoring features, you can try these amazing features to protect your child remotely.
How iKeyMonitor Helps In Monitoring Your Children’s Phones
These days, your child needs only a smartphone for Internet use. Therefore, you need to have a monitoring app to watch what stuff your chid downloads, browses and uses on the Internet. Just check how iKeyMonitor can help you in this regard:
- The app allows you to set a limited time for screen use. It is less likely for a child to browse and use harmful online content within a restricted time limit. It is a wonderful way to prevent your child from falling prey to harmful activities and online predators.
- The app allows you to block certain apps and games that your child use online. It is a way to remotely monitor your child’s online activities without sneaking into your child’s room frequently.
- With this app, you can easily capture screenshots of mobile activities periodically, including photos, videos, chat apps and websites visited.
- The app enables you to get instant notifications as soon as your child attempts to open sites not safe for him.
By using iKeyMonitor parental control app, you can safeguard your child from awful websites, apps and games. But more important is to develop some good habits, such as reading, reading poetry, painting, so that children can easily give up harmful online activities.
Tags: certain app or website, hazardous websites and apps
Category: Learning & How to, Parental Control Tips
