Tag Archives: cyber stalkers

HOW TO PARENT SAFELY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD (GUEST POST)

Parenting in the digital world is not an easy task. A recent survey in UK, shows that among 7-16 years old, seventy-five per cent of them use the internet. Children are giving more and more importance to this new media for multiple purposes such as for information, entertainment, relieving tension, communication (chat, email, instant messages) and most preferably for downloading contents. For many families, internet is a fragile medium, confusing and easier to gets wrong then right.

No doubt, Internet is a source of learning but it is also a place where cyber-stalkers are lurking for the target person. Parents give mobile phones to their children to remain in contact with them when they go outside either for their school or for some other activities.  Internet is full with lots of software, games, music videos and adult content that encourage children for downloading. As children are not good in downloading and using the internet, they may  become an easy target of cyber attackers.

That’s not only one problem that parents have to face regarding their children safety, sometimes games and video downloading shake your budget estimate with huge bills. These expensive apps have more attraction and adventure for kids. Pornographic videos are such a content that disturbs children behavior and attitude towards real world in a very bad way. It not only disturbs their health but also affects their norms and values.

If you have views that all Smartphone apps are wrong then you are thinking in the wrong direction. Many Smartphone apps are useful for kids and they make things easier for them. Many apps purely based on enjoyment and those apps create a real fun in people’s life. As it is already mentioned that not all apps are suitable for children so parents have to understand this concept for their children safety and security. 

One thing about internet which makes parents more suspicious about their children is the open availability of pornographic videos. As parents do not remain close to their children all the time in a day,  it’s very difficult for concerned parents to prevent their kids from undesirable  material.

Games always attract children due to their adventurous characteristics. Children love to play games as they give them new ideas and imagination. Many children instantly download a game when their latest version release onto their mobile phone. Although many games can be downloaded free of cost from Smartphone apps, it doesn’t happen all the time. There are some games for which you have to pay a handsome amount before downloading.

As technology advances the mobile industry, similar  technology makes advancement in games and now games are becoming more adventurous and realistic. There are also some games which contain violence, bad language and sexual content. Malware and viruses are another danger because these malwares can damage your child’s phone permanently.

Another danger in downloading different mobile apps is malware and viruses. The problem is that these apps are advertised free of cost and if you download them, these apps damage your mobile phone with malware.

You can easily prevent your child from having access to such sites with the help of the mobile tracking app like this available here http://www.mspy.fr/. Once you install cell phone spy, it will give you access to all data relating to your child’s cell phone usage and remains unnoticed by your child. In addition to this, you can block sites and downloading via this app.

Sent to us by Jessi Singh

Thanks, Jessi, for this information on keeping our children safe while using their computers, tablets, etc.  Another thing to mention is cyberbullying, which causes some young people to be driven to suicide.  This is an all-too common occurance, and parents must step in and be in control. pb

THREE THINGS YOUR TEEN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOME SECURITY

Raising teens presents some special challenges for parents.  You know that your child still needs your protection, but teenagers are growing more concerned with their independence and at times want to be on their own.  Furthermore, teens today are more increasingly involved with social media, which means they are susceptible to those who may have an identity other than what they claim from behind a computer screen.  Of course, there are ways you can keep your teen safe both at home and when he or she is online.  You need to make your teen aware of a few things so that he or she stays safe. 

1.         Some Information Should Not Be Posted on Facebook

You would be hard pressed to find a teen that is not connected to Facebook.com in some way.  Even though users must be at least 14 before creating an account, you will still find lots of teenagers using the social medium.  However, there are a few things you need to make sure you tell your teen not to post on the site.  These include:

  •            Birthday
  •            Explicit or Potentially Embarrassing Photos
  •            Extended or Short Vacation Plans
  •            Home Address
  •            Mother’s Maiden Name
  •           Phone Number
  •           Photos of the Home
  •           Place of Birth
  •           Searchable Public Profile

Information such as this can be used by identity thieves and burglars.  Furthermore, this type of information can leave your teen as a target by pedophiles and stalkers.  You can find more information about what not to share on these kinds of networks on sites such as howstuffworks.com. 

2.         Know How to Use a Home Security System

You may invest in a wireless home security system such as those you find at lifeshield.com to protect your family.  However, you need to consider that your teen can be home alone at certain times and may need to get in and out of the house securely when you are not there.  In this case, you need to trust your teen with any security codes needed for safe entry into the house.  You may also have to impose some ground rules such as limiting the amount of guests your teen can have over at one time while you are away and not allowing guests in certain areas of the home or property. 

3.         Be Careful About Using Apps

Since smartphones and mobile devices continue to grow in popularity, you will find that many teens are using them to document every aspect of their lives in cyberspace.  This can be especially dangerous when using geo-location apps and services or services such as Foursquare.  A friend can check in to your home and make it a public location with this kind of app.  While these may be fun for your teens to use and tell everyone where they are and who they are with, they can let cyber stalkers keep track of them and also inadvertently announce when they are and are not home.  You need to make your teen aware of how social media is connected to home security. 

Jennifer Kurtz is a stay-at-home mom who writes about Technology and Lifestyle on her blog.  She worked in marketing before her son was born, and keeps up with the tech field through her blog.  She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, her 2-year-old son, and a cat named Einstein.

Jennifer, this is excellent advice for the parents of teens.  Our world has become too dangerous to take chances, and parents should monitor what their teens are doing online, and other social medias, as much as possible.  Thanks again. pb